Expert: Michael Radi - 12/27/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hi,
I just received a Howard Miller model 610-370. When I went to reset the weights I push up a little to hard on the middle weight causing the chain to fall completely off the sprocket. After around an hour I was able to get the chain back on and bring the weight up to join the others.

Now it doesn't chime properly. Whitt., St. Mich., won't chime. Westm. does but not correctly. When I couldn't get it to work through the side I took the face off, my bad, and started to mess with all the levers????????

Any help would be appreciated.
Charlie

ANSWER: This may take a little troubleshooting but I'm willing to work with you on this. First be sure that the heaviest weight is on the right side. That is the chime side and it needs more weight than the strike. You may have two weights that are heavier than the other. Or two might be lighter. Put the lighter weight on the left side. Whatever weight is left, put in the middle.
Hopefully this will get your longer chimes running, they take the most power because two hammers are lifted at a time. Westminster is the easiest song for your clock to play.
You must have removed the hands to take the face off. Hopefully all you need to do is put the hands on in the right position. Advance the minute hand 1/4 hour at a time and let the chime finish that part of the song before advancing. When the clock chimes and strikes an hour, count the hour strike. Take the minute hand off, move the hour hand to whatever hour the clock struck. Put the minute hand on pointing straight up to the 12 on the face.
I'm hoping this will correct all of your problems. If it does not, let me know exactly what happens when you move the minute hand forward and letting the chime complete the song every 1/4 hour.
Michael
norkro.com

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

QUESTION: Hi Michael,
The weights are all in the right position. My friend that I bought the clock from had them marked on the bottom and after I set it up was working  perfectly, only yesterday when I was lifting the weights and pulling on the chain did I mess it up. I pushed a little to hard on the weight and not enough pull on the chain did the chain slip off the weight and the chain fell into the bottom of clock.

Ok, so I followed your directions and was able to get the chimes and gong set. It works great.

This is Westminster only.  The other chimes and gongs don't work. What happens is that the hammers get stuck between the song, so one or more hammers are back from their resting place.

Any suggestions.

Charlie

ANSWER: Are you saying it will play part of the longer songs and then get stuck?
After a quarter completes the chime all of the hammers should be at rest. This is important because when the chime starts up from a dead stop the gears need to get spinning before a hammer starts being raised. Let me know if you think this is the problem.


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

QUESTION: Ok, 11 am in whitt. chime mode, plays one note and hammers stop. Some not at rest. One way back and another a little back from what i can tell.

Answer
So if you switch to Westminster they play fine? The longer songs will not run more than one note?
You would try pulling all the hammers away from the rods and see if the longer songs will run.
So far, the only repair suggestion I have is to oil the pivot holes, especially the ones for the fan (fly) at the top of the chime train. The fan is a flat brass piece on a shaft all the way at the top of the movement. You can see it spin when the chimes play. You should use a clock oil and only put it on the pivot holes where the shaft(s) go through the movement plates.
Here is a video that will show you a little bit about clock oiling:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9YrBcKiHA4

Michael