Category Archives: Clock repair

notes from 23 years of professional clock repair

Mainsprings

mainsprings: The mainspring is the heart of the timekeeping of any spring drive clock. If the mainspring is not oiled properly the clock will not work. The oil that is used is absolutely critical ; it must be able to work … Continue reading

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Waterbury triple plate westminster chime

Clock Repair Archive – –    :  Waterbury made a triple plate self correcting lantern pinion mechanism with time and strike style shutoff wires. On the left side back plate looking at the unit from the front , the lever … Continue reading

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Warning pin position

Clock Repair Archive – –     The warning pin position determines how much spin the strike or chime gear train has before the hammer load or any load is applied to it. This as absolutely critical on some mechanisms … Continue reading

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Clock repair tools

Clock Repair Archive – –     Tools:  Be prepared to make your own tools or to modify commercially made items. Most of the tools that I have made have been made out of water hardening drill rod . punches: It … Continue reading

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Telechron electric clocks: 

Clock Repair Archive – –  This is a type of electric clock that, in most cases, works on 110 volt 60 cycle electric current. There are quite a number of different types of Telechron electric clocks but only a few … Continue reading

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Count wheel issues

(Thanks to Phil for his question that helped to formulate this part)COUNT WHEEL PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS:Cuckoo clocks have their own special set of situations. Many cuckoo clocks of the count wheel variety use only gravity (as opposed to spring activated … Continue reading

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WHAT ABOUT SOLDERING IN THE REPAIR OF CLOCKS?

If you don’t absolutely have to DO NOT SOLDER ANYTHING ON A CLOCK. I say this because I have seen thousands of clocks with blobs of solder and acid flux all over them, many of them destroyed because of it. … Continue reading

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How to fix problems with the chimes

HOW DO I FIX THE CHIMES? Now a little bit about chime adjustment. I have had numerous requests about this topic. First lets get on the same page, so to speak, about the meaning of chime, and stike, and gong. … Continue reading

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Timekeeping issues

TIMEKEEPING ISSUES A note about timekeeping with the stock pendulum that is designed to be used with a given clock: Shorten this pendulum and the clock will run faster. Lengthen this pendulum and the clock will run slower. In other … Continue reading

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Can a clock be “wound too tight”?

WHAT ABOUT THE SAYING THAT “THE CLOCK IS WOUND TOO TIGHT”?You can only wind a spring drive clock so far and then either the spring will break, or the key will break, or one of the gears will be ripped … Continue reading

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