Missing chime on A403-007 due to chime drum problem

[Elliott Wolin]

The Seth Thomas grandmother clock I was just given is working fine now except for one problem: on the 45 min and hour chimes it is missing two notes. I tracked it down to the chime drum (controls four hammers) where one of the nubs is a bit short (worn down?) and doesn't engage one of the hammer lift mechanisms. I don't see anything to adjust. Moving the drum closer to the hammer lifters would work, but I don't see anything easy to do other than take it apart and rebush the drum arbor a mm or two closer to the hammer lifts.

Can the nubs on the drum be extended somehow? They look to be steel, not brass, so soldering a bit of brass on and reshaping it is out. Or maybe something can be done with the hammer lifts? Or is replacement the only option?

You can see the chime drum in the right rear of the attached picture.

 

[Willie X]

A 43 year old Hermle will always need a lot of work. So, a complete 'take apart overhaul' would be good. A new replacement movement might be even better ... Willie X

 

[Tbucket]

A 43 year old Hermle will always need a lot of work. So, a complete 'take apart overhaul' would be good. A new replacement movement might be even better ... Willie X

If everything has been repaired & working properly, is there an acceptable way to repair one worn down "nub"?

 

[wow]

If everything has been repaired & working properly, is there an acceptable way to repair one worn down "nub"?

It is possible that you can find a replacement drum. I may have one in my bone pile or someone else may respond. I’ll look and let you know.
Will

 

[Tbucket]

It is possible that you can find a replacement drum. I may have one in my bone pile or someone else may respond. I’ll look and let you know.
Will

Thank you Will, but I currently do not need one. I have however seen this problem & was asking to see if anyone may have a method of repairing one worn lifting nub on the drum, for future reference.

 

[Willie X]

Have you taken the hammer assembly apart? On this one, it's more likely wear at the little brass lifting blocks than the star wheels. Again, new parts or a donor movement is the answer. Willie X

 

[Elliott Wolin]

Oddly, although the movement is pretty old, it hasn't run much. As I understand it, it had a problem, was fixed, then a teenage son started playing with it and it hasn't run since (son is now 50). I saw hardly any wear in the pivot holes, mainly they were dry and perhaps a bit dirty. I oiled everything and it has been running for about 12 hours now, keeping good time.

So I haven't taken anything apart yet. It looks as if one of the nubs on the drum is shorter than the others, but without taking it apart it's hard to say if it's the nub or the lifting block, or both.

I'll take it apart soon. Donor parts sound like the way to go as I have no idea how to repair a steel (I think) nub on a drum.

 

[Willie X]

Actually your clock has no drum, just a stack of four star wheels. The stamped steel star wheels are not well finished and eventually cut into the brass lifting pieces on the hammer pivots. Same thing happens on the strike, except the wear is on the hammer tail wire. Willie X

 

[Elliott Wolin]

Willie X: Thanks for the info. Perhaps I only need one star wheel, but I suppose if one is wearing out the others are as well. And I'll have to check the hammer pivots, too.

Right now I'm just happy it's running nicely, and you can get used to the missing notes if you try hard!