Fao Stuey My Clock

[Prudie]

Hi Stuey, can't photo the mechanism as the face is screwed down. I know it's only of sentimental value but it would be nice if it worked (and nice if the photos worked too)

http://i60.tinypic.com/24ywf1h.jpg[/IMG]

http://i62.tinypic.com/245kaa8.jpg[/IMG]

http://i58.tinypic.com/2eec1ls.jpg[/IMG]

[stuey]

OK, firstly it's not a grandfather clock. It's a wall clock, and because it only has two winding arbors it's probably a time and strike mechanism meaning that it tells the time and strikes the hours and half-hours. "Mathias" indicates that it's a German clock, the movement is anyway. First wind up both sides of the clock; move the clock until that level in the bottom of the case indicates that the case is level; then give the pendulum a sharp tap to get it in motion. Let me know what happens.

[stuey]

I forgot to mention to make a little pencil mark on the wall on each side of the case to give you reference points.

[Prudie]

Thanks stuey, I did actually say it was a pendulum clock. Mathias is Welsh and was my great great grandfather's surname. OK so the left hole is fully wound (it's where I used to wind it up when it did work) and will not move any further. The right hand hole cannot be moved at all with the key in. When I tap the pendulum it starts swinging and ticking loudly but just slows to a stop, in other words the mechanism isn't making it move at all. I'm just not sure what kind of person to to take it to.
When I was a child it hung in my grandparent's kitchen and struck the hours.

[stuey]

The left hole winds the striking spring. Since you can't wind the time side I'm assuming (I could be wrong) that it's fully wound. Do it again, and see approximately how long it ticks. Then move the case about 1/8" away from the left reference mark; tap the pendulum again and see if it ticks for a longer or shorter period of time. If it does tick longer, but still stops, move the case again further and tap it again.

[Prudie]

stuey I have managed to wind the right-hand hole (but only anti-clockwise). I've had the case in several degrees of hanging and none of them make the pendulum swing and tick longer than 15 seconds ie from my force only, it's not running.
Do you think it's fubar'd?

[stuey]

Make sure that neither of the hands are "dragging" on the dial. Put the case back to its original position, and then do the whole process again moving the case from the right reference mark.

[stuey]

By the way, give the pendulum a good tap so that it actually sort of swings more that what it would normally.