Aligning the hands on an old clock.
Aligning the hands on an old clock.
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Randy Winkman

Original Poster:

19,162 posts

205 months

Friday 20th December 2024
quotequote all
The hands on this old bracket clock are misaligned. At the moment, the minute hand shows 3 mins to the hour and the hour hand shows about a quarter past 12.

Can I simply pull the pin out with pliers and put them back on so they match?


clockworks

6,828 posts

161 months

Friday 20th December 2024
quotequote all
Minute hand - no
Hour hand - more than likely no

The minute hand is fitted onto a square filed onto the end of the cannon pinion.
If it is striking at 3 minutes to the hour, you need to move the cannon pinion one tooth relative to the motion wheel (motion wheel carries the pin that initiates the strike sequence.

Sometimes the hour hand is just a push fit, and can be pulled off and refitted.
Sometimes it's screwed in place.
Sometimes the hour pipe (the brass tube tha carries the hand) can be rotated relative to the motionwork/snail cam. There's a danger of bending/breaking the hand if it turns out there's no friction clutch though.

The only way to sort it is to pull the movement from the case. If it's an English clock, there will be 2 right angle brackets holding the movement into the case - back plate of the movement to sides of the case.
Remove the brackets, slide the whole lot out the back with the dial still attached.
Remove the hands, remove the dial, refitted the hands and watch how everything works.
Remove the motion wheel cock, realign the hour and minute wheels, and refit the motion wheel/cock.

Put it all back together, and fit the minute hand with a new taper pin. No need to bend the taper pin like that.

Edit to add - if it strikes correctly with the minute hand pointing at "12", then it's possible that the hour hand is a push fit, or the hand has been moved against it's friction clutch. Try just moving the hour hand gently, from close to the centre.

If both hands are out, it's "movement out" time

Edited by clockworks on Friday 20th December 12:56

Randy Winkman

Original Poster:

19,162 posts

205 months

Friday 20th December 2024
quotequote all
Cheers Clockworks. So not as simple as a couple of YouTube videos suggested. I'll have a think about it. My guess is that it happened when someone wound it up and pushed the hands to the correct time. Perhaps inadvertently pushing the hour hand along with the minute hand. If you arent careful the minute hand can snag on the hour hand. Could one push the other?

clockworks

6,828 posts

161 months

Friday 20th December 2024
quotequote all
Does it strikes when the minute hand is pointing at "12", or when it's at 3 minute before the hour?

Randy Winkman

Original Poster:

19,162 posts

205 months

Friday 20th December 2024
quotequote all
clockworks said:
Does it strikes when the minute hand is pointing at "12", or when it's at 3 minute before the hour?
Good question. The strike is turned off and its at my mothers house and she has all sorts of health problems. frown But if I can I will switch it back on during the daytime and see what happens. It's the clock my parents (my father died 3 years ago) have had for over 50 years. It's a lovely thing. smile

ferret50

2,313 posts

25 months

Friday 20th December 2024
quotequote all
Randy Winkman said:
clockworks said:
Does it strikes when the minute hand is pointing at "12", or when it's at 3 minute before the hour?
Good question. The strike is turned off and its at my mothers house and she has all sorts of health problems. frown But if I can I will switch it back on during the daytime and see what happens. It's the clock my parents (my father died 3 years ago) have had for over 50 years. It's a lovely thing. smile
Be worth finding a 'clockworks' in your locality, if you are unsure about fiddling with it yourself.

'clockworks' offered me some advice regarding my longcase clock a while back and I was able to deal with it myself.

wolfracesonic

8,318 posts

143 months

Friday 20th December 2024
quotequote all
Oh, clock, I see…

clockworks

6,828 posts

161 months

Friday 20th December 2024
quotequote all
Randy Winkman said:
Good question. The strike is turned off and its at my mothers house and she has all sorts of health problems. frown But if I can I will switch it back on during the daytime and see what happens. It's the clock my parents (my father died 3 years ago) have had for over 50 years. It's a lovely thing. smile
If it does strike when the minute hand is pointing directly at "12", then the odds are you just need to carefully turn the hour hand to re-align it.

London clock, so quite valuable too.

Randy Winkman

Original Poster:

19,162 posts

205 months

Friday 20th December 2024
quotequote all
clockworks said:
Randy Winkman said:
Good question. The strike is turned off and its at my mothers house and she has all sorts of health problems. frown But if I can I will switch it back on during the daytime and see what happens. It's the clock my parents (my father died 3 years ago) have had for over 50 years. It's a lovely thing. smile
If it does strike when the minute hand is pointing directly at "12", then the odds are you just need to carefully turn the hour hand to re-align it.

London clock, so quite valuable too.
It's a beautiful thing and means a lot to me now my mother is getting old. Whatever happens I'll look after it.