Expert: Martin Meyer - 9/23/2007

Question
QUESTION: We recently purchased a ~1930 German Hawina floor standing clock. The clock is in perfect working order and chimes on the hour (number of chimes is current time) and on the half hour (one chime).

The clock includes 5 chime rods in one line back-to-front, with 3 hammers hitting from the left and 2 from the right. Thing is, all chimes are coming from the set of 3 - the 2 right-side hammers never hit the chimes, and furthermore they don't even reach the chimes when moving it manually (as though the hammers expected the chimes to be closer).

As the clock is physically in perfect shape, it seems that the 2 right-side hammers have been disabled by a user setting, rather than a malfunction. It feels like if I knew what lever to move/pull it would start chiming.

So, I'd appreciate any information on the function of the 2 right-side hammers, as well as instructions on how I would enable their chime.

ANSWER: Hi Dan,
    Sorry for the delay; my computer has been down.
    This is one of those questions when I wish I was standing in front of the clock looking at it. So my answer will be a little bit guesswork; if my assumptions are wrong, please get back to me and I'll try to be more helpful.
    I'm going to assume that you mean right and left as you're looking at the clock. I'm also assuming that all three of the left-side hammers strike the chime rods at once, that is, not in sequence.
    If these assumptions are correct, you have a "bim-bam" clock which is supposed to strike a high chord then a low chord for each hour, rather than play a melody as in a Westminster chime clock.
    These clocks are unlikely to have a shut-off for the chimes on one side only. If there is a shutoff, it would probably be either a lever extending forward through the dial, or an L-shaped large lever inside the clock that you can pivot to raise back the chime hammers away from the chime rods.
    What is more likely is that your two right-side chimes are not adjusted correctly. There are two methods for doing this. First, if you look at the shaft of the chime hammers, at the base where it enters the movement, you may see a thumbscrew. When you turn this screw the chime hammers move closer to the chime rods. Turn the screw until the hammers are about 1/8" away from the chimes. Make the clock strike, and if you get a double strike sound, back the screw off a tiny bit until you hear a nice single strike.
    If there is no screw as described above, the horizontal rod that the chime hammer shafts are mounted on will probably be fitted over a slightly smaller rod that goes into the movement. These two rods should be held together by a screw, usually an eyelet screw that you can turn easily. You should loosen this screw and, holding the rod that goes into movement still so it doesn't move, move the rod that the chime hammer shafts are on toward the movement to achieve the correct clearance, as above.
    If this information isn't helpful, please provide more detail about the mechanism, and I'll try to be more helpful.
    Thanks for your question.   Martin

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

QUESTION: Hi Martin,

Thank you so much for helping. There was indeed a thumbscrew, which unfortunately had broken off so the chimes cannot be adjusted. So, I bent the hammers to position, and this worked. Now, the next step.. how do I obtain the correct chimes for this clock?

Answer
Hi again Dan,
    I'm not sure I understand your question. If your clock is indeed a bim-bam, it should chime a high chord followed by a low chord at the half hour, then strike the correct number of hours on the hour.
    If I misunderstood your question, or if the clock is not chiming this way, please get back to me with more information on what it is doing, and I'll try to help.