Cuckoo Weights

[walter Wight]

I an effort to repair a Cuckoo clock there are many sizes of weights. How does one determin which size weight goes with the clock.

[walter Wight]

I an effort to repair a Cuckoo clock there are many sizes of weights. How does one determin which size weight goes with the clock.

[DenisG]

Hi Walter,

First thing is to determine if the cuckoo clock is a 1-day or an 8-day as the weights generally fall into these two categories. Also, do you have the approx age of the clock in question?

Denis

[walter Wight]

Hello Denis,
I have about 100 cuckoo clocks of verious age and several hundred weights. I am starting to repair them but need to match the weights to each movement.
Thanks
Walt

[harold bain]

Walt, Welcome to the message board. You have your work cut out for you. I think you will have to go with trial and error, one clock at a time. One day cuckoos have a weight range from 75 grams to a KG. 8 day clocks generally are from 1250 and up. Once you have repaired a clock, find a weight that will run it, then try a lighter one until you get too light to run it. Then move back up. You will likely never match the actual weights to each clock they started with. Good luck.
Harold

[Mike Phelan]

Hi Walt
I don't envy you. Guess we will see you here a lot for the next couple of years. :wink:
Have you got plenty of Valium?

[anzer]

Walt,

Try Kochmann's book on cuckoo clocks. In the back of the book he shows back plates and in the lower left corner lists the weights required. These are for modern cuckoos. Most of the older cast plate clocks used 2 3/4 pound weights.

If this fails try the bucket of sand / fishing scale method. Fill a bucket with sand or other weight and hook on a spring type fishing scale. Run the clock until it stops. Add 10% to the scale reading and you should have the required weight.

Anzer