Expert: William J Perkins - 9/29/2007

Question
QUESTION: Trend mantel clock style 722-351/ movement no. 106A/ pack no. 459/199
Clock runs fast.  Approximately 5 minutes every 2 days,  Is there a way to
adjust movement speed?

Thanks, H. Giegel

ANSWER: To properly respond to this question more information is needed.  Presuming your clock is pendulum operated and is running fast you must increase the length of the pendulum.  Most pendulum clocks feature a shaft with an attached bob.  The bob is usually held onto the shaft by a nut at the very bottom of the shaft.  To decrease speed you need to turn this screw so that it allows the bob to go lower, ergo, increase the length.  Let the bob down about two turns, set to correct time and let the clock run for 24 hours, the amount gained or lost will tell you the effect of letting down two threads within a 24 hour period.  This puts you in possession of the formula to determine precisely how many turn are required to achieve an accurate setting.  For example, letting the screw down two threads and checking the time 24 hours later and the clock is still 3 minutes fast tells you each turn of the screw, down, causes a 1 1/2 min gain.  Since the clock is now running 3 min fast for each 24 hour period you will need to let the screw down another two turns and you are home.  Hope this is what you need, should your clock use a floating balance or other none pendulum operating system, describe what it is and we can go from there.  Regards WJP

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

QUESTION: This is not a pendulum movement.  It has a timing wheel which rotates back
and forth causing a tiny bar to oscillate between 2 pins.

Answer
Again I need more information.  An escapement is by far the most critical and difficult part of a clock to maintain.  Since your clock is not of the pendulum variety I will presume it is either a floating balance or a platform balance.  If it be floating balance there are instruction on-line to cover their adjustment.  Go to <home.earthlink.net>  click on item 50 of the index "Hermle Floating Balance".
b). if the clock is a platform escapement, the tiny bar you refer to is the adjusting lever.  This lever can be moved through a semi-circle and there should be a scale stamped into the platform, if not there should be a + on one side and a - on the other, since your clock is running fast move the lever towards the -.  This should solve your problem.  If not send me a digital picture of the escapement.  Since all-expert does not support attachments send it thru me e-mail address <flashpowder@hotmail.com>
Regards WJP