How to Fix Mantle Clocks

Mantel clocks are small clocks that are designed to sit on a shelf or fireplace mantel. The earliest examples were developed in France in the mid-1700s. Mantel clocks--or "mantle" as they are sometimes spelled--are mechanical clocks that use a pendulum to regulate the time. A spring, in turn, supplies power to a system of internal gears. Mantel clock repairs often consist of making adjustments to the pendulum.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Mantel clock

1. Start the pendulum of the mantel clock by tilting the clock slightly to either the right or the left. The clock will not run if the pendulum has stopped. The pendulum is normally located in the back of the clock.

2. Look at the time on the face of the mantel clock and compare it to the time on an electronic clock. If the mantel clock is running fast, the pendulum must be adjusted.

3. Turn the nut at the bottom of the pendulum to the left. The nut controls the position of the pendulum bob. The pendulum bob is the disk at the bottom of the pendulum. Turning the nut to the left lowers the pendulum bob, thus lengthening the pendulum. The longer the pendulum, the slower it moves.

4. Check the time on the mantel clock, every day at the same time, for a period of 1 week. The clock should be accurate to within 1 minute a week.

5. Turn the nut at the bottom of the pendulum to the right if the mantel clock is slow. Turning the nut to the right raises the pendulum bob, thus shortening the pendulum. A shorter pendulum makes the clock run faster.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure the mantel clock is level at all times. The pendulum will not operate correctly if the clock is not properly balanced. Make sure the hands of the clock are not touching. If the hands of the clock are touching the pendulum will not swing.

References

• Mantel Clock History
• Starting the Pendulum and Other Mantel Clock Tips
• Adjusting the Pendulum Bob