Expert: Martin Meyer - 8/1/2009

Question
I have a bulova mantle clock (has the number 340-020 on the back). It is a 3 key hole chiming clock. My problem is, it was running a little slow, so I've been slowing trying to speed it up.(I know I'm doing that part right, because I received clear instructions from one of your experts a few months ago). However, now I've noticed that the hour hand is behind the hour it is supposed to be on. (i.e. it's 8 o'clock, but the hour hand is not quite to 8)...I tried advancing it manually but it doesn't seem to want to move and I don't want to force it. Any suggestions?

Answer
Hi Pat,

The hour hand is a friction fit on its shaft. Sometimes the hand is tight, especially on older clocks. It is definitely correct to simply move the hour hand to point to the correct position. Try to loosen the hand by moving it slightly back and forth, holding it near the shaft so that you don't bend or break it. Occasionally the hand can be very tight, and it can be a real effort getting it to move. I would recommend that you do NOT use WD40 or any other solvent or penetrating oil, as this can cause serious problems on clocks. Once you get the hour hand to move, the most accurate way to adjust it is to set the clock to 12:00; in this position, the two hands are precisely lined up with each other.  http://www.clockmasteronline.com