We have a granddaughter chiming clock which is unusual in having a balance-wheel escapement rather than a pendulum one. The balance wheelI have a watch and a clock in this situation. I believe the answer is to
is visible on the rear faceplate of the mechanism but it is shrouded in
a small metal box with glass/plastic "windows" so it is inaccessible.
The clock has just stopped, although it's almost fully wound (I wound it Monday and usually wind it on Mondays and Thursdays), and the tension of
the mainspring doesn't seem to be sufficient to impart an initial "kick"
to the balance wheel. The only control on the escapement is a fast/slow adjustment to the balance-wheel spring tension, but wiggling that from
one extreme to the other and back (hopefully to the original position!) doesn't kick the wheel into motion (it was a long shot!).
Is there an easy solution or will it be a trip to a clock repairer?
On 02/07/2026 09:50, NY wrote:
We have a granddaughter chiming clock which is unusual in having aI have a watch and a clock in this situation. I believe the answer is to
balance-wheel escapement rather than a pendulum one. The balance wheel
is visible on the rear faceplate of the mechanism but it is shrouded
in a small metal box with glass/plastic "windows" so it is inaccessible.
The clock has just stopped, although it's almost fully wound (I wound
it Monday and usually wind it on Mondays and Thursdays), and the
tension of the mainspring doesn't seem to be sufficient to impart an
initial "kick" to the balance wheel. The only control on the
escapement is a fast/slow adjustment to the balance-wheel spring
tension, but wiggling that from one extreme to the other and back
(hopefully to the original position!) doesn't kick the wheel into
motion (it was a long shot!).
Is there an easy solution or will it be a trip to a clock repairer?
use a solvent on the balance wheel bearings and re oil them
I lack the courage
On 02/07/2026 10:05, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 02/07/2026 09:50, NY wrote:
We have a granddaughter chiming clock which is unusual in having aI have a watch and a clock in this situation. I believe the answer is
balance-wheel escapement rather than a pendulum one. The balance
wheel is visible on the rear faceplate of the mechanism but it is
shrouded in a small metal box with glass/plastic "windows" so it is
inaccessible.
The clock has just stopped, although it's almost fully wound (I wound
it Monday and usually wind it on Mondays and Thursdays), and the
tension of the mainspring doesn't seem to be sufficient to impart an
initial "kick" to the balance wheel. The only control on the
escapement is a fast/slow adjustment to the balance-wheel spring
tension, but wiggling that from one extreme to the other and back
(hopefully to the original position!) doesn't kick the wheel into
motion (it was a long shot!).
Is there an easy solution or will it be a trip to a clock repairer?
to use a solvent on the balance wheel bearings and re oil them
I lack the courage
Are escapements designed so that if the clock stops due to the
mainspring winding down, the tension of the mainspring after winding, working "backwards" up the gearchain to the escapement, will always
impart a kick to the balance wheel get get it over "top dead centre"
where it has stopped - assuming sufficiently good lubrication of
everything?
I lack the courage too - and it would mean taking the mechanism out of
the case (and so removing the hands from the faceplate). There is also
an intermittent problem with the chiming - it occasionally fails to
chime a quarter or chimes the wrong one (quarter past rather than
quarter to, and vice versa). The "occasional" thing is intriguing: you'd think it would be a permanent fault... So my local clock repairer (who
got the clock going a few years ago after many years of not being used)
may need to look at both problems at the same time.
The clock has just stopped, although it's almost fully wound (I wound
it Monday and usually wind it on Mondays and Thursdays), and the
tension of the mainspring doesn't seem to be sufficient to impart an
initial "kick" to the balance wheel.
We have a granddaughter chiming clock which is unusual in having a balance-wheel escapement rather than a pendulum one. The balance wheel
is visible on the rear faceplate of the mechanism but it is shrouded in
a small metal box with glass/plastic "windows" so it is inaccessible.
The clock has just stopped, although it's almost fully wound (I wound it Monday and usually wind it on Mondays and Thursdays), and the tension of
the mainspring doesn't seem to be sufficient to impart an initial "kick"
to the balance wheel. The only control on the escapement is a fast/slow adjustment to the balance-wheel spring tension, but wiggling that from
one extreme to the other and back (hopefully to the original position!) doesn't kick the wheel into motion (it was a long shot!).
Is there an easy solution or will it be a trip to a clock repairer?
On 02/07/2026 09:50, NY wrote:
We have a granddaughter chiming clock which is unusual in having a
balance-wheel escapement rather than a pendulum one. The balance wheel
is visible on the rear faceplate of the mechanism but it is shrouded in
a small metal box with glass/plastic "windows" so it is inaccessible.
The clock has just stopped, although it's almost fully wound (I wound it
Monday and usually wind it on Mondays and Thursdays), and the tension of
the mainspring doesn't seem to be sufficient to impart an initial "kick"
to the balance wheel. The only control on the escapement is a fast/slow
adjustment to the balance-wheel spring tension, but wiggling that from
one extreme to the other and back (hopefully to the original position!)
doesn't kick the wheel into motion (it was a long shot!).
Is there an easy solution or will it be a trip to a clock repairer?
Interim before cleaning the mechanism. Can you gently rock the whole
case in the plane of the balance wheel?
On 02/07/2026 13:06, N_Cook wrote:
Interim before cleaning the mechanism. Can you gently rock the whole
case in the plane of the balance wheel?
That's what I was going to suggest. You usually give a clockwork wrist
watch or alarm clock a good shake to get it going.
