Tips and Info

Our Specialties

Clock Repair Tampa, St. Petersburg

Clock Restoration

Grandfather Clock Service

Clock Sales (Cuckoo and Antique)

Serving Tampa since 1944.

Celebrating 75 years

BOYD CLOCKS

80 Years

since 1944

How to Adjust the Time Keeping on a Clock With an Adjustable Pendulum

Time keeping is accomplished by adjusting the knob at the bottom of the pendulum (see pictures below). Lowering the knob, lowers the pendulum and makes the clock run slower (Lower is Slower). Raising the pendulum does the opposite, it makes the clock run faster. If the clock is just a few minutes off, turn the knob a quarter turn in the direction that you need. Let the clock run for one or two days and check the time. Make sure you reset the correct time when you adjust the pendulum.

The Myth About Over Winding A Mechanical Clock

Very often customers come in and say "I over-wound the clock and it stopped" or "I wound it too tight and it stopped." You can't over wind a mechanical clock. It has a very strong spring and it will stop when it is fully wound.

Clocks run 24 hours a day and seven days a week. It is the hardest working appliance in the house. Like anything mechanical it needs service. You wouldn't run a car 50,000 miles without changing the oil. A clock needs to be serviced every five years; that means, oil all the gears and lubricated the springs. What happens if you don't? The oil and grease in the clock after too many years becomes thick and gummy and this can stop the clock..

The myth: When the oil is gummy and thick in the springs and you wind it fully, the gummy oil or grease acts as a break and won't let the spring unwind and the clock stops. It is not over wound, it is just telling you it needs to be serviced. If a clock was truly over-wound, the spring would break and that would take a lot of strength and do damage to the clock.

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Important Clock Care

Remember, before you move a clock the pendulum and weights need to be removed. Not doing this can damage the clock or get it out of beat which will stop the clock.

Adjusting Knob

Pendulum Clocks Need To Be In beat

Or They Will Stop

The pendulum in a clock must swing evenly to each side. That is when the clock sound is an even Tick Tock and is "In Beat". An out of beat clock will stop. Out of beat is often cause by the clock not being level whether it is on a wall, floor or mantel.

A wall clock can be adjusted by moving the bottom of the clock slightly to the left or to the right. Shelf, mantel and floor clocks can be adjusted by adding a small shim (like a coin) on one side.

Clock Ticking In Beat

Spring

Wound