Expert: Kenneth Saunders - 5/23/2007

Question
I purchased a nice double spring clock for my wife thirty years ago as a wedding gift. It has a pendulum action and two springs to wind with a key, one for the clock mechanism and one for the chime.  It has served us well for thirty years, keeping good time and requiring only a couple of cleanings.  It would chime the appropriate number of times for the hour and once for the half hour.  When our children were small, we let the chime run down so it would not disturb their sleep.  Now when we wind the chime it only chimes once for each hour.  Any ideas or suggestions?
Thanks, Gary and Cathy.

Answer
Gary: some of these have open springs (not in barrels) and if not really wound up fully, the spring can block the hammer from hitting the coiled gong properly. Also some are set up to have the 1/2 hour struck not by having gears turn but just lifted and dropped- in which case the hammer in its resting position may be too far away from the coil--bend it closer.