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Default Pendulum clock runs *fast* in hot weather

In article ,
says...

In article ,
Terry Casey writes
In article
k,
says...

It now runs for a
few minutes, with a tick that starts as a fairly even tick-tock, but then it
starts "limping" - the interval between the tick and the tock becomes longer
than that between the tock and the tick, until eventually the ticking gets
fainter and fainter, and them dies altogether.

That means that the pendulum is no long swinging equally about
the vertical.

If the clock is wall hung, use a spirit level to get it
perfectly vertical and make a small mark on the wall so that
you can see immediately if it has moved.

Now start the clock and see if that cures the problem. If not,
you need to adjust the pendulum's vertical position

Move the pendulum to one end of its natural travel range and
keeping going slightly further, just overcoming the
resistance.

Start the clock and listen. Is it better or worse? If better
keep nudging the pendulum a bit further in the same direction
and try again. If it is now worse, move the pendulum in the
opposite direction, again moving it past its natural end stop.

Repeat the adjustments until the clock sounds right. All
things being equal, it should now carry on ticking without
stopping.


Fascinating. I didn't know that. I'll try it on our clock.


Did you get round to trying it - and was it successful?

--

Terry

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Default Pendulum clock runs *fast* in hot weather

"Terry Casey" wrote in message
...
If the clock is wall hung, use a spirit level to get it
perfectly vertical and make a small mark on the wall so that
you can see immediately if it has moved.


Both clocks are longcase, standing on the floor.

Now start the clock and see if that cures the problem. If not,
you need to adjust the pendulum's vertical position

Move the pendulum to one end of its natural travel range and
keeping going slightly further, just overcoming the
resistance.

Start the clock and listen. Is it better or worse? If better
keep nudging the pendulum a bit further in the same direction
and try again. If it is now worse, move the pendulum in the
opposite direction, again moving it past its natural end stop.

Repeat the adjustments until the clock sounds right. All
things being equal, it should now carry on ticking without
stopping.


Fascinating. I didn't know that. I'll try it on our clock.


Did you get round to trying it - and was it successful?


For the very old grandfather clock about 7 feet tall, I tried that. I can't
feel any change in resistance as I move pendulum aside as far as the side of
the case, which is obviously the limit of its travel. I wonder if the
mechanism is so old that it doesn't have automatic adjustment.

Maker dates from early 1800s (Barwise Mitchell, Cockermouth) and may not
have had any enhancements since then.


For the much newer granddaughter clock (about 4 feet tall), the pendulum is
about 3" long and consists of a bob that hooks onto a vertical piece of
springy metal that nudges the escapement feed sideways. This moves with the
same resistance as far as a hard limit, beyond which the escapement release
doesn't move any further and the spring metal pivots about the escapement
release mechanism rather than about the suspension point of the springy
metal which is slightly higher.

Pressing and holding the springy metal on one side of its hard limit doesn't
seem to alter the neutral rest position of the bob or the even-ness of the
tick and the tock. The clock runs for a few minutes and the ticks get
fainter and fainter until the clock stops. The hands do go round. The
mainspring (and chiming spring) are both fully wound and the mainspring
winder definitely won't go any further, so it's not broken and winding
forever without tightening the spring.

The clock seems to be fairly sensitive about its fore/aft angle. Against the
wall it stops but pulled out a few inches it has been running for about ten
minutes and the tick sounds more even. I wonder if that's what the problem
was. I'll find a spirit level and see how vertical it is fore/aft and
side/side.

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Default Pendulum clock runs *fast* in hot weather

On Thu, 16 Aug 2018 15:38:40 +0100, "NY" wrote:

"Terry Casey" wrote in message
...
If the clock is wall hung, use a spirit level to get it
perfectly vertical and make a small mark on the wall so that
you can see immediately if it has moved.


Both clocks are longcase, standing on the floor.

Now start the clock and see if that cures the problem. If not,
you need to adjust the pendulum's vertical position

Move the pendulum to one end of its natural travel range and
keeping going slightly further, just overcoming the
resistance.

Start the clock and listen. Is it better or worse? If better
keep nudging the pendulum a bit further in the same direction
and try again. If it is now worse, move the pendulum in the
opposite direction, again moving it past its natural end stop.

Repeat the adjustments until the clock sounds right. All
things being equal, it should now carry on ticking without
stopping.


Fascinating. I didn't know that. I'll try it on our clock.


Did you get round to trying it - and was it successful?


