# Pendulum Rod Became Detatched In Long Case Clock - Help!



## Tony1951 (Dec 23, 2011)

Very embarrassing this and I need help fast.

I was visiting a friend's house last night for a curry and some drinks. She has a long case grandfather clock - an old one made in Penrith. It was running slow and has done for as long a she had it. Being a clown and having had a couple of glasses of wine, I offered to shorten the pendulum for her, so I took hold of the weight, slid it up the rod about 3mm and screwed the little adjusting nut up a bout three turns. I let the pendulum bob settle back down onto the nut, started it swinging and the bloody thing fell to the bottom of the case.............

Obviously, when I lifted the rod upwards a touch to adjust the bob setting I detached the pendulum rod at the top where it fastens to the mechanism.

What I am left with at the top of the pendulum rod is what I suppose is the hangar spring - a thin flat spring a couple of inches long with a sort of flat round nipple. I have no idea how to re-attach this.

The clock was ticking rapidly, and I felt for the part up inside the case (working through the pendulum case door) and I can't figure out blindly how the thing goes back together.

Having two glasses inside me (of wine - she didn't stab me with a glass - which I deserved) I decided not to mess any further and simply detached the driving weight so as not to leave the clock running at a silly rate because it was ticking away rapidly. Now I need to return to it with an entirely clear head and put matters right. I'd rather not have to call in a clock repair gent in - unless I must do.

*Your help on how to reattach the pendulum will be gratefully received. *

*Can I feed the pendulum up through the floor plate of the clock or will I have to expose the mechanism? *

*Am I right in thinking that the hood around the clock mechanism will just lift off exposing all I need to see?*

*I will be going round there later to try and make amends so the earlier you can respond, the better for my sanity and reputation.*

Many thanks for your help and tips.

Tony (the fool) 1951


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## Tony1951 (Dec 23, 2011)

I just took a look at one of my own pendulum mantle clocks. Thinking about it, I was hopelessly deluded last night to imagine I could simply hook the hanger spring back on at the level of the clock floor board. It lust have to go right up the back of the movement and hang from high up on there, otherwise the crutch and other parts that kick the pendulum could have no effect. This means the top or hood will have to come off and then I will be able to see what is what - hopefully. I am also hoping there is enough room to lift the hood off. It is in a modern house and the clock is pretty big for the height of the room. I will know better when I have been back to take a sobre look at things. Room height is an issue because the case is screwed to the wall.

Moral of the story - DON'T DRINK - EVER - Especially if you might feel inspired to do some quick tinkering with things you have only a half witted grasp of, and especially if they are not your own things.


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## harryblakes7 (Oct 1, 2010)

Hi, you should be able to slide the hood of the clock forward, it will be heavy!! and then it will come off exposing the rear of the mechanism, you will then see the crutch at the top which holds the top of the suspension on the pendulum and the impulse crutch about 3 inches down which will locate on the pendulum, you should be able to see a "witness" mark where it sits, was it running a min or two a day slow or more? If more it could either need a service due to gummed up works and friction, or the suspension spring itself could be too thick, unless it look sold and original.................. good luck!!!!


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## Tony1951 (Dec 23, 2011)

harryblakes7 said:


> Hi, you should be able to slide the hood of the clock forward, it will be heavy!! and then it will come off exposing the rear of the mechanism, you will then see the crutch at the top which holds the top of the suspension on the pendulum and the impulse crutch about 3 inches down which will locate on the pendulum, you should be able to see a "witness" mark where it sits, was it running a min or two a day slow or more? If more it could either need a service due to gummed up works and friction, or the suspension spring itself could be too thick, unless it look sold and original.................. good luck!!!!


Hello Harry. Many thanks for your post. I just got back from putting it right and saw your post. It is as you said. The hood slid forwards and exposed the movement and it was completely obvious how the pendulum went in. I slid it up through the body of the clock case and entered the spring up through the crutch and the nipple at the top of the hanger spring went into a cradle at the top of all the shananigins (that's a technical term of course) .... 

I won't be messing with it again myself and I will try and remember to restrain my exuberant offers of help after a drink or three in future.

As an aside, and this has nothing to do with my dislodging the pendulum last night which was a very simple if foolhardy intervention, the amplitude of the pendulum is pathetically small considering the huge lump of lead that powers this thing. I doubt it exceeds forty degrees all told. My mantel clocks although a different species, have a much bigger swing. It is in beat more or less going by ear, so it can't be that. It was stripped, cleaned and put in order by an old geezer who made his living that way about five years ago. It is an antique clock and is at least a hundred years old and probably more. The owner of it was charged a hundred and thirty quid for the service around five years ago.

Anyway, I will leave well alone, lest I get the blame.... If it was mine, I'd have it cleaned and oiled again.


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## harryblakes7 (Oct 1, 2010)

Hi Tony, glad you got it done, must be a big relief!!! Â£130 for a service does not sound too bad............ as long as he got it working ok!! The problem with these older clocks is that the wheels and gear teeth are hand cut so you don't always get smooth meshing, the long pendulum is designed to iron out the power fluctuations and give a steadyness to the clock. The pendulum is not going to swing much on these but should have a few degress or an inch or so of continuing movement after the impulse or "tic"

Ideally they should be serviced at least every ten years just for oiling, as when it runs out then everything starts grinding together and wearing out and then your into more expensive repairs. Does it have two weights for striking on a bell or just the one? I take it that it's an 8 day clock and not a 30 hour one........


