# Cuckoo Clock Movement Repairs?



## Retronaut (Jun 14, 2010)

Hi all,

A first foray into the clock forum for me:

My parents have a German cuckoo clock which after 20 years of continuous running has worn to the point it will no longer run.

My father has been tinkering with cleaning it and re-oiling it to eke it out a bit longer but it's reached the point where it's worn too much to run regularly.

Looking at the movement it's the shaft for the escapement (correct term?) which is worn in it's mounting - next to the screwdriver tip in the right photo.

Our guess is that a clock maker would drill this out and fit a sleeve or bush to restore the fit?

Any suggestions for where we could send the movement for a repair at a reasonable cost?

(I checked Cousins and it's Â£120+ for a new movement so keeping the original is definitely preferable!)

















All suggestions welcome - can supply all the movement numbers / markings from the movement too if they help at all.

Many thanks as ever.

:cheers:

Rich.


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## Retronaut (Jun 14, 2010)

Not a very successful foray into the clock forum so far :sadwalk: - maybe I shouldn't have put cuckoo clock on the title!

Any suggestions for a clock repairer - post here or PM please, thanks! :thumbsup:


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## Roger the Dodger (Oct 5, 2009)

Hi, Rich...I did some re-bushing in 'The Grandfather Clock Project' (See a few threads below this one..about post #36 onwards.) It's a fairly straightforward job to do...you would need some cutting broaches and some bushes from Cousins.(Not drills, as the broaches, like the bushes, are tapered.) You say a new movement is Â£120...I wouldn't mind betting that should you choose to take the movement for repair, it would cost in excess of this. Rog.


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## harryblakes7 (Oct 1, 2010)

Hi Rich, i have done a couple of these and problem is they are so fiddly!! And once you rebuild them they have to be "timed" so that the cuckoo part works....... unlike an ordinary clock where you set the warning to fly on the chime, you have to do it once it is together......., getting it to "bong , cuck, ooo" in the correct order is a pain in the 

The wheel / pinions don't look that worn..........

Maybe something worse lurking in there...... :lookaround: usually the front centre wheel pivot causes most problems as dust and fluff get in and it all grinds to a halt...........Sadly i cannot offer to help as my doc said i must'nt get stressed.......... sorry..... :hi:


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## Retronaut (Jun 14, 2010)

Thanks for the replies gents - I'm off to read Rog's thread about broaches / bushes.

My dad loves the challenge of a repair (his latest triumphs being re-casing my broken Flymo and replacing all the bearings in my lawn scarifier... ) so re-timing the cuckoo's would only add to the fun I suspect.

When I was round at their house the other night I signed him into my Cousins account and left him browsing the parts and tools.

Gets me to thinking that a selection of suitable materials, tools and clock oil could be the perfect thing as part of his Xmas present!

:cheers:

Rich.


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## EddyW (Feb 13, 2010)

Retronaut said:


> Thanks for the replies gents - I'm off to read Rog's thread about broaches / bushes.
> 
> My dad loves the challenge of a repair (his latest triumphs being re-casing my broken Flymo and replacing all the bearings in my lawn scarifier... ) so re-timing the cuckoo's would only add to the fun I suspect.
> 
> ...


Have a google for cuckoo clock repair. Also cuckoo clock movements. There's loads out there to help.

As a total novice I fixed my nieces clock and got the parts from one of the sites loads cheaper than cousins.

There's also some stuff on utube.

Happy tinkering.


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