For the very old grandfather clock about 7 feet tall, I tried that. I can't
feel any change in resistance as I move pendulum aside as far as the side of
the case, which is obviously the limit of its travel. I wonder if the
mechanism is so old that it doesn't have automatic adjustment.

Maker dates from early 1800s (Barwise Mitchell, Cockermouth) and may not
have had any enhancements since then.


For the much newer granddaughter clock (about 4 feet tall), the pendulum is
about 3" long and consists of a bob that hooks onto a vertical piece of
springy metal that nudges the escapement feed sideways. This moves with the
same resistance as far as a hard limit, beyond which the escapement release
doesn't move any further and the spring metal pivots about the escapement
release mechanism rather than about the suspension point of the springy
metal which is slightly higher.

Pressing and holding the springy metal on one side of its hard limit doesn't
seem to alter the neutral rest position of the bob or the even-ness of the
tick and the tock. The clock runs for a few minutes and the ticks get
fainter and fainter until the clock stops. The hands do go round. The
mainspring (and chiming spring) are both fully wound and the mainspring
winder definitely won't go any further, so it's not broken and winding
forever without tightening the spring.

The clock seems to be fairly sensitive about its fore/aft angle. Against the
wall it stops but pulled out a few inches it has been running for about ten
minutes and the tick sounds more even. I wonder if that's what the problem
was. I'll find a spirit level and see how vertical it is fore/aft and
side/side.


Up to now it's been about your grandfather clock, but now you also
mention a granddaughter clock. Regarding the original one, I don't
understand Terry Casey's suggestions. Perhaps he's trying to bend the
flexible strip at the top of the pendulum, which might have the same
effect as tilting the whole clock sideways by a wedge underneath.

Making the clock vertical by plumbline or spirit level is no guarantee
that it will tick evenly. so I recommend you try my tilting
suggestion.

I did post that on 07/08/18, but unfortunately the title got prefaced
by and shows up outside this thread, so maybe you didn't see
it.
--
Dave W
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Default Pendulum clock runs *fast* in hot weather

On Thu, 16 Aug 2018 15:38:40 +0100, "NY" wrote:

"Terry Casey" wrote in message
...
If the clock is wall hung, use a spirit level to get it
perfectly vertical and make a small mark on the wall so that
you can see immediately if it has moved.


Both clocks are longcase, standing on the floor.

Now start the clock and see if that cures the problem. If not,
you need to adjust the pendulum's vertical position

Move the pendulum to one end of its natural travel range and
keeping going slightly further, just overcoming the
resistance.

Start the clock and listen. Is it better or worse? If better
keep nudging the pendulum a bit further in the same direction
and try again. If it is now worse, move the pendulum in the
opposite direction, again moving it past its natural end stop.

Repeat the adjustments until the clock sounds right. All
things being equal, it should now carry on ticking without
stopping.


Fascinating. I didn't know that. I'll try it on our clock.


Did you get round to trying it - and was it successful?


For the very old grandfather clock about 7 feet tall, I tried that. I can't
feel any change in resistance as I move pendulum aside as far as the side of
the case, which is obviously the limit of its travel. I wonder if the
mechanism is so old that it doesn't have automatic adjustment.

Maker dates from early 1800s (Barwise Mitchell, Cockermouth) and may not
have had any enhancements since then.


For the much newer granddaughter clock (about 4 feet tall), the pendulum is
about 3" long and consists of a bob that hooks onto a vertical piece of
springy metal that nudges the escapement feed sideways. This moves with the
same resistance as far as a hard limit, beyond which the escapement release
doesn't move any further and the spring metal pivots about the escapement
release mechanism rather than about the suspension point of the springy
metal which is slightly higher.

Pressing and holding the springy metal on one side of its hard limit doesn't
seem to alter the neutral rest position of the bob or the even-ness of the
tick and the tock. The clock runs for a few minutes and the ticks get
fainter and fainter until the clock stops. The hands do go round. The
mainspring (and chiming spring) are both fully wound and the mainspring
winder definitely won't go any further, so it's not broken and winding
forever without tightening the spring.

The clock seems to be fairly sensitive about its fore/aft angle. Against the
wall it stops but pulled out a few inches it has been running for about ten
minutes and the tick sounds more even. I wonder if that's what the problem
was. I'll find a spirit level and see how vertical it is fore/aft and
side/side.


Up to now it's been about your grandfather clock, but now you also
mention a granddaughter clock. Regarding the original one, I don't
understand Terry Casey's suggestions. Perhaps he's trying to bend the
flexible strip at the top of the pendulum, which might have the same
effect as tilting the whole clock sideways by a wedge underneath.

