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Question
Hi...we recently purchased a grandfather clock through a private sale. The previous owner stated that the clock originated in Germany, though we cannot find any manufacturer tag or marking. I brought it home and set it in place, leveled it, hung the pendulum and weights, set the time, and put things in motion (around 9:20 pm. The clock struck the 1/4 hour and hour as expected at 10 pm and 11 pm. We went to bed. When the clock went off at 1 am it woke me up (since we are new to the chimes in our house) and noticed that it struck 12. I thought it was odd and waited around until 2 am to see what happened. It chimed the 1/4 hour just fine, but at 2 am it was the same thing...struck 12. I tried to re-synchronize the chime like I have read online, but it still will only chime 12. Any ideas?
Hi Tom,
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Your clock has a "rack and snail" strike mechanism, and this is what is malfunctioning. I have attached a photo of this mechanism to assist my explanation. It may look different from your clock, but all basic parts are the same.
When the clock prepares to strike the hour, the rack hook lifts, allowing the rack to fall (rotate counterclockwise a certain amount). The snail is roughly circular, but has 12 steps on it. The rack tail comes to rest on a step of the snail, and this stops the rack's fall at the correct point to strike the right number of hours. What is happening with your clock is that the rack tail is not hitting the snail, so the rack falls all the way down at every hour, which is the position to strike 12:00.
Correcting this problem may or may not be fairly easy. However, you will have to remove the hands and dial to gain access to the front plate of the movement, which is where the rack and snail mechanism is. On some clocks this requires removing the movement from the clock case. There are many ways in which movements are mounted in clocks, and it is beyond the scope of this forum to try to describe them. If you are able to access the rack and snail, you should look for the cause of the rack's dropping all the way on every hour. There are many possibilities, such as bent or broken parts, but the most common is that the small E-clip which holds the rack on its shaft, has come loose, allowing the rack to slide forward on its shaft so that the rack tail falls in front of the snail instead of on it. Replacing this clip is easy, and you can probably find an acceptable clip at your local hardware store, or from any clock supply house. If the cause of the problem is something more complicated, such as a broken part, you may need to have a professional clock repairer do a service call. http://www.clockmasteronline.com
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| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | Thank you. I may call a service person in anyway since the previous owner stated it was a good long while since it had been serviced/oiled. | ||
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Answers by Expert:
Martin Meyer
Expertise
Can answer repair and service questions for most types of clocks, antique and modern, mechanical and battery. NO watches, appraisals, identification, history, dating, or questions about cuckoo clocks. Website for Modern and Antique Clock Repair: Clockmasteronline.com
Experience
24 Years as owner and repairman of clock repair business, 28 years in the field. Factory Independent Service Center for Howard Miller, Ridgeway and (formerly) Sligh Clocks. Specializing in Fine Antique Longcase (grandfather) clocks. Clock repair Website: (Please remove "Not" from the address - this is a spam protection): www.NotClockmasteronline.com
Organizations
AWCI (American Watchmakers and Clockmakers Institute) and NAWCC (National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors)
Publications
Am also an Expert in the "AllExperts-Antiques-Antique Clocks" Category.
Education/Credentials
Trained by a former Rolex Asia watchmaker, and by a Master Watchmaker/Clockmaker.
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