Cuckoo Mi-Ken Cuckoo Clock - Green Wood

[Bradhobbs]

I have just purchased a Mi-Ken Cuckoo Clock features are green wood and iron accents. I purchased it from a Goodwill for $34. If you could provide me with any history about the clock, I'd love to know when it was made! Also it's missing a chain. Wondering how hard this will be to replace! Here are some pictures. Let me know what you think! Thanks

 

[Tinker Dwight]

Hi
I've never seen a movement mounted that way.
A closer picture of the movement might help to get
a general aging.
As for the chain, measure the number of links per
inch and check in Timesavers catalog.
Tinker Dwight

 

[shutterbug]

I enlarged the pic a bit. It appears that the orientation is correct for the movement. Never seen one like that before! It looks like a count wheel design, so probably pre-WWII.....but also has what appears to be a rack. Some closer pics of the movement would be very helpful, as well as any markings it has. What are the hands made of? (Plastic, Ivory, bone, wood)

 

[Richard T.]

In case it isn't known......Mi Ken is Japanese. The one shown below was brought back from Germany by a friend's husband(both now deceased) after WW II. She was kind enough to give it to me a few years before she died at age 96.

Best,

Richard T.

 

[Bradhobbs]

It was a very unique clock. I'm sure of that! I saw it and just had to have it! I did a little research on Google but didn't find much. I don't have the clock yet its still being shipped! LOL .. I'm just so excited on receiving it! But here is a closer picture of the movement. Thanks again!

 

[Missy]

Brad, that is a cute little cuckoo clock. I tried to research Mi-Ken too when I got mine, but didn't find anything on the company either as far as dates. They did make a lot of novelty clocks.

I didn't see any like yours, but did see a carved one and the movement was positioned like yours.

Enjoy,
Missy

 

[shutterbug]

Yeah, it's a count wheel. Interesting movement.

 

[Bradhobbs]

Well the second one I bought the head piece broke as it was being packed. So just hope my luck goes good on this one! Says that it is made from Green wood, hopefully its fire proof! lol

 

[whattime]

Great looking clock.

 

[Bradhobbs]

I've never worked on clocks before, however my previous cuckoo clock fell off the wall in 2009 during an earthquake and the chain came out. What I did previously was just feeding the chain back into the movement and pulling it onto the wheel. Is that a correct procedure? Or perhaps an easier way? I'm a bit clock part stupid, but I learn fast and well, any opinions would be great. Thanks!

 

[Tinker Dwight]

I've never worked on clocks before, however my previous cuckoo clock fell off the wall in 2009 during an earthquake and the chain came out. What I did previously was just feeding the chain back into the movement and pulling it onto the wheel. Is that a correct procedure? Or perhaps an easier way? I'm a bit clock part stupid, but I learn fast and well, any opinions would be great. Thanks!

Hi
That is the way we normally do it. Make sure to tie
the other chain so it doesn't fall of its sprocket while
playing with the other. Things like those tie wires from
bread bags work well.
Tinker Dwight

 

[soaringjoy]

Hello Bradhobbs,

welcome to the message board, you've found the right place
to go.
These guys (and girls) are able and qualified to help you on
most questions.

I'm just wondering, how do they pronounce cuckoo in Japanese?

Jurgen

 

[shutterbug]

I'm just wondering, how do they pronounce cuckoo in Japanese?

Hmmm. Koi koi?

 

[Tinker Dwight]

Hi
Although, here in the US, we use the name cuckoo
to mean a persons mental state, the mane actually
comes from a bird. It is called a cuckoo because of
the song it has that sounds like cuckoo.
I wonder if Japan has the same bird and if so, would
one name the clock to match the name of that bird
or keep the cuckoo name.
Tinker Dwight

 

[Bradhobbs]

Thanks for the big welcome! I'm only 20 but I plan tl devote most of my free time to fixing the 2 that I just purchased. It should be a very fun experience, I have tons of patience's due to my customer service job, so hopefully I'll be successful! Actually "Cuckoo" in Japanese is "Kakkou" "カッコウ" lol .. I'll get more pictures when I receive the clock!

 

[Willie X]

Brad,

You might want to Google 'Heco', might be 'Heko', I have seen several of them with the sideways 'diamond' plates'. Really odd thing about your clock is the slanted sides. Never seen slanted sides, except on cartoon cuckoo clocks.

Willie X

 

[Bradhobbs]

Yes the movement could be Regula I would suppose, but the case for sure is Mi-Ken which was a Japanese clock maker looks like they sold many clocks around 1949. I have an antique Heco clock hanging as of now. It's been through a lot and hasn't lost its charm of keeping wonderful time, must be that wonderful Regula movement

 

[Bradhobbs]

So I have an issue, the clock is missing the back. And also a chain, can anyone direct me to a good website with fairly priced parts? Looks like I'm gonna need a chime gong and chain. My father is a jack of all trades, so I'm gonna have him to cut me a piece of wood to fit and attach the chime gong to. Before pictures tomorrow, in a few weeks look for the after pictures!

