Featured Wind-up clock stopped working after moving

It was working fine until I brought it to my new house. I was very careful moving it, I did remove the pendulum. Now the pendulum swings for about a minute, then stops.

I've had it to three places to see about repairing it. The first place said they don't work on wind-up clocks. The second place said their solution would be to replace the wind-up mechanism with an electric movement and do away with the pendulum. To me, that destroys the original charm. The third was a repair cafe where the person didn't even know how to open the case or remove the hands. They fumbled with it for almost an hour and a half and didn't fix anything.

There are other clock repair shops, but are very far away (Queensbury is 40 and Poughkeepsie a little over 100 miles one-way) and no guarantee they can fix it.

I wouldn't bother with it except it's a sentimental item. My parents bought it at Montgomery Wards on Christmas eve 1982 and that was the last Christmas my dad was alive. he passed away the following April.

Any advice?

 

Does the clock hang perfectly straight? If it doesn't, the pendulum could be off balance. Check with a spirit level.

 

You might try a DIY approach:
https://www.clockworks.com/posts/ho...p7jE3XbM3xwce_nrqqMybi8zYw233rB-FfdfqIQpb6OTv

They say the two most common problems are the clock is not level (I would check that first) or that the suspension spring is bent or broken. Either of those problems could have occurred when you moved the clock.

Do you have a small level? If not you might want to buy one, since no house is really complete without one. If the clock was fine before you moved it, I wouldn't be surprised if it was just one of the two most common problems. Hope you get it working soon.

 

HaHa, 2 votes for level.

 

Great minds.

 

Make sure that the clock is level and plumb. If so, keep initiating movement by swinging the pendulum. If it is overwound, doing so will eventually loosen the spring enough to keep it moving.

 

Found this list of things to check (after checking the above):

https://edinaclock.com/clock-repair-faq/moved-grandfather-clock-not-running/

 

3rd vote for level.
Deb, as you can see from your first replies, this is important.

 

We have a place near here that fixes clocks, but it is too far from you.

 

I also mention that when the pendulum swings, there's no ticking sound like there used to be. If I remove the pendulum and try to start the arm swinging, it doesn't move by itself.

 

It needs a new battery!

 

Just checking, but you're joking right? I thought this clock was a wind up.

 

It's in the Title !!

& it was a good joke !!

 

It has two arbors, located just inside of the IIII and VIII. One I assume is for the chime and the other for the pendulum.

 

I am not a clock expert, but based on the timeframe it was purchased and where, the clock movement was probably imported inexpensively and it’s not something a traditional clock maker would work on. I had a similar pendulum clock, and I was able to find a new replacement identical pendulum movement to just pop in and replace it the old one and still have all the original functions. You may need to also use a new pendulum that works with the new movement, so be sure to measure and see how much room you have in the case
P.S. the movement I used required a battery but the pendulum would still swing

 

Roaring's post was a wind up.

 

now yer both getting me all wound up !!!

 

Unless something catastrophic happened, it's likely very simple problem. You took care when you transported it and would have heard something happen.

You mentioned that the clock does not tick, even without the pendulum in place. That is odd. It should be ticking very fast without it.

Just asking, did you or the place that fumbled with it overwind it? That being jammed could be one issue.

If that is not the issue, maybe a bit of grit, dust or a hair is now obstructing it movement?

If it has not been serviced in years, the oil can get thick around the pivot points and removing it for the wall has caused some of that gunk to enter those connections.

When you open the back of the clock, the first thing to look at is the part that the pendulum hangs on. Is it struck? If it is, gently, see why and free it if you can.

Look for a hair or anything that could be restrictive.

Each of the gears are mounted on rods that connect to the case. These rods will have a little free play in them. Grab each gear with you thumb and finger, and gently move each side to side. This action may free up a gummy pivot point.

If it will not tick without the pendulum attached, you'll need more help that can be typed.

 

The person that fumbled with it did not attempt to wind it. When I first tried, it seemed wound up enough, so I didn't do any more. The back has 3 screws, but when turned, they don't loosen. The fumbler also tried that.

 

I found a clock repair place that was willing to look at it, but I'd have to bring it to them and they are located in a busy, congested urban area. With my compromised vision, I am dubious about driving there.