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FAQ-CLOCKS

 

  • "I was told my clock is over wound; what do I do?"  Technically, you cannot over wind a clock.  When a clock is fully wound up to the point you can no longer turn the key that is considered a full wind. Some movements are (30) hour movements, some are (7) day movements, (14) day movements and there are a few (31) day movements.  When you wind the clock, you are coiling up a mainspring. If for example you have a (7) day movement, it will, in turn, uncoil over the next seven days to power the clock.  The key is, however, that the mainspring be oiled to allow the mainspring to uncoil.  If the oil is dried out on the mainspring, it acts like glue and does not allow the mainspring to uncoil properly and power the movement.  Hence, no tic-toc!  If your clock is fully wound and will not run, your clock is OVERDUE for a full cleaning and lubricating.
  • "My husband used to just spray it with WD40, but it still won't run."  WD40 IS NOT A LUBRICANT!!!  NEVER SPRAY IT ON A CLOCK!!!  WD40 is best used for its original purpose; rust busting and waterproofing to prevent rust on lawn tools, etc.  Spraying any kind of oil or "lubricant" all over your clock movement will not fix it.  Only specific points on the movement are oiled; if you spray the whole movement, you will attract more dirt and dust and actually wick the "lubricant" away from where it needs to be, particularly in the pivot holes. 
  • "How do I transport my clock to you?"  If you are bringing in a clock that has a pendulum, please make sure you remove it from the clock and wrap it up to keep it from damaging the movement or your case.  If you cannot get the pendulum off by yourself, you can cushion and wrap it with towels, or some other soft material to keep it from banging around inside the clock case while you are transporting it.
  • "I have an old electric clock and when I plug it in, it won't run."  Electric clocks usually have a mechanical movement combined with an electric motor. If it will not run, usually the movement is dirty and will need to be cleaned and oiled. The electric motor will need to be cleaned and lubricated as well.
  • "How do I set my clock backwards for daylight savings time??"  Simple; if your clock is a modern day battery operated time only clock, you may simply turn the minute hand backwards one hour.  If you have a pendulum clock, it is best and easiest to simply stop the pendulum from swinging for an hour and then restart it back up and you will be set to the correct time.
  • "My battery clock won't work anymore; I even put in new batteries."  This will sound like a commercial for a battery company, but I (and Howard Miller) recommend only using Duracell brand batteries in quartz clocks.  Some lesser brands have a coating which does not allow full transmission of voltage to the movement, causing it to fail.  Before you throw it out (or bring it to me), try changing the battery with genuine Duracell (the copper top). If this doesn't work, did you leave a dead battery in too long? If you did, you will see acid crystals all over  the terminals, on the ends of the battery, and inside the battery compartment.  Now you really do need  to bring it to me!  If you are sure that you have a brand new battery in your clock and it still will not run, the chances are really good that your movement has died and will need to be replaced. This is quite common and I replace quite a few movements in battery operated clocks.