Expert: William J Perkins - 12/12/2007

Question
QUESTION: The hour hand on my Ridgeway grandfathers clock no longer holds; for example if it gets to 3 o'clock it will slip to 6.  Do I need new hands?

ANSWER: No.  You need to re-establish the hour hands friction fit to its shaft.  To correct push the hour hand back towards the dial by applying pressure with your fingers at a position as close to the hour shaft hand as you can get.  Locate the hour hand to its proper position for the time the clock is at.  If you don't the hour hand will be out of synch with the strike.  This should take care of the matter.  If it does not, contact me again and I will describe another alternative.  Regards WJP

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QUESTION: Indeed, I have tried this and to no avail.  The alternative?

Answer
Remove the minute and hour hands.  Examine the bushing on the hour hand, if the bushing is tight to the hand, squeeze the bushing with a pliers to slightly close the bushing, push the hour hand back onto its shaft, you should have a good friction fit.  If, on the other hand the bushing is loose to the hand you can rivet it tightly to the hand with a few light blows from the ball end of a ball peen hammer.  Either or both of these procedures should correct your problem.  If they don't look for a loose pin or holding washer.  If a fallen washer is the problem, you should be able to find it either on the movements seat board or the bottom of the case.  This should do you.  Regards WJP