Cuckoo Cuckoo--Cuckoo Clock

[Cuckoo348]

I have been reparing clocks for over 12 years and it never ceases to amaze me how they can come up with new problems.

I recondition a 8 day cuckoo clock. It works fine except the cuckoo. When it goes in the warning on the half hour the door opens wide. It does not cuckoo when it gets to the six. The door remains open. When it gets to the hour it cuckoos the correct time and closes the door.

I removed the movement and put it on my test stand to determine what caused this. It worhed like it should so I put it back in the house. It worked like it should for about three hours then went back to the same problem.

What should I look for that is not set correctly?

"Doc Clock"

 

[bangster]

Is it a Regula movement or a Schatz?

If Regula, here's what SHOULD happen on the half hour: The short lobe on the center cam raises the lifting lever just enough to unlock the bird lever and push the door open, AND move the rack hook just enough to drop the rack one tooth and unlock the train. The train runs, gathers the one tooth, cuckoos once, the train stops, the bird lever is released and the door snaps shut.

Yours isn't moving the rack hook enough to release the rack, so the train never runs, so the bird lever is never released, so the door stays open. On the hour, the tall lobe of the center cam drops the rack all the way, and everything completes as it should.

Check for why the lever isn't raised enough to release the rack at the half hour.

 

[Scottie-TX]

Pay attention to door opening wire. Is it too long? Binding?

 

[R&A]

You have the warning set to steep on the cam on the inside of the movement. The cam must be almost straight across so the door doesn't open on the warning. The spring for the cuckoo arm may be to tight so it's not releasing and staying open. The pin that the swings the door open. Adjust it so the door doesn't swing so far open. If you pull the door open by hand and it stays open these three things need to be looked into. You can change the cam by adjusting the gathering pallet. If you took the movement apart these are the things I would look at.

H/C

 

[Tinker Dwight]

Might be two problems.
As the other mentioned, warning is a little off.
The other may be the case.
Two things come to mind. One is that the plates
are slightly warped when screwed down. I've also
seen strange behavior from things like the dial
nails.
I'd start by taking the dial off and watching the
front.
Tinker Dwight

 

[shutterbug]

I remember one where the brad holding the dial on was so long it interfered with the rack.

 

[Scottie-TX]

YEPPER! Bin there done that. Didn't notice one of three brads was longer and had to be placed specifically.