problem with a movment

[mahlon]

I have just finished rebuilding the movement in the clock that you see in the picture that appears with each of my post. It runs and is keeping time. The only thing that bothers me is the minute hand has so much slach, that it can be moved several degrees side to side, with out moving the hour arbor. When the clock strikes, the minute hand flops forward or backwards several minutes. Is there some kind of adjustment for this. The hand fits the square on the arbor pretty good. Mahlon

[david pierce]

Mahlon,
It could be backlash in the gear train, especially if the gears have worn teeth. Gentely move the hand back and forth and look to see if there is play in the gears.
david

[mahlon]

Thanks David, that seems to be the case. The assume the only recourse would be to replace the worn wheels. If that is the case, I will have to find replacements. Making wheels is a little beyond my abilities. Mahlon

[bernie weishapl]

Mahlon I am guessing as David did the gears have a lot of slop in them. Don’t know if there is anyone on here that cuts gears but if you belong to NAWCC in their Mart that comes with their magazine has several people who do cut them. I use Mike Loebbaka to do mine. He also did some teeth on a barrel for me and was excellent. I just had him make a new arbor for a winterhalder 9 tubular chime clock. It was on the chime side and had to have a small square on the end and have a tiny hole drilled thru it. Again was pleased with it. He cut the pinion on it and mounted the wheel. Not cheap by any means as this cost me $115. Just a thought.

[mahlon]

Thanks Bernie, This is one of my clocks, so I will probably put it back in the case and put up with it flopping for awhile.It is keeping good time, but it irritates me to see it flop. Mahlon

[willofiam]

Hey Mahlon, which style minute arbor do you have?

Does it freely move? is it just slop in the train as others have suggested?
Sometimes on the second style the teeth become bent from years of it being forced along and allows for more movement of the minute hand. I have straightened these out and reduced the “slop” in the movement of the hand.

P.S. I am working on cutting gears as we speak, still in the beginning stages of figuring it all out so if I am smart enough and get some time to hone my skills I hope to soon be able to. William

[mahlon]

William, it is the top one that you have pictured. I think is a problem of worn teeth. Every thing else looks good. A friend here had me check to see if the friction washer on the minute arbor was lose, but it is good and tight. Have you every worked ona clock with this case? I have tried to find it in all of my books, but haven’t come across it yet. The only one that I have seen like it was in an old movie. I had thought that it was a Gilbert, but it is not marked anywhere. Mahlon

[mahlon]

Here is a pic. of the movement, Please do not try to duplicate the movement stand. I own all rights. What can I say, I have a lot of wood scraps Mahlon

[willofiam]

@mahlon wrote:

Please do not try to duplicate the movement stand. I own all rights. What can I say, I have a lot of wood scraps

Hey, you gotta do what yah gotta do, as long as the movement doesnt fall off all is well. I have not worked on a clock that looks like yours, it is hard to say if it is Gilbert or not, usually the movements are marked BUT I have reason to believe a clock I have is a original Wm L. Gilbert movement without the name on it. Who knows for sure? a 120 year old clock could have had a movement replaced 80 years ago? Not sure what some of the practices were back then, maybe Bob could fill us on that. William

[Author]

Posts