How To Repair Winding Clock
How does one wind an antique or vintage mechanical clock? The advice and suggestions, if followed, should provide you with the skill and confidence to correctly wind your antique or vintage mechanical clock.
In this age of everything electronic, information technology may surprise some people that a newly acquired mechanical clock bought at the local garage sale or antique store needs to be wound on a regular basis. Winding a mechanical clock takes some care but a few simple guidelines should have you on your way.
A chime is a musical tone and a typical musical tone found on most clocks with 3 winding points is the Westminster chime
Let's begin past discussing some terms.
Winding arbours or winding points; one, two or three, what does each one practise?
On your clock dial you volition see 1, 2 or three holes. These are called "winding arbours" or winding points. Each winding arbour has a function. The number of winding arbours corresponds to the number of gear trains (or sets of gears) on a clock.
For case, if in that location is i hole it is a fourth dimension-only clock; ii holes hateful that it is a time and strike clock, that is, information technology strikes the appropriate hour on the hour and either a bell or strike on the half-hour (there are always exceptions such as this two train Westminster Chime clock or a time-just clock with an warning arbour). Clocks with three winding arbours chime on the quarter-hour making a musical tone. On a clock with three arbours, the centre arbour winds the fourth dimension train and the left arbour, the strike side and the right, the chinkle side.
On some clocks, in that location is a smaller pigsty on the clock confront near or to a higher place the 12 o'clock position. It is also an arbour but a smaller i used for regulating the speed of your clock. If you have a double-ended key the small terminate fits that arbour. Some clocks will take the regulating arbour located under the centre cannon where the hands are attached.
What is the divergence between chime and strike?
A strike is simply a strike. An antique or vintage clock that is "time and strike", strikes the indicated time on the 60 minutes by means of a single strike for each 60 minutes or a two-tone strike such as a Normandy strike or "Bim-Bam" strike. In that location may or may not be a strike on the half-hour.
Older antique clocks, for instance, typically do not strike on the half-hour to preserve the wind on the strike side.
On the other paw, a chime is a musical tone and a typical musical tone found on most clocks with three winding points is the Westminster chime. Some clocks provide more choices such as the Schatz W3 subclass clock which has 3 musical tones, St Michael'southward, Whittington and Westminster.
Where are the winding points?
On this spring-driven Seth Thomas mantel clock (next photo) the left arbour (arrow) winds the strike side and the correct arbour (pointer) winds the time side. The smaller hole just beneath the centre cannon is for regulating the clock.
On the Ingraham clock (next photo) at that place is just one set or train of gears that indicate it is a time-only clock, hence the unmarried arbour or winding signal. The smaller pigsty in the loop end of the "two" on the number 12 is for regulating the clock.
If you do not like the audio of a strike or the strike bothers your guests a clock volition run simply fine if the fourth dimension side is wound without winding the strike side. However, for the fifty-fifty article of clothing of a clock motility, winding both sides of a hit clock is recommended.
Running fourth dimension
Most clocks are designed to run for eight days. Some older clocks run thirty hours and others run as long as thirty days on a wind. Still others such as anniversary clocks will run 400 days on a current of air.
Winding a clock one time a week for eight-day clocks ensures that the clock does not stop. A good practice is to wind your clock(s) on a specific day each week. It is also a proficient practise to make small adjustments to your clock from time to fourth dimension, for example, you may accept to occasionally speed upwards or dull down the clock as the seasons change. An article I wrote on regulating your clock can be found here.
Keys
Oft your newly acquired clock will come without a fundamental and if there is one, it is generally a replacement primal. It is rare to detect a clock with its original key. The key that comes with the clock will likely fit. If your clock has a speed adjustment arbour on the clock face (F-S) ordinarily located on the top part of the dial face, yous will have a double-ended primal. If your clock came with a 1-ended winding key (winding arbour merely) when there are is a height speed adjustment arbour, it is not original to the clock. Ii ends are required because the speed adjustment arbour is smaller than the winding primal arbour.
