New guy here with some clock questions

[aarolar]

Hey guys I have always had an interest in clocks but only recently have acquired a couple but I am having some issues I want to see if I can get some advice.

First off I have a Enfield mantel clock given to me by my grandfather some months ago. It was working good for a long time then it just quit at eleven o'clock one night just as it started to chime, I have since tried a few times but I can't get it to stay running at all. Any ideas on what direction to look in? Would this be considered a very complicated movement to the point that a beginner couldn't use it as a learning tool? I am very mechanically inclined person and work with small stuff regularly at work and I do have an interest in repairing old things.

Secondly I have a Tempus Fugit grandmother clock that I just bought at an auction on a whim. When I got it home I found out after some research that the suspension spring was broken, I have since successfully replaced the spring and have the clock running and keeping time well. I am having an issue with the chimes chiming too slow. In my research I have seen where the heaviest weight should go to the right to power the chimes, the weights I have all weigh the same. Could there possibly be another reason for the chime sequence to be slow?

 

[doug sinclair]

Welcome,

Regarding the Enfield chime clock. Typically, such clocks with any age on them suffer from congealed lubricants, sticky mainsprings (or mainsprings that are hardened and set), worn bearings, and perhaps earlier repairs that were not well done. I feel that you need to do your best to get all systems on the clock functioning at some level short of a complete job, and carefully analyse how these clocks function. Take your time and become very familiar with every aspect of the function of the time train, the chime train and the strike train, and how everything interacts. Only then will you be in a position to troubleshoot what is wrong, and to do anything about what is wrong. And if it is your hope to end up with a complete job, there is going to be a WHOLE lot of stuff you are going to need, tools-wise. There is no magic bullet designed make it possible to do a complete job on one of these clocks, with just a gesture of some sort! In short, making a clock such as a Westminster chime clock your starting point for learning clock repair is very ambitious!

As to the "Tempus Fujit" clock? Tempus Fujit from the Latin translates as "time flies"! So the name tells us little about your clock. From the description you give of the operation of the chimes, I would suggest that everything I said about your a Enfield applies to this one as well. Except for the mainsprings, of course. Sluggish chimes on weight driven tall case clocks is almost always caused by grunge and worn bearings. When such clocks are offered at auction, you are buying someone else's problems! Most of us just replace the movements in these tall clocks, in an instance where the movement is still available. This rather than making a BIG job out of it by rebuilding the original. But sometimes, rebuilding the original is the only option. Depends on the clock.

Finally, most folks that do clock repairs, start gradually. You must learn to walk before you can run. And only after you learn to run should you contemplate the marathon that would appear to be in front of you. Others may have other suggestions.

 

[aarolar]

Welcome,

Regarding the Enfield chime clock. Typically, such clocks with any age on them suffer from congealed lubricants, sticky mainsprings (or mainsprings that are hardened and set), worn bearings, and perhaps earlier repairs that were not well done. I feel that you need to do your best to get all systems on the clock functioning at some level short of a complete job, and carefully analyse how these clocks function. Take your time and become very familiar with every aspect of the function of the time train, the chime train and the strike train, and how everything interacts. Only then will you be in a position to troubleshoot what is wrong, and to do anything about what is wrong. And if it is your hope to end up with a complete job, there is going to be a WHOLE lot of stuff you are going to need, tools-wise. There is no magic bullet designed make it possible to do a complete job on one of these clocks, with just a gesture of some sort! In short, making a clock such as a Westminster chime clock your starting point for learning clock repair is very ambitious!

As to the "Tempus Fujit" clock? Tempus Fujit from the Latin translates as "time flies"! So the name tells us little about your clock. From the description you give of the operation of the chimes, I would suggest that everything I said about your a Enfield applies to this one as well. Except for the mainsprings, of course. Sluggish chimes on weight driven tall case clocks is almost always caused by grunge and worn bearings. When such clocks are offered at auction, you are buying someone else's problems! Most of us just replace the movements in these tall clocks, in an instance where the movement is still available. This rather than making a BIG job out of it by rebuilding the original. But sometimes, rebuilding the original is the only option. Depends on the clock.

Finally, most folks that do clock repairs, start gradually. You must learn to walk before you can run. And only after you learn to run should you contemplate the marathon that would appear to be in front of you. Others may have other suggestions.

