Expert: Michael Radi - 6/30/2010

Question
I have a grandmother clock. Weight driven. Wound by three cables. It has run perfectly for months. the only problem is it was three to four minutes fast each morning. I turned the minute hand back three minutes each day, not when it was in the chime or strike mode. but today, the clock stopped and the minute hand seems frozen. it is not easily moved in either direction. where do i go from here?  thanks mick

Answer
Hi Mick. It sounds like the chime or strike is stuck and the hand can't advance (or be easily turned backwards). I'm guessing that the strike did not run and the rack is stuck behind the hour snail. Try carefully moving the minute hand backwards and hopefully the clock will do a chime or strike then be OK. If you can turn it without it seeming totally stuck keep going backwards until you rack 12:00. At this point the rack should be free to move upward when the clock strikes. Be sure the weights are wound up at least so that they are not at the bottom of the clock case.
After you get it running again you can slow it down by lowering the pendulum bob. There is a nut at the bottom of the pendulum. Hold the pendulum so it won't twist and turn the nut counter clockwise about two turns. You may have to repeat this procedure a few times to get the clock to keep good time. Let me know if you can't get the clock running.
Michael