Key size and blazon
All mechanical clocks require a winding cardinal such as the one pictured below. The exception is, of course, warning clocks and some carriage clocks that have integrated winding keys. Keys come in various sizes and it is important to have the correct size fundamental for your clock's arbour. It must fit snugly and non be too loose. If your clock came without a key it can exist purchased at any clock supply house such as Perrinin Canada. Timesavers and Merritts are clock suppliers in the United states of america where keys can be purchased.
Hither is an article on key sizes.
Over-winding a clock is a mutual myth. A clock which "appears" to be over-wound seizes because of a buildup of former oil and dirt in the mainspring coil
Next, nosotros'll wait at how to current of air your clock.
Winding your mechanical clock
If the punch is covered by a glass door, open it to access the face up. Insert the cardinal into one of the winding arbours and with your not-dominant hand, steady the case while yous current of air the clock. I recommend wearing cotton gloves to preserve the finish of the case.
Next, turn the key clockwise. If information technology will non plough clockwise, plough counterclockwise. Yes, some clocks current of air clockwise and some counterclockwise. Do non force the fundamental; air current information technology with minimal force and wind the arbour until it winds no further. In one case you've encountered resistance do not force the key any further.
Below is a prime example of a past possessor who used excessive force to wind the movement in the wrong direction. The right leap barrel is unhooked from the main bike and that tin can just occur when attempting to wind the spring with considerable force, in the opposite direction.
If you lose the key buy a new 1! Do not apply pliers or any manus tools to wind a clock.
The "clicking" sound heard when winding the arbour is the click engaging the ratchet on the mainspring. The purpose of the ratchet is to lock the mainspring in place during each plow of the key. An 8-solar day clock usually requires 14 one-half turns of the cardinal as the arbour does one complete turn per 24-hour interval.
Let the key to gently rest back onto its click. On those rare occasions when the click might slip or break you must resist the urge to let it go. Allow the key to slowly unwind in your hand, otherwise, impairment can potentially occur to the teeth and gears. Letting the cardinal go will result in collateral impairment to other parts of the movement.
Over-winding a clock is a common myth. A clock that "appears" to be over-wound seizes considering of a buildup of erstwhile oil and clay in the mainspring coil which causes the coil to stick. Servicing a mechanical clock on a regular ground is an important part of ownership and volition mitigate hereafter clock problems.
Weight driven clocks
Of course, not all clocks accept springs. Ane case is a grandfather clock. The weights on weight-driven clocks must exist raised to the peak to begin the weekly time cycle. This is accomplished by either a crank key placed in the winding arbour on the clock face up or pulling chains manually to raise the weights.
Slowly pull the chain on the shorter side in a downward direction until the weight reaches the underside of the wooden seat board at the top of a weight cease bar. Do this for the remaining two chains if it is a chiming clock. Let the bondage practise their piece of work. Do not "help" them by lifting the weights at the same time. Pushing upward on the weights volition run the take a chance of the chain jumping the winding gear teeth. Clothing cotton fiber gloves to steady the weights while they are being pulled up to preserve the brass finish on the weight shells.
For those clocks that wind with a crank fundamental, insert the key into each winding hole on the clock face up and crank slowly till the weights reach the peak.
All three weights on a chiming grandfather clock descend together through the calendar week.
Both weights on a time and strike wall or tall example clock descend together through the week.
On older alpine case clocks with weights curtained behind an admission door, open the door to observe the weights rise equally you wind the clock. Every bit the weights ascent to the acme, slow down the winding and stop when the weights run across resistance.
xxx-hour time and strike clocks are typically wound with a winding crank inserted in the dial face winding points in one case per mean solar day. Air current the weights to the top of the case at the same time each 24-hour interval.
Last thoughts
Savor your mechanical clock and remember to wind it regularly, take intendance of it, service it when required and even if you choose not to run it, enjoy a piece of horological history.
How To Repair Winding Clock,
Source: https://antiquevintageclock.com/2017/05/04/how-to-wind-a-mechanical-clock-the-basics/
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