new to me german grandfather clock saved from the landfill

[Bilingual_Illiterate]

someone local to me was going to trash this clock, so i made my husband and son pick it up...it has a few issues, but my favorite is that they had lost the original weights, found some weights at some point, or at least the shells..and filled them with sugar! very interesting, to say the least. if anyone could tell me what the silver piece of metal on the top of the movement is, i would really appreciate it. it looks odd to me. im also wondering if the rods are meant to be bent in the middle like that, because the chime/strike sounds pitiful at the moment..that, and where i might find replacement weights for this thing. it was absolutely filthy, the pendulum had been stabbed into the bottom of the case, i wiped it off and cleaned the glass to try and make it less pitiful.

 

[J. A. Olson]

Tosca Elite is a Mauthe trademark. It refers to a loud bim-bam strike using a larger gong and swinging hammers.
See this 1931 advertisement:



Silver piece looks like a home made suspension spring hanger and should be replaced with a proper tapered pin. The gong rods should hang more or less vertical and not so severely bent out of shape. If all else fails, drop me a direct message regarding new rods. When everything's been repaired, it will make a great clock.

 

[Bilingual_Illiterate]

do you think that weights will be hard to find? im still surprised that she was going to trash it, it is really a beautiful clock. the glass is nice too, all beveled around the edges, no chips or anything. it does have a bit of a gouge on one of the legs, but nothing that really makes a huge deal of things.

 

[Joe Gargery]

Great save!
Just can't believe what some people think is trash.
Lucky you!
Cheers, Joe

 

[Bilingual_Illiterate]

Just can't believe what some people think is trash.

right?? i have been able to acquire so many nice things that people were throwing away. i found a huge antique dresser last year on facebook marketplace that this lady was offering up for free before she trashed it, absolutely beautiful and solid, fancy brass pulls, excellent shape..she just didnt like that it was dark brown. totally blew me away. i am really eager to get this thing going, i know it will be worth it. i think dirt and mismatched parts are the biggest issue for now. the sugar filled weights are really something else, i couldnt believe it. they pried the caps off solely for the purpose of doing this.

 

[roughbarked]

Are you sure it is sugar?

 

[Bilingual_Illiterate]

Are you sure it is sugar

 

[Bilingual_Illiterate]

ok, that emoji was needlessly massive haha

 

[J. A. Olson]

Weight fillers should be easy enough to find or make. Originals were probably lead but any dense material that fits inside the shells should work fine. You might be able to adapt modern Hermle weight fillers if they fit... measure how much the "sugar weights" weigh before finding new fillers. The weight shells are an acceptable style for this case - it was the transitionary period when the older 'torpedo' weights were starting to disappear amongst German floor clocks.

The torpedo style weights looked like this:

 

[bruce linde]

the screw hook on the left weight looks like it's about to come out... ?? you can by round lead pellets used in scuba weight belts for cheap on amazon. i wouldn't bother swapping out the weights... they look fine and the right ones would cost as much as the clock is worth. enjoy as is (but cut down on your sugar)

 

[Bilingual_Illiterate]

i dont think these weights are the right weight though...i could be wrong, i really dont know, but as it stands, the clock wont run with the weights on. the moment i take them off, and take the pendulum/leader off, it starts wagging away. could it be something else? the pendulum also seems to be swinging at a weird angle, sort of a diagonal pattern. i feel like everything going on is relatively minor, but i have to learn exactly what it is, i guess. thank you all so much for the advice thus far, it is much appreciated!