Expert: William J Perkins - 9/1/2009

Question
Hello.  This clock worked fine for a couple of years and then the chimes got slower and finally stopped.  Sometimes if I rotate the the minute hand around through 12 hrs., the chime slowly (and correctly) resumes at a slow pace for a few hours and then stops again.  I tried blowing compressed air on the reachable parts to clear possible dust but no luck.  Is there a way to lubricate the chime works or is some other approach indicated?  Thanks for your help!yaupa

Answer
By using compressed air to correct your problem you are actually compounding the problem.  Your clock is in dire need of cleaning.  The old lubricant has become emulsified with atmospheric dirt.  This residue needs to be removed and all the pinions and pinion holes polished with new lubricants added.  Ship bell clocks need lots of attention, they are very sensitive to their surroundings.  Regards WJP