Making the clock vertical by plumbline or spirit level is no guarantee
that it will tick evenly. so I recommend you try my tilting
suggestion.
--
Dave W
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Default Pendulum clock runs *fast* in hot weather

On Thu, 16 Aug 2018 23:13:06 +0100, Dave W wrote:

On Thu, 16 Aug 2018 15:38:40 +0100, "NY" wrote:

"Terry Casey" wrote in message
...
If the clock is wall hung, use a spirit level to get it
perfectly vertical and make a small mark on the wall so that
you can see immediately if it has moved.


Both clocks are longcase, standing on the floor.

Now start the clock and see if that cures the problem. If not,
you need to adjust the pendulum's vertical position

Move the pendulum to one end of its natural travel range and
keeping going slightly further, just overcoming the
resistance.

Start the clock and listen. Is it better or worse? If better
keep nudging the pendulum a bit further in the same direction
and try again. If it is now worse, move the pendulum in the
opposite direction, again moving it past its natural end stop.

Repeat the adjustments until the clock sounds right. All
things being equal, it should now carry on ticking without
stopping.

Fascinating. I didn't know that. I'll try it on our clock.

Did you get round to trying it - and was it successful?


For the very old grandfather clock about 7 feet tall, I tried that. I can't
feel any change in resistance as I move pendulum aside as far as the side of
the case, which is obviously the limit of its travel. I wonder if the
mechanism is so old that it doesn't have automatic adjustment.

Maker dates from early 1800s (Barwise Mitchell, Cockermouth) and may not
have had any enhancements since then.


For the much newer granddaughter clock (about 4 feet tall), the pendulum is
about 3" long and consists of a bob that hooks onto a vertical piece of
springy metal that nudges the escapement feed sideways. This moves with the
same resistance as far as a hard limit, beyond which the escapement release
doesn't move any further and the spring metal pivots about the escapement
release mechanism rather than about the suspension point of the springy
metal which is slightly higher.

Pressing and holding the springy metal on one side of its hard limit doesn't
seem to alter the neutral rest position of the bob or the even-ness of the
tick and the tock. The clock runs for a few minutes and the ticks get
fainter and fainter until the clock stops. The hands do go round. The
mainspring (and chiming spring) are both fully wound and the mainspring
winder definitely won't go any further, so it's not broken and winding
forever without tightening the spring.

The clock seems to be fairly sensitive about its fore/aft angle. Against the
wall it stops but pulled out a few inches it has been running for about ten
minutes and the tick sounds more even. I wonder if that's what the problem
was. I'll find a spirit level and see how vertical it is fore/aft and
side/side.


Up to now it's been about your grandfather clock, but now you also
mention a granddaughter clock. Regarding the original one, I don't
understand Terry Casey's suggestions. Perhaps he's trying to bend the
flexible strip at the top of the pendulum, which might have the same
effect as tilting the whole clock sideways by a wedge underneath.

Making the clock vertical by plumbline or spirit level is no guarantee
that it will tick evenly. so I recommend you try my tilting
suggestion.
--
Dave W



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Default Pendulum clock runs *fast* in hot weather

In article 3tudnSzq87
,
says...

For the very old grandfather clock about 7 feet tall, I tried that. I can't
feel any change in resistance as I move pendulum aside as far as the side of
the case, which is obviously the limit of its travel. I wonder if the
mechanism is so old that it doesn't have automatic adjustment.

Maker dates from early 1800s (Barwise Mitchell, Cockermouth) and may not
have had any enhancements since then.


Any clock I've had any contact with has had a slipping clutch
arrangement to couple the pendulum to the escapement - just a
screw with a fibre pad on the end. Possibly the screw has been
overtightened or the pad has 'glued' itself to the escapement?

This is easy to get at with a mantle clock because the back
door opens, giving access to the movement. You would hve to
remove the movement in this case to check and rectify the
problem.


For the much newer granddaughter clock (about 4 feet tall) .

The clock seems to be fairly sensitive about its fore/aft angle. Against the
wall it stops but pulled out a few inches it has been running for about ten
minutes and the tick sounds more even. I wonder if that's what the problem
was. I'll find a spirit level and see how vertical it is fore/aft and
side/side.


Assuming the wall is true, you can replicate the same effect
by loosening the movement fixings and putting suitable packing
detween the bottom of the movement and the case. Over a
distance of nearly 4 feet, the thickness of the packing will
be only a minute fraction of 'a few inches' to create the same
angle and shouldn't be noticeable under normal operating
conditions.

--

Terry

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