 

[Tinker Dwight]

Hi Brad
There are a lot of parts clocks on ebay for not
much more than shipping.
The chain size may not be right so there is some
risk but you can get a gong spring and mounting.
Tinker Dwight

 

[harold bain]

Try Timesavers for their standard cuckoo clock parts:
www.timesavers.com

 

[Bradhobbs]

Here are some pictures! The clock seems VERY tired, but it keeps wonderful time! The cuckoo however, Well ... lol here are some pictures of the movement, the only markings are "Mi-Ken - Made in Japan"







I made a Youtube video of how it sounds. Yes, its poor sounding and screams please stop and take that heavy weight off!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SmthnvZRc8

Let's see if anyone can tell me anything about it!
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Also the hands are made from bone. I purchased this and a blondie Hubert Herr.

 

[harold bain]

Are you sure that's a cuckoo clock? It sounds kind of spooky, kind of a Halloween owl sound. Does it only have a single bellows?
The hands don't look like bone, but not having it in hand, can't be sure. They look like standard issue plastic.

 

[Bradhobbs]

No, it has regular cuckoo bellows inside. The cuckoo process however is not working, the sound you are hearing is the movement going through the process of the cuckoo. I have compared the hands to my previous clocks which are ivory and plastic. The material is fairly different from what I currently own.

 

[shutterbug]

Wow, that poor thing really needs a good cleaning and some refurbishing of parts! If you don't want to do it yourself, it needs to go to a local repair shop! It will be much happier afterwards.

 

[Tinker Dwight]

Hi
Needs cleaning. I didn't hear the flutes, just the
fly spinning.
The movement didn't look all that bad but was in
need of cleaning.
It the links to the bellows not working or missing?
Tinker Dwight

 

[soaringjoy]

That's animal abuse!
Fix it or shoot the poor bird...
Jurgen

 

[Bradhobbs]

Haha! It should be fixed, everything seems to be in working order. However, I've noticed from another Mi-Ken movement, there is suppose to be a hammer just under where the right bellow hooks to. Wondering if its keeping it from going through the cuckoo phase? However, I could be mistaken, when I received the clock there was a rod connected to Ummm .. Is that little kick thing a "kick start"? .. I think this will be the last Mi-Ken clock I'll own! LOL

 

[shutterbug]

It's really hard to see from your pictures, but it seems to me that both bellows are hooked to the wrong place on the movement. The actual lift arms, including the gong strike, should be located in the three openings at the upper left of your pics looking straight into the back of the clock.
I don't see any of them.
Nah. Now that I look at your last pic again, I see that what I though were holes for the strike levers are actually pivot holes. I'm not clear on how the bellows are lifted now, or where the strike should be located.

 

[Bradhobbs]

The black piece on the right is where the right bellow hooks to and the black piece on the left hidden a bit is where the left bellow hooks to. The strike hammer was located, but appears to be broken off was located directly under the black piece where the right bellow hooks to just above the time wheel bolt. They put this same movement inside of their traditional cuckoo clocks that was made.
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The right black piece for the bellow would be last and then activate the strike hammer once that black piece came down from each cuckoo phase. Lol sorry about the novice part ..

 

[Bradhobbs]

The movement seems to be working properly but doesn't have enough strength to move the bellows all the way up and down to produce a cuckoo sound. But it's working all together, note the rod coming from the "kick start". I have found this rod was a "night shut off" which stuck out from a hole next to the chains. You could turn the rod and it would deactivate the cuckoo phase.
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I've recently realized .. The bellows are staying in one position and when the clock starts the phase, it barely moves the bellows down and up again. But still does not produce the cuckoo sound. I can however, move them manually and they produce sound. HELP? lol

 

[Tinker Dwight]

Hi
Two things come to mind.
First, the bellows usually fall by there own weight and the
weight of the push rods, enough to sound.
The first though is that the pivots on the movement that
the push rods are connect to have been oiled. These are not
suppose to be oils as it will only gum them up.
The next thought is that the bellows usually have a small
weight on the top. I've seen these burst though the paper
top and become lost.
If the movement seems to be having a hard time lifting
them, I'd suspect oil in the pivots.
In your picture, it is that blue/black lever and that copper/black
one next to it.
Tinker Dwight

 

[Bradhobbs]

Ah the clock quit working .. LOL .. So its a little worse now lol

 

[Ticktocktime100]

Hi,
If it is just a chain problem, the one that is present can be taken off and then you can make two out of it. Otherwise a chain can be obtained online I should think. Note that if you use the present chain the two trains, (time and chime) will each run less time then they would have originally, but it does not affect the clock in any way.

 

[wabowhunter]

Good evening Richard T, I know your post was from a few years ago so I am hoping you get this email/message.

My name is Shawn and we just took possession of my father-in-laws clock, we can't or don't know what the little pin in the bottom next to the chain is for? Also, our clock seems to cuckoo at the half hour for the the time and once at the hour (if that makes sense).

I/we hope you can help.

Thanks
Shawn

 

[harold bain]

Unfortunately you are too late, as Richard died a few years ago. Post a picture of your clock, I'm sure we can help you.

 

[Tinker Dwight]

The picture should be of the back of the movement. It
sounds like you have a count wheel and not a rack and snail.
Our advise depends on which you have. A picture will help
us help you. A picture of the front of the clock will be interesting
but of little use in determining what to tell you.
Tinker Dwight