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## Tony1951 (Dec 23, 2011)

harryblakes7 said:


> Hi Tony, glad you got it done, must be a big relief!!! Â£130 for a service does not sound too bad............ as long as he got it working ok!! The problem with these older clocks is that the wheels and gear teeth are hand cut so you don't always get smooth meshing, the long pendulum is designed to iron out the power fluctuations and give a steadyness to the clock. The pendulum is not going to swing much on these but should have a few degress or an inch or so of continuing movement after the impulse or "tic"
> 
> Ideally they should be serviced at least every ten years just for oiling, as when it runs out then everything starts grinding together and wearing out and then your into more expensive repairs. Does it have two weights for striking on a bell or just the one? I take it that it's an 8 day clock and not a 30 hour one........


Hi Harry. Thanks for the information. I should correct something I said on Sunday when I said it had maybe forty degrees of swing on the pendulum. I looked again today and it is nothing like that much. Maybe fifteen tops. It is really only about three inches of swing. Anyway - from what you say, I shouldn't expect much, so it is probably OK. It has one pretty huge weight and a small weighty ring on the other end of the chain. The single weight seems to do the clock running and the bell chiming. It needs winding every day, so it will be a thirty hour one. When I had the hood off I took a peep at the rear plate and the pivot holes looked ok. given that it was serviced in the last five years I suppose it is OK for now. Looking again at the style, it is probably mid nineteenth century - more or less. I don't know anything much about it except that it cost a thousand quid twelve years ago.

Next time I'm around I'll look at how much swing there is after the tick to see if it meets up with your point above.

Cheers


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## harryblakes7 (Oct 1, 2010)

Hi Tony, yes it certainly sounds like a 30 hour clock, some of them had two winding holes in the dial which are dummy ones, this is to impress the neighbors when they come round as they can see they were able to afford a 8 day clock 100 years ago...............sounds like a nice thing, price may be slightly steep as they are coming down a bit in price, unless the wood is flame mahogony or something exotic!!


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## Tony1951 (Dec 23, 2011)

harryblakes7 said:


> Hi Tony, yes it certainly sounds like a 30 hour clock, some of them had two winding holes in the dial which are dummy ones, this is to impress the neighbors when they come round as they can see they were able to afford a 8 day clock 100 years ago...............sounds like a nice thing, price may be slightly steep as they are coming down a bit in price, unless the wood is flame mahogony or something exotic!!


Well, I'm not so sure that it is that nice myself - It is a bit huge and moth eaten looking to my way of thinking, but I'm not claiming to be a person of refined taste -  I don't really like it that much, that's all.

It has no winding holes at all. You hoist the huge ten pound weight up the length of the case by pulling on a chain. Pretty crude really.The maker was Yeates of Penrith, both words being on the painted sheet metal dial, which is held to the clock mechanism by sturdy feet and pins on the back of the dial. It looks to me that the actual movement, is simply sitting on top of the case and held there by the weight of the chain, driving weight and pendulum. If it ever fell over, God knows what would happen to the thing. There are worm holes visible in the inner part of the case, so it has been around a long time.

I have googled the makers name and town of origin and they seem to sell for Â£300 to Â£1400, but the later price was 2002.


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## harryblakes7 (Oct 1, 2010)

Hmmmmmmm............. is that the camera angle that the dial is shunted off to the right and you can't see the minutes at the 3 o'clock position? The hands don't seem to be a matches pair in my humble opinion.......... the minute hand seems very bold and not quite long enough and the hour hand is very ornate.......... have a close look when the owner is not looking and see if the hand colours are the same or different..............

Or better still just keep away from it!!! lol...............


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## Tony1951 (Dec 23, 2011)

OOps!

You are right. I never really looked at it before Harry. Like I said; it's not my cup of tea. It's a 'franken clock' maybe?

I did notice the dial not being centred, but it not being mine, I didn't think twice about it. It isn't a camera angle problem. It is real enough.

Ah well - her parents bought it for her and paid a thousand quid. I told her it was probably worth more like Â£300. That didn't go down well.

She told me yesterday that the provenance says it was made in 1832.


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## harryblakes7 (Oct 1, 2010)

Well i have been caught before on things like that and then later on look and think, thats not right........... yes Â£300 is more like it lol........... the case is more modern than 1832 so looks like older works in a more 1920 case.......... a lot of this swopping around goes on sadly on the bigger clocks and is referred to as a "marriage" This wording does not frighten potential buyers away as much as franken clock 

Sometimes the repairs to the clock can outweigh the value but they still want it done up these days, i tinker with a few repairs myself but shy away from these clocks as they always have tons of problems and leave it to the professionals..............

Thanks for putting the picture up :yes:


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## Tony1951 (Dec 23, 2011)

I know where there is another of these Yeates of Penrith clocks. It is in the shop at Nichol End Marina near Portinscale, Keswick. Next time I am there, I am going to photograph it in detail so I can compare the cases. It has the exact same clock face on it, so if the cases are different we will know for sure, although, I think you are probably right. If the case is only from the 1920s, it has had a hard life. There is a crack in the back and it has wormholes inside.

Thanks for all your expertise here Harry. I had it sorted by the time I saw your post, but you have certainly put me onto a few more problems. I'll not say anything to the owner - why upset people?


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## harryblakes7 (Oct 1, 2010)

No problem, glad to help and this forum is a great place to be 

Just seen this at a local auction house and nearly fell over, practically identical to your clock, it went for Â£250, have a look at the hands.............. and yes, don't say anything to the owner!! lol............


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