Thank you for your well thought out reply I do appreciate it greatly.

On the Enfield clock, do you think this clock is worth spending money on having repaired? I I done some research and see they are not a very valuable piece and thus I have been reluctant to send it off to someone for fear of what it would cost. I will include some pictures at the end of this post to help you see what I have.

After reading your post and more research I realize I am in error on calling my clock a Tempus Feguit I am sorry for the miss information, the movement is a Jaunce 77 and was made for the Emperor Clock company which is all stamped on the back of the movement. I have found the Hermle replacements online for around 335$ would this be my best option? I hate to replace the movement only to find that a cleaning and some new proper lubrication could be the solution.

If I do end up replacing the movement I can't help but wonder if there may be an option for a movement that has better sound that what we have, the wife and I are both very musical so even slight nuances in the tone are enough to bother us and this one has been less than impressive. The westminster chime is fine I don't really want a selectable chime.

 

[Kevin W.]

Your Enfield clock is a striking clock, not a chiming clock. A two train clock like this is better to learn on than a chimer. Its not uncommon that a complete service on a clock is more than what the clock is worth. And then it needs to be maintained if expected to run well through the years.
On the grandfather do you mean made by Jauch perhaps.
Perhaps every 5 years a clock should be serviced.
On the gf clock without pics we can only guess, but some clocks have a shelf life of so many years and the best option sometimes is to replace rather than repair.

 

[jmclaugh]

On the Enfield clock, do you think this clock is worth spending money on having repaired?

Unlikely as the cost of repair would exceed the clock's value. It is therefore perhaps worth a go at doing it yourself as you have little to lose. Good luck if you do.

 

[doug sinclair]

It is not the movement in a clock that gives you the tone. It is the chime rods and the case. If you don't like the tone with the Jauch movement in it, the tone will be the same with the a Hermle. The only difference would be the new movement would chime faster. As to the Enfield? I repair timepieces for a living. I work on lots of items that I don't consider worthwhile. There is an intrinsic value in everything, and possibly a sentimental value. I once spent over $ 200.00 on PARTS to fix up a watch I paid $ 2.00 for (she wanted 50 cents). And the labor was my own, so you can imagine what that repair would be worth on the street! Why? Not because it was intrinsically worth it to anybody else, and there was no sentimental value to me. I just wanted the watch! If you just need something that tells the time, it's not worth it. Only you can make that determination. However, I would suggest that you try winding the clock! Both springs, and wind until the key ABSOLUTELY refuses to turn any further, on BOTH sides, and see if you can get it to run. You might wonder why I make that suggestion, but you have NO idea how many clocks I run into that refuse to run, because they are RUN DOWN!

 

[aarolar]

First off I want to thank everyone for the help.

I couldn't resist myself and this morning I pulled the movement from the enfield. I did the dishonorable swish and dunk and I now have it screwed to a board that is clamped to my workbench. It is running for the moment minus the pendulum and pendulum leader and I am studying it closely for all the relations between the workings. Eventually I may gain the boldness to take some photographs and perhaps start dissembling it. Being able to dissemble and reassemble is not what worries me but without some baseline for just how tight or loose things should be I have no way to know what needs repair or replacement. I do want to mention that the clock has no sentimental value really as my grandfather restores antique furniture for a living and has mulitudes of old clocks laying around he has collected over the years.

On the grandfather clock I do understand that the chime rods are what make the tone but I wasn't sure if you could purchase an entire new setup including all the chime rods for an entire replacement.

 

[Tinker Dwight]

While the repair may exceed the value of the clock,
Replacing the original movement with something completely
different will reduce the sale value even more.
If your intent is to sell the clock, it is at its maximum value
if left unmolested.
If your intent is to keep the clock as a running clock and to heck
with the value then a replacement is right.
If you want to keep the clock as original as possible then the
repair is the right option.
If your just looking to sell the clock, then sell it as is.
Tinker Dwight

 

[David S]

Hi and welcome. My question would be do you wish to learn more about clock repair and perhaps have it become a hobby? Or is this just a single "lets get these running" and move onto other things?

If you are going to get into this hobby, which by the way is quite satisfying, then you will need some basic tools, and I would suggest a spring winder would be high on the list, especially for barrelled main springs.

It hasn't been mentioned here I don't think, but if you do decide to dive in and take it apart, be sure to let the mainsprings down first.