How To Set Up An Old Striking Clock

First of all pick a permanent location for the clock. For reasons you will understand later, these clocks do not like to be moved after they have been set up. Choose a place with a nice firm and level surface away from excessive heat or cold, dust, and out of direct sunlight. The clock will keep more accurate time if the temperature remains relatively stable. Dust can damage the bearings of the clockwork because it will combine with the oil, drying it out to produce an abrasive paste, and causing rapid wear. Strong sunlight will soon cause unsightly fading to the finish of the clock case. Bear in mind that what is level on a spirit-level is not necessarily level to an old clock. This is because of previous adjustments made to the escapement, or warping of the clock-case, for example.

Next you must remove any packing materials from inside the clock and hang the pendulum carefully on to the hanger (crutch) usually by hooking it onto a small pin or projecting barb, but sometimes the hook is on the pendulum rod itself. Now that the pendulum has been fitted you must be very careful when moving the clock, as there is potential to do great damage to the escapement if the pendulum is allowed to swing around freely. Reach in through the back door and gently hold the pendulum steady while you move it to its final position.

The next thing is to wind both springs up until the key will turn no further. To start the clock, carefully lift one side of the case no more than an inch or two then gently set it down again. If it does not start ticking, simply repeat this action from the other side this time. You may find that the clock will tick perfectly while held at an angle, but will stop when set down on the level surface. If this happens, the crutch has been moved out of calibration and must be moved to one side to correct the alignment. There are two ways to accomplish this: Either you can place something under one side of the clock to hold it at the required angle, which is ok if the angle is small, otherwise it may look a little odd. The other way is to physically move the crutch with your hand, so that the crutch is correctly aligned when the clock is level on the mantel. This is easy to do, but a delicate touch and a fair bit of patience are needed. Most clockworks have a 'sliding clutch' at the pivot, which allows easy adjustment to the correct angle of the pendulum hanger. Looking in through the back door you will see the pendulum suspended on its hanger - the 'crutch'. If you need to lift the clock on the left side to make it run, then push the crutch gently but firmly to the left side until it only just moves. Now try the clock to see if it runs when level. If it does, then you are done. If not you will have to make further adjustments. If you have to lift the clock on the right to make it run, then you must move the crutch to the right. Once the clock is running when level, you should listen carefully to the sound of the ticks. If they are exactly even, the clock is said to be 'in beat', and the adjustment is complete. If you can hear the ticks as two close together followed by a pause, like a person limping, you still have to move the crutch a very small amount until the ticks are exactly evenly spaced. This whole process is one of trial and error - there is no way to say in advance how much movement will be needed. Your patience may well be sorely tested!

One more thing to check is whether the clock counts the correct number of strikes on the hours. The easiest way to do this is to push gently on the minute hand, so that it turns clockwise. NEVER PUSH THE MINUTE HAND BACKWARDS. THIS WILL CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE! Note that it does not matter if the clock is stopped or running at this point. If you must pass through a half-hour, pause briefly and allow the gong to strike and reset before moving the hand to the next full hour. As the minute hand touches the 12 you should hear the mechanism begin to activate. Move the hand a little further and it will begin to strike. Count the number of strikes and note if these are the same as the indicated time. If so, the clock is now fully set up. If the strike-count is wrong it can be easily put right. Stop the clock and move the minute hand to 2 or 3 minutes past the next full hour. Looking in from the back, you will see a lever high up on the left side of the clockwork. Flick this lever up and down with your finger. The clock will begin to strike. Repeat this action, pausing each time to allow the strike-sequence to complete, until the clock counts the correct number of hours. The clock is now ready for use.

Now that the clock is running and striking correctly, you will need to observe it over a few days to see if it keeps good time. It is generally possible to get a pendulum clock to an accuracy of +/- 1 minute per week. If your clock runs too fast, make the pendulum longer by winding the little nut under the weight down a little. If the clock runs too slow, make the pendulum a little shorter by winding the nut up a little. One full turn of the nut can make a difference of several minutes per day, so go easy. By making small adjustments once each day, you should have your clock running at the correct speed within a week. At last you may now sit back and enjoy your new clock!

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