cuckoo clock problems

[brutusamiga]

Hello

After studying Bob’s courses two years ago I have repaired 118 clocks (excluding the French clock mentioned in my previous post). I only got 5 comebacks. The past month has been terrible. I have issued with all the clocks I’m working on. 😥 I have a million things to do, but my obsession with getting the clocks to function properly is absolutely overwhelming. Do you know the feeling?

I now need to tackle an 8 day cuckoo clock that works perfectly outside the case but inside the case it randomly stops when I am not in the workshop. When it stops the bird is outside.

Then there is another one day cuckoo clock that runs for about 4 hours and then also stops. This one cuckoos VERY fast. I think the weights are too heavy but the owner swears they are original.

I get a lot of cuckoo clocks to repair because the clockmakers in my part of the world refuse to touch them stating they have enough other work and do not need comebacks.

Bernard

[willofiam]

Hey Bernard, I had to laugh when I read this post, I too am a little over 2 years involved, countless hours of study and repair = approx. 400 clocks and pocket watches, maybe 6 callbacks AND this last couple of weeks having a very difficult time with several clocks. A bunch of work on the shelf and I cant seem to get past these last few 🙄 . I have talked to some others and they appear to be having “the frustration 😯 ” recently also. The best I have heard is that if they were all easy to fix then we would get bored and might as well flip burgers and I hate cooking. Keeping myself motivated lately by the fact that nobody around here could or would tackle these problems. I get great satisfaction in seeing the customer excited and happy about their family clock running properly. When I slow down and stop thinking monetarily I catch the little things more easily. I also have worked on many cuckoo clocks and some can be real buggers. Check anything to do with it being in the case, bellow lifting levers binding, bird and door operation, sometime tightening the movement mounting screws real tight can throw things off, ect…ect…not much help here for now, I think I need some more coffee, keep on keepin on Bernard, It is possible we both are going to learn something new …. William

[david pierce]

Bernard, William,
Changes in temperature, humidity and weather in general cause things to move; especially wood. Is it possible that the frame of the mechanism is getting racked slightly? Even if the clock mechanism is brass, if it is bolted to the wood it may move slightly if the wood swells and contracts. This may not be the problem but it seems unusual that a number of clocks of this type are having problems at this time of year. Just a thought.
david

[brutusamiga]

Hi David,

Can’t be the weather. Here it is summer now and VERY hot and humid and I assume where William is it it very cold right now assuming he is from the northern hemisphere. The only thing I can think of is that it is perhaps time for us to unwind and enjoy the festive season. BUT.. how nice is it not to fix that darn stubborn clock :

Thanks for your encouragement!

[willofiam]

Hey guys, David brings up a valid point though, temperature, humidity, a clock on a outside wall, colder temps causing oils to thicken, drafts, doors opening and closing, people walking thru an area and many more influences can all have a effect on a clocks performance. YES IT IS VERY COLD!!!! if I could Bernard I would fly right on down and try to help out. today I think the high temp will be 4 or maybe even all the way up to 5 degrees Fahrenheit but I dont really pay much attention to it as it will depress me even more than a stubborn clock. William

[brutusamiga]

Oh I L O V E winter I cannot stand the heat and the AC in my workshop died yesterday. With everyone mourning the death of Mandela, I could only get someone to fix it next week.

I will post some pictures of the cuckoo on Wednesday.

[arutha]

Hi Bernard,
I have nowhere near the experience with cuckoo clocks that William does, you say the clock is running fine outside of the case but then stopping on the bird exiting the case, have you checked the rod from the bird to the door? I had one like this and in certain situations the rod would twist enough to stop the door closing, almost locking it into position. It certainly doesn’t sound like a movement issue if it works ok out of the case so as William suggests, check where the case parts are connecting, as i am sure you already know it only takes a rod to be slightly bent the wrong way to stop these things. Along with 400 day clocks, cuckoo clocks are my worst nightmare so I send all my customers with these to William

[brutusamiga]

I think I found the problem or at least one of the problems. One of the lifting levers made contact with the pendulum leader. This explains why the clock stopped on the hour. I thought it had something to do with the warning cycle.

When will I learn to first look at the simple things and not look for complicated solutions? 🙄

[willofiam]

If your like me, probably never 🙄 . William

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