Expert: William J Perkins - 10/22/2011

Question
QUESTION: I just inherited a Howard Miller Grandfather clock.  Got it home ok and set it up.  When I wound the weights, I did as my dad had showed me steady, even cranking.  All the way to the top until they stopped.  After I did that I remembered that he said DON'T wind it all the way up.  Now I know why.  The two outer weights seem to be locked in place and won't drop.  Is there some release button somewhere?  HELP  Judy

ANSWER: This is a normal happening for a weight being pulled up to far.  Let me explain a little bit about how your clock runs.  Each of the weights drives a separate gear train.  The most important is the one in the center.  This is the one that drives the time keeping train and I presume it is properly functioning.  There is a cam located on the minute hand shaft that every 15 minutes trips and causes the train on your right, as you face the clock to release and play segments of a melody, when that segment or melody is completed a lift lever trips and releases the strike train, driven by the weight on the left, so that it announces the hour.  In your instance the right weight is jammed against what is called the seat board.  The weight must be released from this condition.  The easiest way is to simply add more weight to the right side.  You can do this by hanging more weight onto the bottom of the right weight or simply pull down with your hand.  If this does not work you will need to access the inside of the clock so that for can physically release the weight from its hang up condition.  Once this is done the clock should function properly.  If you are at a lose as to what to do for added weight, a sock filled with rice works great.  Regards WJP

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

QUESTION: Well William Perkins...you are a genius.  I didn't have a bag of rice but I used a bag of dry navy beans lol.  Who would have thought you could fix a clock with a bag of beans? I put it on the right weight and it released both of them.  Now... How to I synchronize the chimes with the right hour.  It just came up 1pm and it chimed 4 times.  Any ideas on that one?  Thank you Judy

Answer
From your description the time keeping is 3 hours behind strike.  i.e. at one o'clock it strikes 4 times.  To correct simply grasp the hour hand by on hand and the minute hand with the other, turn the hour hand backward 3 hours, hold the minute hand in its position so that it cannot move.  Release both hands, the time and strike should now be synchronized.  You can do this operation yourself because the hour hand is friction fit to its shaft thus allowing it to be moved about without moving any gears.  Regards WJP