On 02/07/2026 10:40, NY wrote:
On 02/07/2026 10:05, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 02/07/2026 09:50, NY wrote:Are escapements designed so that if the clock stops due to the
We have a granddaughter chiming clock which is unusual in having aI have a watch and a clock in this situation. I believe the answer is
balance-wheel escapement rather than a pendulum one. The balance
wheel is visible on the rear faceplate of the mechanism but it is
shrouded in a small metal box with glass/plastic "windows" so it is
inaccessible.
The clock has just stopped, although it's almost fully wound (I wound >>>> it Monday and usually wind it on Mondays and Thursdays), and the
tension of the mainspring doesn't seem to be sufficient to impart an >>>> initial "kick" to the balance wheel. The only control on the
escapement is a fast/slow adjustment to the balance-wheel spring
tension, but wiggling that from one extreme to the other and back
(hopefully to the original position!) doesn't kick the wheel into
motion (it was a long shot!).
Is there an easy solution or will it be a trip to a clock repairer?
to use a solvent on the balance wheel bearings and re oil them
I lack the courage
mainspring winding down, the tension of the mainspring after winding,
working "backwards" up the gearchain to the escapement, will always
impart a kick to the balance wheel get get it over "top dead centre"
where it has stopped - assuming sufficiently good lubrication of
everything?
I lack the courage too - and it would mean taking the mechanism out of
the case (and so removing the hands from the faceplate). There is also
an intermittent problem with the chiming - it occasionally fails to
chime a quarter or chimes the wrong one (quarter past rather than
quarter to, and vice versa). The "occasional" thing is intriguing:
you'd think it would be a permanent fault... So my local clock repairer
(who got the clock going a few years ago after many years of not being
used) may need to look at both problems at the same time.
Spring tension is enough to get balance wheels oscillating - unless the bearings are all gummed up.
Was thinking about soaking the watch in IPA for a few days....but do
these things need oiling afterwards?
On Thu, 02 Jul 2026 19:44:53 +1000, The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> wrote:
On 02/07/2026 10:40, NY wrote:
On 02/07/2026 10:05, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 02/07/2026 09:50, NY wrote:-a Are escapements designed so that if the clock stops due to the
We have a granddaughter chiming clock which is unusual in having aI have a watch and a clock in this situation. I believe the answer
balance-wheel escapement rather than a pendulum one. The balance
wheel is visible on the rear faceplate of the mechanism but it is
shrouded in a small metal box with glass/plastic "windows" so it is >>>>> inaccessible.
The clock has just stopped, although it's almost fully wound (I
wound it Monday and usually wind it on Mondays and Thursdays), and
the tension of the mainspring doesn't seem to be sufficient to
impart an initial "kick" to the balance wheel. The only control on
the escapement is a fast/slow adjustment to the balance-wheel
spring tension, but wiggling that from one extreme to the other and >>>>> back (hopefully to the original position!) doesn't kick the wheel
into motion (it was a long shot!).
Is there an easy solution or will it be a trip to a clock repairer?
is to use a solvent on the balance wheel bearings and re oil them
I lack the courage
mainspring winding down, the tension of the mainspring after winding,
working "backwards" up the gearchain to the escapement, will always
impart a kick to the balance wheel get get it over "top dead centre"
where it has stopped - assuming sufficiently good lubrication of
everything?
-aI lack the courage too - and it would mean taking the mechanism out
of the case (and so removing the hands from the faceplate). There is
also an intermittent problem with the chiming - it occasionally fails
to chime a quarter or chimes the wrong one (quarter past rather than
quarter to, and vice versa). The "occasional" thing is intriguing:
you'd think it would be a permanent fault... So my local clock
repairer (who got the clock going a few years ago after many years of
not being used) may need to look at both problems at the same time.
Spring tension is enough to get balance wheels oscillating - unless
the bearings are all gummed up.
Was thinking about soaking the watch in IPA for a few days....but do
these things need oiling afterwards?
Yes they do and not easy to do with the balance wheel in its own box
like his is
On 02/07/2026 15:00, Max Demian wrote:
On 02/07/2026 13:06, N_Cook wrote:
Interim before cleaning the mechanism. Can you gently rock the whole
case in the plane of the balance wheel?
That's what I was going to suggest. You usually give a clockwork wrist
watch or alarm clock a good shake to get it going.
It's a bit more difficult with a clock that's in a 4-foot long case!
I've tried rotating the case (and therefore the mechanism) about roughly
the axis of rotation of the balance wheel, and rocking it from side to
side in the plane of the wheel, but to no avail.
Thanks for the suggestions.
I managed to find a small hole in the glass case around the balance
wheel, so I was able to insert a paperclip to press on the rim of the balance wheel and rotate it about 45 degrees. It sprang back, overshot
and then returned to its rest position (ie the oscillations died out
*very* quickly), suggesting that it was not a completely stuck bearing
on the balance wheel, but something was impeding it (stuck escapement?).
The hairspring appears to be fairly loose, so the wheel has not stopped
at one extreme of its travel.
The clock was fairly fully wound when I came to it, in agreement with my having last wound it on Monday and therefore run for a couple of days
(*). I wound it carefully a couple of clicks on each of the three
springs, feeling for increased resistance which indicates that it is
getting close to fully wound. So there *should* be good mainspring
tension without the leaves of the mainspring starting to "stick together".
The clock was last serviced about 4-5 years ago and has been kept in a normal centrally-heated house out of the heat of direct sunlight.
(*) My experience is that this clock needs to be wound twice a week, as
if it only works when the mainspring tension is high: if it has ever
stopped in the past, I have been surprised how little I can wind the
spring before it starts to become more difficult to turn because the
spring is almost fully wound.
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