What's wrong with grandad?

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Mo
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What's wrong with grandad?

Post by Mo »

Can any mechanically minded person diagnose my grandfather clock.
It was going fine until I let it run down and stop. Now it will only go for 10 minutes before stopping.
The cables seem to be properly wound ( now it stands on a carpet that is not the problem it used to be when the cables might wind onto the spindle if the clock stopped).
I saw it just before it stopped, the second hand was juddering forwards and backwards, and the pendulum slowing.
Any ideas?
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Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
Gwenoakes
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Re: What's wrong with grandad?

Post by Gwenoakes »

Not got a clue, Mo but I am sure some person much cleverer than me will help.
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lancashire lass
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Re: What's wrong with grandad?

Post by lancashire lass »

sorry, can't help either
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kitla
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Re: What's wrong with grandad?

Post by kitla »

Shame my FIL is not still with us, he collected lovely old clocks & learned to repair them. He had 3 grandfather clocks, one very old one we now have but only wind it up on special occasions as we find the bonging a bit annoying after a while. If you google "how to repair a grandfather clock" you'll find a few tips & videos, worth a look. Perhaps it needs a service/clean inside.
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
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Meanqueen
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Re: What's wrong with grandad?

Post by Meanqueen »

I have no idea how they work, but, maybe it's tired and needs a lie down. Can you lay it flat >fi< maybe overnight for a sleep.

Maybe take it apart and give it a good clean. Accumulated dust might be clogging up the works. Put the bits in a bowl of hot soapy water and scrub them. Make sure they are dry before you put them back. +f+

Maybe get a mate for it, a grandmother clock, place them side by side, he might perk up a bit then. {hug&kiss}

Maybe give him a spruce up, polish the case, talk nicely to him. )loo(

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Mo
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Re: What's wrong with grandad?

Post by Mo »

Yes, thanks, I've just watched one of the videos. They say oil every couple of years and clean the mechanism every 10 years. I'm sure my father-in-law would have done this, he was a craftsman and had a fully equipped workshop. We still have the model train engine he made (a big one maybe 18" long the sort enthusiasts steam round the park). But it's been in my house for 20 years. We decorated the hall 5 years ago and moved it but I don't remember Jim taking the mechanism out. I certainly haven't done anything other than wind it for the last 4 years, and I don't feel competent to try.
I've found a shop 4 miles away that sells and repairs Grandfathers, I emailed him to ask what it might cost. He's not replied.
It just seems odd that it was running and keeping good time and now it isn't. Even more odd that it goes for 10 minutes.
Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
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kitla
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Re: What's wrong with grandad?

Post by kitla »

have you moved it lately, even a little bit? My mum had a beautiful mantelpiece chiming clock that would often stop a few minutes after winding it. We took it to a repairer, he said it was very sensitive to how level it was, even the teeniest bit out from the action of winding it would be enough to put it out of kilter. We had to listen very carefully to the tick-tock to make sure it was perfectly even, not "skipping" atall.
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
--Immanuel Kant
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Mo
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Re: What's wrong with grandad?

Post by Mo »

No, I'd have a job to budge it.
Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
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Mo
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Re: What's wrong with grandad?

Post by Mo »

Well, I've been starting the pendulum every time I walked past the clock. I thought if I could get the weights down near the floor and wind it up I could make it think I'd never let it stop.
After a bit I noticed it was going for 15 minutes instead of 10. Then yesterday it seemed to be going for longer. An hour or so.
I went out yesterday evening and it was still going when I came in. And I was laying in bed this morning hearing it chime and counting (not that I'd bothered putting the hands right each time I started it, so I was misleading myself there).
I've set it right now and am crossing my fingers, but still don't know what was wrong.
Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
Freeranger
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Re: What's wrong with grandad?

Post by Freeranger »

Whatever you did seems to have worked! )t'
It was probably a bit of dirt you've dislodged.
Gwenoakes
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Re: What's wrong with grandad?

Post by Gwenoakes »

Well whatever you did or did not do, it seems to have worked, so well done. )like(
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