Expert: Martin Meyer - 9/21/2009

Question
MY DAD RECENTLY MOVED A TEMPUS FUGIT HERSCHEDE GRANDFATHER CLOCK AND THE CENTER CHAIN FELL OFF. HOW DO I REPLACE THAT CHAIN AND WILL THAT START THE CLOCK AGAIN? I HAVE THE BACK OFF AND CAN VIEW THE WORKS OF THE CLOCK.

Answer
Hi Deb,

The center chain is always difficult to reattach (I am assuming that you still have the original chain), but if your Herschede clock is a large tubular chime clock it will be much more difficult than if it is a smaller ("grandmother") clock with chime rods rather than tubes.

It is usually necessary to remove the movement from the clock to reattach the center chain, but occasionally possible to insert the chain from below, using a long screwdriver or heavy wire bent on the end. The chain goes on a sprocket, much like a bicycle sprocket, which turns in only one direction. You should remove the tab end or ring from the "pull" end of the chain, or it may jam inside the movement. Determine which side of the sprocket turns in the "in" direction, and which in the "out" direction, by manually turning the sprocket. Then feed enough chain onto the sprocket on the "in" side so that the sprocket grabs a link or two of the chain. Then just turn the sprocket manually until the chain comes out the other side. Then you can simply pull the chain until there is enough hanging down for normal winding.

You can probably see from the above description that this operation will be much easier to do with the movement out of the clock. If you try to do it with the movement still installed, you will have to try to hook the end of the chain onto some long, thin tool and reach up from below into the movement and get the chain end hooked onto the sprocket. This is often quite difficult.

The center weight powers the pendulum, so the clock should run when the chain is reattached, unless there are other, unrelated, problems.  http://www.clockmasteronline.com