Setting up and maintaining your Clock

 


If you are new to clocks, it may help you to note the following points.   
Moving your clock
1.        
Before you move the clock to new position, please REMOVE THE PENDULUM BOB FIRST to avoid damaging the pendulum suspension — it is very fragile.

 2.        
Place the clock in its permanent position BEFORE replacing the pendulum bob, hooking it onto the
bottom of the suspension arm.

 3.        
Start the clock by gently swinging the pendulum to one side about ½ inch (or a little more) from its
stationary position until it runs OK.
 
Balancing the pendulum
Your clock will run longer and keep better time if the pendulum swing is properly balanced.    
Ideally, do this with your clock on a flat and horizontal surface. (Check it with a spirit level in all
directions).

 4.        
Allow ten minutes for the  clock to settle into its natural tick. The clock is running properly when you
can hear an even tick-tock beat.

 5.        
If the tick-tock is uneven, the pendulum needs balancing. To do this, gently raise one side of the
clock a little. Hold it steady and listen to the change in beat. Then tilt it to the other side and listen to the beat. Note which side you had to raise to make the beat even.

 6.        
There is usually a friction device to allow adjustment of the pendulum.
Open the back of the clock. Gently push the pendulum suspension arm towards the side you had to raise, until you meet resistance. Then push it a tiny fraction further - you should feel it give slightly.
If there is no friction device, you will have to bend the pendulum crutch rod very carefully instead.  
Repeat points 3 to 6 until the tick-tock is even.

 7.        
Move your clock to its final position. Adjust the clock for horizontal balance, by inserting thin packing under the feet. (A little blue-tack is good )
 
Winding.
   
GENTLY wind the clock fully, but DON'T  OVER-  WIND IT  you might break the spring. You will feel a stronger resistance when it is wound as far as it  should go. 
 
Setting the time.
Set the clock to the correct time by moving the longer MINUTE hand CLOCKWISE. 

NEVER MOVE THE HANDS BACKWARDS.  You may bend or break part of the mechanism.

 If the clock is only a little bit fast it is better to stop the clock, wait until it is showing the correct time, and then start it again.

 Stopping the clock.
If you need to stop the clock for any reason, hold the clock firmly but carefully in both hands and gently tilt the clock towards you. When the pendulum tick-tock stops, lower the clock carefully back into place.


If the clock runs slow /  fast.
The timing accuracy depends on the length of the pendulum, on whether it is fully wound or almost run
down, and on how clean the mechanism is. 
A knurled nut on or underneath the pendulum bob adjusts the pendulum timing. On clocks with a 13 cm pendulum, you may find that one whole turn of the adjuster nut represents about 3 minutes a day. Turn the
front of the adjuster nut to your RIGHT (raise the weight) to make it run Faster, or to the LEFT (lower the
  weight) to make it run Slower.
The pendulum may be marked ßS  Fà ie Slow / Fast, or R - A  ie  Retard /Advance.


Adjusting chiming clocks
Some  clocks have "compensating chimes" so that you can turn the hands forward to the
correct time without waiting for striking to finish at each chime position. The chime will
correct itself usually within an hour. 

Other clocks do not have this facility, so you must wait  for them to finish striking at each chime position as you advance the hands.
Usually this is on the hour and half hour, but some clocks do a quarter hour strike too,
ie. Westminster chimes.

 Enjoy your clock!  Look after it, keep it away from vibration, dust and smoke, and it
should last you many years.
For further advice please use the contact form on our Home Page  
 
Tony Fensome