Cuckoo hand nuts

[Chris]

Has anyone else ever had this problem? I've had this happen several times. After putting on the hands and tightening the nut, the nut stays on for a week or more and then comes loose and falls off. Any idea why?

Here's the sequence of items: hour hand, minute hand base washer (square opening), minute hand, flat brass washer, hand nut. All parts came off the clocks and look original. Just not gorilla tight?? Chris

[Chris]

Has anyone else ever had this problem? I've had this happen several times. After putting on the hands and tightening the nut, the nut stays on for a week or more and then comes loose and falls off. Any idea why?

Here's the sequence of items: hour hand, minute hand base washer (square opening), minute hand, flat brass washer, hand nut. All parts came off the clocks and look original. Just not gorilla tight?? Chris

[RL]

Chris,
Is your minute hand bushed. I'm not sure you need that last washer. You may be a little short on threads for the nut to tighten.

[RJSoftware]

On my old Cuckoo (1914 American Cuckoo clock) clock there are 3 arbors. The hour hand arbor, the minute hand arbor and a stationary arbor.

The hour hand and minute arbors are actually like sleeves. The stationary arbor is simply a shaft stops the minute hand from floating outward.

The hour hand goes on first.
Then a nut with bushing goes on next. The bushing part fits into the minute hand. That nut can be tightened fully without touching the hour hand arbor as the threads bottom out before the nut hits the hour arbor.

When the nut is fully tightend I have to find the top of the hour by turning the nut and watch Cuckoo. Once that is done I press on the minute hand on the bushing and it holds firm enough to turn the movement gears to adjust time.

Next goes on the last nut on the stationary arbor. This nut stops before minute hand arbor and keeps the minute hand arbor from floating outward.

Hope this helps
RJ