newbie needs some advice on ethan allen grandmother

[tomtomtomtom]

I recently purchased a used Ethan Allen grandmother clock built in the 1980s. Sorry if I seem totally uneducated about proper terms etc... but here goes..It keeps perfect time but will not chime. When it is supposed to chime, I can tell it wants to go but seems to need some lubrication. If I manually give, what seems like a small flywheel, a little flip of my finger it spins a few times and starts to chime but then stops until I do it again. I have searched on the web and done some searching here but do not know if lubrication is the right thing or some thing else. If lubrication, where? Is there a simply site that you could direct me to to give it a try myself. Thanks for the help.

[Scottie-TX]

In all probability T4, your clock will need more than lubrication. The condition you describe is usually caused by the original lubrication gelling and forming a cakey substance that is not dissolved or softened by the app. of lubricant. Full disassembly is usually required to eradicate it fully after which fresh lubricant is applied.

[Chris]

Tom (to the 4th power):

Most likely, if you have no power, it can be one of several things.

First, check your weights. They all look the same, but they each weigh differently. The heaviest weight should be on the chime side (normally the right side), with the second heaviest in the center (time side) and lightest one on the left (strike side). If your weights are hung improperly, rearrange them. Some are labelled on the bottom, but if not, weigh them or "guesstimate" the weight.

Second, is it cable or chain driven? If it's cable driven, there is a possibility that the cable has a bind up inside.

Third (and most likely), the movement may need a full cleaning and lubrication. If the pivot holes (the holes in the movement plates where the steel shafts for each gear pass through) are dirty and dry, the best alternative is to have it cleaned, which means complete disassembly of the movement and an inspection for wear or damage.

If you need further help, I'm on the South Shore; please feel free to contact me. WWW.clocksbychristopher.com (http://WWW.clocksbychristopher.com).

[tomtomtomtom]

Thanks for the replies. I checked the weights. They are correct. They are marked left, right, center. It is chain driven. If it needs cleaning, would it be able to keep time as it does?

[tomtomtomtom]

If I lubricated without cleaning, will it cause more problems or will it just not help?

[Chris]

Even very dirty clocks can keep running and keep good time. Your symptom of slow to no chime, however, is a good indicator of the overall condition of the works.

Lubricating a dirty clock is not necessarily the best of ideas. While it may get things moving, there is no guarantee. Also, oiling a dirty movement is like adding fresh oil to your car without an oil change. There's a buildup of dirt and debris, and this can act as a cutting agent over time (years, not days).

There's no real website out there for step by step disassembly and repair. There are books that show the exploded diagram of some movements, like Hermle's.

If you get stuck or want help, again, feel free to contact me. Chris

[shutterbug]

You could do this yourself, Tom ... but this is not the movement you want as your first experience. You have three seperate gear trains and some fairly difficult synchronization that needs to take place accurately. You could do some easier movements to get the feel for it, but you might want to just swallow hard and pay a professional to do the job for you :smile: