Expert: John Newman - 9/22/2009

Question
QUESTION: DEAR JOHN, THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ALL THE HELP WITH HOWARD MILLER PROBLEMS. ON THAT NOTE, I HAVE A HOWARD MILLER GRANDFATHER MODEL #610-572 AND HAVE HAD IT FOR ABOUT 4 YEARS AND ALL HAS RUN GREAT BUT FOR SOME REASON THE LAST TIME I WENT TO WIND IT THE PENDULUM HAD STOPPED. I READ A LOT OF THE HELPFUL HINTS ABOUT THE CLOCK ON HERE AND TRIED THEM (CHECKED THE MOON FEATURE AND IT IS NOT CAUGHT, CLOCK SEEMS TO BE VERY LEVEL AND THE TICK TOCK SOUND IS VERY GOOD AND NOT THAT TICK..TOCK......TICK.TOCK SOUND, PENDULEM AND ALL ASPECTS OF IT SEEM TO BE IN PLACE AND NOT BENT) BUT I HAVE GOTTEN IT TO RUN FOR A DAY OR SO THEN THE NEXT TIME 8 HOURS AND NOW SOMETIMES IT WILL RUN FOR 1 HOUR AND THE NEXT 3 HOURS. THE OTHER WIERD THING IT WILL STOP SOMETIMES AT 10 TILL THE HOUR AND THE NEXT AT 5 OR 10 AFTER THE HOUR AND THEN SOMETIMES JUST PAST THE HALF HOUR. I HAVE TAKEN OFF THE SIDE DOOR AND WATCHED THE MOVEMENT AND HAVE DETECTED NO PROBLEMS WITH GEARS ETC. CHIMES ALL GOOD AND CORRECT. SEEMS TO BE CLEN INSIDE. HANDS NOT TOUCHING AND FREELY MOVE. WHEN I START THE CLOCK BACK UP IT JUST STARTS RIGHT BACK TICKING. I THINK IT HAS A SELF LEVEL ON IT AS BEFORE THE LAST STOPPING IT DID MAKE A DIFFERENT TICK.TOCK......TICK.TOCK AND THIS DIT NOT SEEM TO AFFECT THE TIME AND TICKING.I KEEP THINKING IT IS A LEVELING PROBLEM BUT I HAVE ADJUSTED A FEW TIMES WITH NO SUCCESS.I AM JUST DUMBFOUNDED AND CAN NOT FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK AND THANKS AGAIN FOR THE HELP.

ANSWER: Jason, with all the information you have given me, I don't see any pattern to a problem.  When you say you have had it for about 4 years, was it new at that time, and if so, had it been in a warehouse or showroom floor for any length of time?  The reason I ask is if has been 7 to 10 years since the last service, that's what it might need.  With an autobeat movement the clock does not need to be exactly level but it must be stable.  If it rocks at all or is on exceptionally soft carpet, that can result in stopping.  Another thing to check is to make sure the hour hand is pushed on far enough.  You can carefully try moving the hour hand front to back and see if there is some play before it hits the minute hand bushing.  Another way is to loosen the minute hand nut and try running the clock.  If it runs, the hour hand has been binding and needs to be pushed on a little further.  You did say that it is in beat by your description of the even tick....tock....tick....tock.  Just in case it does get out of beat, to set it, hold the pendulum over to one side and release it.  It should pick up the even beat and settle down in a few minutes.  If none of this works, I would suggest you have an experienced clockmaker look at it.

John Newman
THE VILLAGE CLOCKSMITH
Old Prattvillage
Prattville, Alabama






---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: JOHN,  THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP. I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW IN THE BOX BACK THEN AND IT DOES SIT ON HARDWOOD FLOOR BUT THE FLOOR IS A LITTLE UNEVEN SO I MADE SURE(OR AT LEAST I THOUGHT) THAT THE CLOCK WAS LEVEL. I HAVE LOOKED AT THE HANDS TOO TO SEE ANY BINDING BUT THE MINUTE HAND CAN MOVE FREELY AROUND AND ALSO THE HOUR HAND CAN MOVE AROUND FREELY. I KNOW YOU ALSO SAID THAT HOUR HAND CAN BE PUSHED BACK, I HAD TRIED PUSHING THE WHOLE PIECE WHERE THE NUT IS AT THAT CONTROLS BOTH MINUTE AND HOUR AND IT WILL NOT MOVE IN AND OUT. I WILL TRY TO TAKE OFF THE MINUTE HAND TO SEE IF THIS HELPS. IS THERE SOMETHING MAYBE I AM MISSING ON THIS. I FEEL THAT IT IS NOT AN INTERNAL PROBLEM BUT SOMETHING SIMPLE AND I GUESS I LIKE CHALLENGES TOO.

ANSWER: Jason, I might have the answer.  First, when I suggested moving the hour hand, moving both would not detect any binding.  I am looking for the hour hand and tube to be moving separately from the minute hand.  And I mean JUST moving, maybe 1/32".  And as I suggested further, just loosening the nut would prove or disprove the binding.

But here's the probable answer.  When you said it was a new movement, a bell went off.  These movements are shipped with orange plastic c-retainers over the cable drums to prevent the cables from coming loose and tangling.  Look up under the movement and see if there isn't one of these retainers still on the center drum.  Check for all three drums.  Carefully pull any retainers off.  You can put them in the movement box or wherever you store the kept packing materials.  I bet this will do it.  Let me know.

John Newman
THE VILLAGE CLOCKSMITH
Old Prattvillage
Prattville, Alabama


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: HELLO JOHN, AS ALWAYS THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. I MAY HAVE SPOKEN INCORRECTLY WHEN I SAID NEW MOVEMENT. WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY WAS THAT THE TICK TOCK WAS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAN THE TICK TOCK THAT HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS(THE LAST FEW YEARS WAS A LITTLE OFF LIKE TICK.TOCK...TICK.TOCK AND NOW IT IS A SMOOTH EVEN FLOW OF TICK TOCK TICK TOCK). I HAVE NOT ADDED ANY NEW PEICES TO THE CLOCK AND IS ALL STILL THE SAME. ALSO, I HAVE TRIED TO MOVE THE HOUR HAND AND THE MINUTE HAND FREELY AND BOTH DO NOT SEEM TO BIND. I MAY HAVE TO GET A PROFFESSIONAL TO LOOK AT IT. I JUST LIKE THE CHALLENGE BUT CAN NOT SEEM TO COME UP WITH ANYTHING (THE CLOCK JUST RUNS SO SMOOTH WHILE IT IS RUNNING). THANKS AGAIN AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE.

Answer
Okay, Jason.  I guess that's about all we can do.  One thing and that is most clocks seem to run smoothly until the stop because of a failure.  There are so many little things that can stop a clock.  It's probably time to have an experienced clockmaker take a look at it.  Good luck!

John Newman
THE VILLAGE CLOCKSMITH
Old Prattvillage
Prattville, Alabama