clock help needed

[Rick Moyer]

I built a mantle clock a few years ago with a Klockit mechanical movement (wind-up). I returned from a two week vacation and it, of course, had run down and stopped. I rewound it but it will not run. Nothing happened to it, so I don't know why it will not run now.
It has been a week since I e-mailed Klockit but have heard nothing. I also phoned them several days ago and did not get a response. Was hoping someone here may have some experience.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Rick,

Send a PM to member Bernie Weishapl. He has a clock repair shop at his home. I am sure he'd be happy to help you. If he doesn't reply within a few days, send me a PM and I will get to him on FB.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Has works ever been cleaned and oiled? Could be one of the bushings has worn thru. Many movements use brass side plates as bushings, so there is very little metal to work with. Also is clock level? Don't ask how I know this, but I do.

[Jerry Thompson]

All of the 1840 Shaker clocks we built have KloKit movements. The only one with a problem was when one was overwound. They sure have to be level and plumb to operate.

[Myk Rian]

Well, it must be level if it has run for years.
Swing the pendulum with your finger to get it going.

[Ruperto Mendiones]

I don't know the details of this movement but I have had clocks jam because the strike mechanism ran down first. This causes the works to jam on the "snail" [the cam that determines the number of strikes or gongs]

[Don Morris]

I use Quartz mechanisms because of the above. All from Klockit. I've called them several times and they were most helpful. I don't understand the no response. Did you call during their working hours?

[Chris Hachet]

I use Quartz mechanisms because of the above. All from Klockit. I've called them several times and they were most helpful. I don't understand the no response. Did you call during their working hours?

I can relate, and do the same. I will use a traditional movement once as I am going to build a grandfather clock when I get a few other projects finsihed.

[Steve Peterson]

I am not a clock repair person, but I have a guess. It seems like too much of a coincidence for the bushings to wear out at the same time that the clock winds down.

The weight in a wind up clocks is always pushing the wheels and giving a slight push on the crutch that both pushes and is pushed by the pendulum. The escapement lost its power when the weight hit the bottom, but the pendulum was still moving. The escapement could have stopped mid-beat instead of rotating to the next position and the pendulum pushed the crutch out of beat. Check to see if the clock will start ticking if you move the pendulum slowly by hand to the extreme right or left. You may have to move the pendulum much farther than the normal range of travel. The crutch would need to be adjusted back to the point where the "tick" and the "tock" are centered around the mid-point of the pendulum swing.

The solution for next time would be to stop the clock when you know you will be out of town for more than 8 days.

Steve

[Rick Moyer]

This is a mantle clock, no weights, no pendulum. here is the movement: http://www.klockit.com/products/dept-9__sku-13006.html
Ken I pm'ed Bernie. It has not been oiled or cleaned (should do that), but is level, hasn't ben moved, etc. I suspect the only thing it could be is overwound but why? I haven't wound it any differently. It is locked up except that I can manually spin the little wheel at the top but it only goes for a short while. One of my chime hammers is higher than the rest, don't know why. None of the other wheels can I move by hand so something is locked.
I called Klockit again this morning but have not heard back. I'll try again tomorrow. Not happy with their lack of response.

[Steve Peterson]

This is a mantle clock, no weights, no pendulum. here is the movement: http://www.klockit.com/products/dept-9__sku-13006.html
Ken I pm'ed Bernie. It has not been oiled or cleaned (should do that), but is level, hasn't ben moved, etc. I suspect the only thing it could be is overwound but why? I haven't wound it any differently. It is locked up except that I can manually spin the little wheel at the top but it only goes for a short while. One of my chime hammers is higher than the rest, don't know why. None of the other wheels can I move by hand so something is locked.
I called Klockit again this morning but have not heard back. I'll try again tomorrow. Not happy with their lack of response.

I missed the part about it being a wind up mantle clock. There is no heavy pendulum to jam into the crutch and change the beat. I did answer my own question about why my grandfather clock goes out of adjustment every few months, usually just after I accidentally let it wind down. Here is some info from the Klockit FAQ.

Why is it important to stop my clock before I go on a trip?

Answer: If you don’t stop your clock before going on a trip, the weights will go to the bottom of the clock case. As a result, the pendulum slows down to a stop and gets out of beat, requiring a beat adjustment when you return from your trip.

I am not sure how much it would apply to a wind up clock. If you have access to the complete mechanism, I would try to very gently wiggle each gear. There should be a slight amount of play in every gear set except the one that is bound up.

Steve

[Enrico Caruso]

Hi Rick, sorry to hear about your clock's trouble. Without actually observing the movement and running some tests, it would be purely speculation as to why it has stopped, and there could be dozens of reasons why. I noticed in the advertisement of the movement that you posted, that on the bottom it says there is a repair manual that it sold for this movement, if you are interested in learning about such matters. A local clock repair shop of good repute would probably be advisable. You live in PA, noted for many clock collectors/repairers. The NAWCC (National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors) in Columbia, PA could put you in contact with a local chapter that would have members that could service the clock. If they don't, then get back to me and I will put you in contact with a PA chapter nearest to whatever city you reside in.
Enrico Caruso NAWCC member and Chapter 28 Director. (Cleveland area)

[Rick Moyer]

Thanks Enrico. Columbia is about two hours away. I looked at the NAWCC site, wonder why they don't show exact locations. There is a Susquehanna chapter somewhere north of me but it doesn't say where, could also be 1-2 hours away?
Anyway I found a local place that repairs watches/clocks so I'll try them if they get back to me (had to leave a message).
I called Klockit again but still wasn't able to talk to a tech. Getting pretty frustrated with them. If I need clock stuff again I may look elsewhere.