Expert: John Newman - 1/31/2010

Question
QUESTION: We have a Howard Miller grandfather clock we purchased in 1978.  It still runs great and we love it.  Unfortunately we moved to a home in Florida with ceramic tile floors, no drapes on the windows and very high ceilings. The chimes echo in the room making them much too loud.  We've tried adjusting them but they are still too loud.  Is there something we can do to muffle the sound?  There are top side panels with a mesh over them.  Is there something we could attach/cover them?

ANSWER: Joann, below is my procedure for adjusting the chime hammers.  If they are too loud, you can form the hammer wires so the are a little further away from the rods.  However, this is a fine adjustment and you might find that they are not as consistent in volume.  I have diminished the sound a little on some clocks by putting the small green sticky-back felt pads on the ends of the hammers.  This will reduce the distance from the hammer to the rod about 1/16" and they will probably have to be readjusted to compensate for this.



CHIME AND STRIKE HAMMER ALIGNMENT

First, the chime sound board and chime block screws should be very tight.  
Any looseness will cause diminished sound and quality.  For the preliminary
set up, each chime hammer should be aligned with its respective chime rod.  
The center of the hammer head should be in line with its rod and parallel
to the line of travel.  Another way to look at it is that it should not be
angled off to one side.  At rest, each hammer should be approximately
1/16" to 1/8" from the rod.  Pull the hammer back one hammer length and
release it. It should give a solid strike without double-striking or thudding.  
If it does this, the hammer wire needs to be formed back a little.  If the
volume is reduced too much, it needs to be formed closer to the rod.  
Do this with each of the chime hammers.  When you have completed this
sequence, test it by turning  the minute hand around the quarters letting it
chime on its own.  As the chimes will possibly lift differently than from when
done manually, they might need a little more find tuning.

The strike hammers will be done in a similar way with this exception:  
The four hammers all strike at the same time making the adjustment a little
different.  If  3 of the hammers are at the proper rest position and one is
resting on its rod, when it is formed back the other three might move closer
to their rods and the will  have to be adjusted back a little.   This will
now possibly put the first one out a little. The procedure is to form each
alternately until they all strike with good volume and do not double-strike
or thud.  A good example of this is a four-legged stool with one leg longer
than the other three.  You cut it off and find you have cut a little too much.  
Now you have to cut the other three to match the first one.  Fortunately, we
are not doing any cutting on the hammers. 8>)


John Newman
THE VILLAGE CLOCKSMITH
Old Prattvillage
Prattville, Alabama


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

QUESTION: Thanks.  I'm going to first check the alignment to make sure it's correct.  I'm a little hesitant about putting the green felt sticky things on the hammer.  Right now the sound is crisp and clear...might that make it "dull & flat"?  The side panels are mesh.  Have you had any experience with covering them?  Possibly with felt or some other material?

Answer
Joann, I have found that chime sounds are viewed in many ways.  I don't think felt would make them flat or even dull.  As far as volume is concerned, sometimes you get used to it.  Covering the side panels might be a good idea.  What if you tried laying thick foam inside the panels?  You could try different thicknesses, like 1/4", 1/2" and 1".

John Newman