Pendulum Clock Repair

You can fix many of your pendulum clock's problems with some basic tools and a little patience. Unless your clock was dropped and structurally damaged enough to require professional repairs, you can correct a stalled pendulum or an unsynchronized clock chime yourself.

Things You'll Need

• Bubble level
• Needle nose pliers
• Shims

Instructions

1. Restore your pendulum's true swing by leveling your clock's left-to-right alignment. The pendulum's swing must be equidistant on each side of its swing-arc in order for it to remain in motion. Use your bubble level to find the clock's low point, and shim it until it is leveled.

2. Bend the clock's "verge," which is the wire from which the pendulum hands, back into its correct position. When you move a clock without first removing its pendulum the verge can become bent. This will prevent the pendulum from swinging true and causes it to stall.

3. If the pendulum continues to stall, your clock may be uneven from front to back. The pendulum is hitting the clock's back wall and causes it to stop. Correct the misalignment by leveling the front to back unevenness with a shim.

4. Check the clock's hands to see whether they touch each other as they go around the clock's face. When either the minute or the hour hand are bent enough to rub against the other, the resulting friction will cause the clock to stop. Pull both hands off their individual "tubes" or shafts, bend them straight, and press them back on.

5. After moving your clock, its chime may be out of sync with its hands. Allow it to run unabated for two hours. Many pendulum clocks have self-correcting chime mechanisms that will correct the problem automatically if the hands were not removed prior to the move. If the problem continues pull the clock's hands off their tubes and reposition them correctly when the clock chimes on the hour.

Tips & Warnings

• Take your clock to a professional clock repair technician for more serious problems. If your clock was manufactured after 1965, consider having the entire clockworks replaced instead of having the old one repaired. The replacement cost may be less than the repairs, and you will reap the benefits of the manufacturer's enhancements that may have been made. Older clockworks may no longer be in production and will require repair.

• Do not use general purpose lubricating oil or one of the many popular lubricating sprays while servicing your clock. These products will eventually attract dust and gum the clockworks. Either purchase special clock lubricating oil, or have the clock serviced by a professional clock technician.

References

• Clock Works: Clock Help
• Grenz Clock Repair Studio: Care and Feeding of Your Clock
• Kensington Clock Shop Guide To: How To Adjust and Regulate Your Clock To Keep Perfect Time
• Antique Watch & Clock Repair and Restoration, Robert Loomes MBHI FRSA: How to Set Up a Pendulum Clock
• Valuable Clocks: Antique Mantel Clocks Set Up And Care