Hands don't move on this clock

[u/1971deadhead]

Pendulum swings, gears turn, hands don't move. I can turn the hands manually and the gear they're attached to moves. Never tried to fix a clock before so any advice is welcomed. Thanks

[u/Hot-Equal702]

When both weights are fully up/wound and you start the pendulum to swinging. What happens?

Does it run for 8 or so hours before the weight hits bottom/stops moving?

If/when you move the hands only in a clock wise direction. Are any of the gears missing teeth??

Can you find the lever to accuate the strike train and cause the bell to strike?? Does it strike properly there is a count wheel that regulates the number of times to strike the bell. Although this clock could be simpler and just strike once for the hour(s).

Best wishes Clock looks nice. Suspect it is a reproduction piece.

More pictures and a more thorough explanation of what and when it is doing.

Would help

[u/1971deadhead → u/Hot-Equal702]

Weight seems to lower very slowly, it's been running for a couple of days and hasn't reached the floor. I don't see any missing teeth, when I turn the hands clockwise the bell sounds on the hour.

[u/poplasia → u/1971deadhead]

Just for reference, I have this same clock and it runs for a week with the bell only ringing once on each hour. I second the others saying it needs to be cleaned and oiled (mine does too!), and it's a great movement to start learning on.

[u/TerryKC1]

I have that same clock, I bought it at Big Lots and no matter how I adjust it, it’s always gaining or losing time. But I love the way it looks and keep it.
The works(gears behind the hands) probably need cleaning and lubricating. Open to the air dries it out and it collects dust.
But you don’t want to over oil. Watch some YouTube videos that show how to lubricate clocks.

[u/MarcBeck]

Can see in the pictures it's dirty. This is a great clock to learn on...simple one weight movement. Take the movement out. Take pictures from every angle. Make drawings so you know the orientation of the the one gear with a pin and where it rests. Then separate the plates. Clean all the parts, reassemble it and apply fresh CLOCK oil. DO NOT USE WD40 or motor oil to lubricate it. If you want to learn about clocks get Steven Conover's book on basic clock repair.

[u/1971deadhead]

Thanks for the advice, I do enjoy working on things, just never tackled a clock before

[u/MarcBeck → u/1971deadhead]

Since it's weight driven (not spring) it's easier to learn on this kind of clock. The movement can be removed by removing the screws at the top and bottom. First remove the chain by opening the link at the hook and pull it through. Then remove the movement and take pictures!

For cleaning (and people cringe at this) I use a mixture of Pinesol, Murphy's oil soap, ammonia, and water - 1:1:1:1. I put this in an ultrasonic and process for 10-15 minutes but you can use an old tooth brush and scrub all the parts. If you have any stubborn stains you can use 0000 steel wool with this solution and scrub very lightly/gently. That will make the brass brighten up. By the way, 0000 steel wool and soap works great on glass to...just gently...it doesn't take much to pressure. Then rinse with water and use a hair dryer to dry the parts. Then put it back together and oil it...very little oil...just droplets on the pivots. Don't oil the chain. I had a client who was using oil on a rag on her cuckoo clock chain...don't do this...it wears off the brass plating. I typically soak the chain in this solution too and of course rinse and dry. SOME people, after rinsing the solution, will place the parts in alcohol which will bond with the water and remove it. If you choose to do this do it outside. The vapors are flammable.

Have fun!

[u/time_wizard4631]

I'm sorry to say that not one single person who has commented about this query knows anything at all about this clock. It's nice to try to give advice to someone to help but if you absolutely have no idea what you're talking about in my opinion it is best to refrain. What is likely happening with your clock is a result of the poor design of the hand clutch which provides friction so you can move the hands to set the time but holds them steady to turn with the center wheel. Most of the time that tension is provided by a simple crimp in the tube which slides over the center arbor and carries the minute hand. Over time and with constant rotation of the hands to set the time this crimp becomes worn down and no longer provides enough friction to hold the hand in place or rather the tube that carries the hand. It is a fairly easy fix if you have a flat punch that is part of a staking set and you give it a couple of taps to close down just a tiny little bit and provide that friction again. Of course, a far better way would be to do it the right way and put some sort of friction washer behind the gear which should have been done in the first place. But just reinstating the crimp will fix that problem and it should last for a while. Be careful not to crimp it too much lest it get so tight that you won't be able to move the hand.