Expert: Martin Meyer - 9/24/2007

Question
I have an Emperor Grandfather clock with three weights.  As I was raising the middle weight, it came loose from the chain and the chain pulled all the way through the chain channel (?).  How do I thread the chain back through?  (Hope this makes some sense?!!)

Answer
Hi Carol,
    This a very common problem, and the center chain is the most difficult to get reinstalled in the movement.
    The chain goes around a sprocket much like a bicycle chain sprocket. Access to this sprocket usually requires removing the movement from the clock. This is sometimes easy, sometimes a real job, and there are too many different mounting systems for me to go into detailed description.
    Once the movement is out of the clock, you will see the center sprocket by looking at the bottom of the movement. The sprocket turns in only one direction; try turning it to determine which way it moves. Then remove the tab end of the chain (the end that you pull on when you wind the clock), not the hook end. Thread the chain end into the sprocket in the direction that the sprocket turns. The chain will hook onto a couple of teeth on the sprocket, then you can manually turn the sprocket to keep feeding chain through. Keep the movement upright while you do this, so that the chain does not get tangled inside the movement, but stays on the sprocket. Once you have chain coming out the exit side of the sprocket, you can just pull the chain down like you do when you wind the clock. Then replace the movement and reattach the tab end on the end of the chain.
    If removing the movement from the clock looks like too difficult a job, you should have a professional clock repairer do a service call to reconnect the chain. As a side note, it is sometimes possible to reattach the sprocket without removing the movement, by feeding it up into the sprocket with a small screwdriver or other tool, while you simultaneously turn the sprocket. I don't really recommend this method, because there is a possibility of damaging the delicate gears inside the movement.