Silencing strike on French Comtoise clock

[S_Owsley]

I was having lunch with friends and one of them has a cased French Comtoise / Morbier clock. She said she doesn't run it because the strike is too loud. I told her I would take a look at it. Might it be just as simple as asking her not to wind the strike side? I have no experience in these at all and it is a rather nice antique from the photo she showed. I'm open to suggestions on the best way to help her. She would like to enjoy the clock without the striking, which I can very well understand. I could tie up the strike hammer, but I don't want to really harm the movement in any way. Ideas with those familiar with the typical movements of these clocks is welcome.

 

[bruce linde]

don't know, but these might help: Morbier Diagrams - Daves Clocks

 

[novicetimekeeper]

Is it rack or countwheel? Photos would help if you don't know. If countwheel on an 8 day I don't wind the strike side and swap the weight out for something just enough to keep tension on the gut. 30 hour I put a peg on the fly. If rack you should stop the rack from falling when released.

 

[Mike Phelan]

Is it rack or countwheel?

Morbiers are always rack, (actually TWO racks!) but not the usual sort of strike mechanism at all.
Back to the question, just put a croc clips on the fly to prevent striking - on any clock.
I wonder why your friend has a striking clock and doesn't want it to strike?

 

[novicetimekeeper]

Morbiers are always rack, (actually TWO racks!) but not the usual sort of strike mechanism at all.
Back to the question, just put a croc clips on the fly to prevent striking - on any clock.
I wonder why your friend has a striking clock and doesn't want it to strike?

Some racks, particularly some english ones, are not terribly happy with the rack tail dragging on the snail. Pegging the fly is great for 30 hours countwheels but not good practice for rack strikes.

 

[wisty]

How about adding a bit of soft felt or leather to the face of the hammer, and adjusting the hammer to only lightly strike the bell.
that way she gets to keep the strike but quietly!

 

[Mike Phelan]

Some racks, particularly some english ones, are not terribly happy with the rack tail dragging on the snail. Pegging the fly is great for 30 hours countwheels but not good practice for rack strikes.

True, Nick, but most English striking clocks are made to if the rack drops and isn't gathered it can gently be pulled across the snail, providing no-one has been bending things; WFIW it is easily sorted by keeping the rack tied to the snail with a bit if string.

However, we are wandering off topic - back to the Comtiose: As it's not like the usual system with a warning, it's easy to prevent the rack falling by keeping the horizontal lever against the vertical one (that which releases the strike from the cannon pinion) with a sliver of cork.

 

[JTD]

How about adding a bit of soft felt or leather to the face of the hammer, and adjusting the hammer to only lightly strike the bell.
that way she gets to keep the strike but quietly!

That's what I'd do. Done it with several clocks.

JTD

 

[Daniel Reuben]

My family has owned one for ~50 years and I've cleaned it 5 or 6 times already so I feel qualified to answer. On these clocks the rack drops down with moderately hard gravity force and the tip is a metal rod about 1/8" in diameter which falls on the snail or cam. It is lined up pretty well to do so. The snail had a slight bevel to push a fallen rack tip or rod out of the way. A failed strike (which ours would have routinely for an unrelated issue I'd rather not describe as it might confuse things) would never stop the clock past 12:00 or bend the rod. Nonetheless the safer, and easy thing to do on a Morbier is this: Open the right side door when looking straight at the clock. Take a string or spring and pull back and upwards the fancy dagger looking object hanging in the top quarter of view. Some clocks have two which are paired together. If this is held up and back, it can't be released to kick the rack loose twice on the hour or half. What one attaches the other end of the string or spring to is anyone's guess....maybe the external bell post at the top of the metal case (as long as the door can be squeezed shut over such). Good luck/no sweat.

 

[T.Cu]

Hi, Maybe first have your friend do as wisty says. She can also use small pieces of sheet-cork with contact cement, or felt pads with sticky backs, other stuff too, like those nylon or silicon foot pad things for putting under glass.
And maybe help her bend the hammer arm so the hammer is a wee bit further away from the bell, which is helpful too I think. This is all non-damaging, reversible, stuff to do.
Even with all that, the clock will still make some noise though, muffled strikes, and clacking and clunking noises on mine when the strike is happening. But maybe she could tolerate that, and the slow tick-tock is wonderful.