Tips and Instructions for setting up and enjoying your mantel clock

Any fine mechanical clock can be very sensitive, and may need leveling or adjustment. This can make a difference as to whether or not your clock will run with reliability.  

Here are a few tips to help you keep your clock running well.

SETTING YOUR MANTEL OR SHELF CLOCK IN BEAT: Now that your clock has been cleaned and oiled, leveling the clock is the most important step. Often, it’s not easy to tell if the clock is perfectly level or not.  Even if the case is level, the movement of the clock might not be perfectly level in the case. If we have serviced your clock, we have already done our best to adjust the clock so it runs when placed on a level surface.  Your results may vary, so here’s how to adjust your clock.

First, decide where your clock will permanently be placed.  You will need to note if your clock has access from the front or back.  Find the pendulum or pendulum bob and place the pendulum on the crutch or place the pendulum bob on the verge hook. If your clock has access from the back, you will need to gently rotate the clock so you can perform this step, then gently rotate the clock back into its resting place. 

 

To start the clock pendulum, you can gently lift one side of the case and set it back down, gently move the case from side to side a bit or, if the case is too heavy, reach into the case and gently give the pendulum a gentle push until the it continuously moves on its own.  

 

Next, you want to get the clock “in beat,” which means an even timing of the ticks. Listen carefully. You want to achieve an “even” beat. If you put a penny or thin shim under the bottom of the clock on one side and listen, you may notice that the ticks sound different.  Are they more even?  Or less even?  You can move the penny or shim to the other side and take note of the ticks again. By using this method, you should be able to adjust for any minor leveling issues with the case or the shelf where your clock is placed.

• TIMING: Now that your clock is in beat, you will want to keep track of its accuracy. Notice over several hours or a day or two if your clock is running a little fast or slow.  We’ve adjusted your clock in the shop to be pretty accurate, but this can change a little bit from the clock being moved to its new location. 

 

Note: Some mantel and shelf clocks have a way to make small adjustments on the face of the clock. If so, you may notice a small arbor at the 12 o’clock position on the dial.  You may have a little key, or a small key on your clock key, and this small key will be used to adjust timekeeping by turning a bit to the left or right.

If the clock is running fast, the leaf on the pendulum will need to be lowered.  If the clock is running slow, the leaf will need to be raised. You only need to raise or lower this just a little – an ⅛” or less sometimes is all that is needed. Make sure to adjust your minute hand to the correct time and check again in several hours or a couple days. You can make a mark on the back of the pendulum in pencil if you’d like, just in case the clock needs to be moved sometime later. 

 

• WINDING: Your clock will need to be wound everyday if it is a 30 hour clock, once a week if it is an 8 day movement.  You can steady your hand on the clock so it does not move, or even lightly hold on to the weights as you do this. You might want to set a time each day to wind your clock! 

 

It is better to stop your clock if you are not going to be around to wind your clock on a particular day.  If the weight(s) hit the floor, the clock will stop running and/or striking (cuckoo-ing). If you let the clock wind down, it is possible the number of strikes will be off when rewound.  If you are going out of town, it’s better to just stop your clock by lightly touching the pendulum until it is still and restarting it when you return. 

 

NOTE: Please do not wind your clock, or make adjustments to the pendulum or level the clock when is striking (or near the top or bottom of the hour.)  If the clock is striking and the weights, pendulum and/or clock is being moved, this may cause the strike train of the clock to malfunction and need professional adjustment.

 

• ADJUSTING YOUR CLOCK FOR DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME:

 

To spring forward one hour, you can gently move the minute hand forward until you reach the correct new time.  Be sure to pause and let the strike train operate before continuing to adjust the time.  To fall backward one hour, it’s best to simply stop your clock by lightly touching the pendulum until it is still and restarting it one hour later at the correct new time.

 

NOTE: DO NOT turn the hands of your clock backward more than five minutes and never past the top or bottom of the hour.  Doing this will result in your clock chiming an incorrect number of times. 

• HELP! The strike is not the same number of times as the hour hand! 

 

If this happens, you can gently move the hour hand (it is put on simply with friction) to the correct time that matches the strike train.