Timing a Clock

[twoess]

Hi, new to the Forum. Glad to be here. I have a Small Clock Repair Business. Had a question for anybody that knows. I go through the entire Repair procedure and when I get to timing for a week or so I put the clock in beat so it tics evenly and put it in the case and level it and get it to do the same. Get it as close as possible to keeping as accurate time as that mechanical clock can be. Here's my problem, I get it all good in the shop but when the customer get's it home, especially on wall clocks, they don't get it quite as level or bump it or the wall and it get's out of beat so is'nt as accurate. Is this just how it is. It always seems like even my own collection and the one's I have for sale in my shop, after there set in beat they somehow wonder off a bit.

[Arutha]

Thats a common problem for me too, its the biggest pain in the butt, even worse when you sell a clock on e-bay, I now supply the customer with a printed out sheet on how to set the clock up. I have even thought about posting a video on youtube so they can listen to a clock in and out of beat and see how to adjust it, which of course will only work if your customer has a computer or the internet. The only advice i would give is what you already do, set it up to run on a perfectly flat surface and tell them to be very gentle with it and set it up on a perfectly flat surface when they get it home. The only trouble is to a lot of people a perfectly flat suface just looks level, they dont actualy check it with a level.
One other thing I thought of doing was finding a cheap supply of blank cds and copying an audi of a clock running in and out of beat for the customer as it is quite a hard thing to explain. They just hear it ticking and think its all ok.
Tough one.
Oh and a very warm welcome to the forum
Paul.
Oh, I have just re-read your question, if your clock is running in and out of beat check the escape wheel pivots, should have next to no play in the bushes, just enough to run smoothly.

[willofiam]

Welcome twoess, I too have dealt with that, NOW I do take the time to explain what in beat means and even tilt the clock so the customer can hear the differences, explaining how it is set up on a level bench and if their shelf or whatever isnt the same what kind of things they can do to solve the problem. Another thing to think about could be the different climate, ie. how cold or hot does a person keep the house, humidity, ectt?? as far as accuracy in timekeeping. house walls do move, maybe a door was shut hard????? who knows, like you said, that might be just the way it is. These are the things Paul I was talking about in not only having a sheet that explains the work done on it but also a sheet that would simply explain do's and dont's and things like putting a clock in beat and what that means. maybe there are some out there already????? William

[Arutha]

That is a very good idea, I never even gave that a thought! I recently sold a 400 day clock and the guy said he noticed the pendulum swinging when he walked accross his living room floor, he asked if it would cause a problem? I suppose you have to treat each customer as if they know nothing and include as much as possible in the sheet. I will start putting something together.

[Bob Tascione]

Welcome the the forum Twoess!!

It's been a few years! Very good to hear you're still going full bore with your shop.

I don't have anything to add really as Paul and William have covered it well. Just one quick thing that you're most likely already aware of but I'll mention for others that may read this in the future. You mentioned that the beat often wanders off. If the beat is erratic then one thing to check is the escape wheel pivot to hole fit. If this is sloppy the beat will often change all over the place.

That's it...nothing more to add to William and Pauls posts about educating the customer. I like their ideas.

Again welcome and good to see you up here!
Bob

[Arutha]

Bob I had already said about the escape wheel pivots in my first post on this thread Its something important that I never found out about until recently, I just assumed they could have the same amount of play as the other wheels but they must be tighter in their holes. You will find as the clock is ticking away the pivot will ride up the hole and then drop down again causing the clock to go in and out of beat.

[Bob Tascione]

Ooops sorry Paul, You're right I didn't see that
I think I read your post right after you posted as I was up there when you were posting, so may have missed the edit if you did that right afterwards.
Bob

[Arutha]

Spot on Bob, did the post and then read the question again and then did the edit