Expert: Kenneth Saunders - 10/14/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hello, I have been given my mother's 8 day Bentima westminster clock. It works OK but I am not able to get it to chime or strike. I cannot turn the key to wind up  the chime or strike. It seems that they are both fully wound up.
The lever by the 3 to turn on the chime/strike moves OK.

 The clock keeps perfect time and I wind it up every 7/8 days.
Please can you help ?

Thank you.

ANSWER: look in the back and see if there might be levers holding down the hammers? for shipping --advise

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

QUESTION: thanks for very prompt reply.  The hammers are all in line and free to move.   Might the wind up mechanism be over wound up ?  I cannot turn either the         chime or strike winders on the face of the clock. The winder for the time is OK and I wind it up every 7/8 days but the key will not turn the other 2 winders.  Is there a way to free them ?

thank you.

Answer
common misconseption - winding tight is good--- are you sure you are winding them the right direction? not necessarily the same direction as the middle one? not sure what else to sugggest- not familiar with that unit.

take it to a clock shop they can quickly fix if something just shut off or the like?