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This page is to help you with some of the most frequently asked questions. Q - My clock is running well but it is several years since it was serviced, does it need servicing or can I keep running it?
A
- All machines require service and maintenance but for some reason
clocks are never considered a priority. Depending on the clock, you
should service the movement between three and five years, a maximum
period would be seven to ten but in these extented periods you should
expect wear. A strip and clean is cheaper than putting right lots
of wear. Q - My clock is slowing down and though I have rated it several times it still looses time. Does it need oiling?
A
- The simple answer is no. If oil is placed on a clock, even if it is
the correct oil in the proper place all you are doing is adding to the
problem. The new oil simply collects around the old oil and makes a
larger 'plug' to slow the clock down. What is probably happening
is that the old oil has solidified or even dried up and friction is
causing the problem. If the clock has not been services for four or
five years it will require cleaning at a bare minimum. Q - My clock was serviced just two years ago but it is having trouble running. Does it require a service?
A
- Probably not. Most clocks should run for a number of years once
serviced but if the clock had lots of wear on it's last service, it is
posible that some of the holes that were not worn at that time are now
becoming worn. If you had the clock serviced by a repatable clock maker
then he should check the clock for you without charge. It could be that
the clock is not running in beat, or some case debris has fallen into
the movement, there are many reasons for this. Q
- I have a longcase clock that has run for thirty years without any
trouble. It now runs poorly and will only run for thirty minutes or so.
Should I add more weight?
A - Certainly not. All weight driven
clocks are accurately designed to run with the weight they are supplied
with, it is a mathematical equation that allows the clock to run at
it's optimum and this should not be altered lest you cause unwaranted
wear and damage. The truth is the clock required a service over twenty
years ago and since then you have been slowly grinding it to dust. It
will probably cost a considerable amount of money to put it right. Q - I was told that WD40 is really bad for my clock, why is that?
A
- Put simply it's like putting bleach into your car engine rather than
the correct oil. A clock should only be oiled with the correct oil and
in the correct places. Q
- I want to have my clock serviced but it's only a cheaply made thing
and yet I have been quoted what I feel is a great deal of money. Why
does a cheap clock cost as much as an expensive one?
A - The
answer is straight forward to this one. Every clock, be it small,
large, expensive or cheap runs on the same principles as every other
clock. There are moving parts split into various 'trains' of gears. A
timepeice has one, a striker two and a Westminster usually three. Each
train is like a separate clock and has to be treat like one when being
serviced so that means if have your Westminster serviced there are
three clocks to repair. With this in mind it takes the same amount of
work on a cheap clock as is does on an expensive one. There can be
other factors too such as on fusee movements or other types such as
cuckoo clocks but generally clocks of the same type cost about the
same to service no matter what their quality or worth. Q
- I have a relatively modern wall clock that I have had for years but I
am told though the dial says it is made in London the clock is German
and made by Hermle. I can't find a repairer as most say they will not
work on it. Why is that?
A - Hermle produced hundreds of thousands
of these clocks from the middle of the last century to present
day. When new they run well but is not maintained regularly they
were out to the point that they are not worth repairing. The reason
most repairers will not touch them is due to the fact that they are
problematic when worn and of poor quality and the time spent getting
them to run means they are just not profitable for the repairer.
We will work on Hermle clocks but we always reserve the right to
say no on the poorest of them. More to come.
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