how to adjust seth thomas mantle clock

and only after twoo days of monitoring, its only losing 1 min. Any advice would be gratefully received. My clock is running fast/slow. It is running about 3 hours slow. (think of a circle centered at the pendulum suspension post). Glass is missing." . Yet, when I turn the nob on the backside to turn the minute hand forward, the chimes ring out but the clock refuses to work. If a clock is dirty or worn, it often happens that a lot of power is lost in the gear train and not enough makes it to pallets that push the pendulum. 5 Count the number of strikes. It has "active" half-hour striking,. Author. So, a well-maintained Thomas clock will yield the highest profit! 1) Unpack the clock Take clock and key carefully out of carton. Does it strike and chime as it is supposed to when you wind it as we explained earlier? Check to see if there is a threaded rod projecting from the pendulum or if there is a pendulum nut in the bottom of the case.If this is the case, your clock needs some professional help. Can you tell me what I have? If you are interested in selling your clock, you need to consider the following: We have previously described the different methods you can use to determine your clocks date. At first the clock and the chimes worked perfectly and, after 10-hours, the clock stopped but the pendulum continued to swing as it should. According to Cottone Auctions, the most valuable Seth Thomas clock sold for $20,160, at a 2021 auction. Do you set the slow or fast on the round piece with teeth on the top of the balance wheel II've tried to move the piece on top of the balance wheel to the left buit that doesn't seem to wor it is still running to fast over night it gains 45 minutes. Sorry for the late reply. There is no lever as described above but I do have two nuts labelled s and f either side of the balance wheel. Mike, Hi, Mike. In that case you can order a key yourself. 2 years ago. Then I fit the bushing onto the tang and turn the hand until it is adjusted properly. would towards the A, in my case to slow the clock mean, turning Clockwise or Anti Clockwise? Hello, Love your website. I have an old french mantel clock with a tiny shaft at the top of the dial but cannot The rack also has a projection called a tail. Fortunately, this should be a rather easy process, as many Seth Thomas clocks happen to feature date stamps on the bottom of the clock. I even removed the pendulum to try to put the adjustment nut back but still could not do it. In order to find one, you'd probably want to look online at different professionals to learn about their services and experience so you can find one that is able to fix your clock. Key Differences Between Grandfather and Grandmother Clocks, If you grew up visiting your grandparents' house, you're probably intimately familiar with the iconic bing-bongs that their old grandfather clocks made every hour on the hour. . Did you ever figure it out? JavaScript is disabled. I am passionate about restoring and repairing antique clocks. The letter represents the month with "A" standing for January and "L" standing for December. I am unsure how to set the time. Chime clocks are famous for the resonant melodies that play every 15 minutes. Time takes its toll on all of us in winter. Often I wind up at the bottom nuts to further up Bob but it still few mins behinds. Now that you have hopefully found a label, and have a good reason to believe you own a Seth Thomas clock, the next step would be to check its construction, which can help you narrow down its age, as well as further confirm it is a real Thomas clock. The average price of an Antique Seth Thomas Mantle clock is about $100. You'll also see stamped metal labels on some clocks, as well as engraved pendulums featuring the Seth Thomas name. She has also managed an online antiques community. Pendulum is too short: It is entirely possible that you have the wrong pendulum.. Pendulums are easily switched when someone has several clocks in storage. If the answer is yes, then your clock is likely going to be worth more. $4.99 USD . These clocks keep time by counting the number of swings of the pendulum. If, however, it doesnt quite function as well as it used to anymore, there is still something you can do about it! It can also happen if one or more escape wheel teeth are bent or broken. You'll also see stamped metal labels on some clocks, as well as engraved pendulums featuring the Seth Thomas name. Vintage Seth Thomas Chime Wood Mantle Clock 1298-001 With Key and paperwork, WORKS. My clock has two issues: It runs slow and it displays improperly. (It says "Montgomery ward" on the clock face). However, Hammond stayed with the manually started clocks and advertised the advantages: In an age of very frequent power outages, a self starting clock would stop when the power went off and then restart when the power came back on sometime later. Moreover, it still had the original metal dials, directions, label, and even the engraved pendulum mentioned above. Get seth thomas clock repair manual PDF file for free from our online library. Alternatively, take a closer look at the clock face as well. In fact there is no name brand either. Adjustment nut on the pendulum, if your clock has a small nut on the bottom or another place on of the pendulum, then use this method. Hamilton was a major American producer of high end watches. If you want to hear all these sounds, simply wind the holes until the key will not wind any further. Clocks are designed to run and keep time with the pendulum having room for adjustment. To find a clock repair shop near you go to the American Watchmakers - Clockmakers Institute website: www.awci.com and under the "For Watch and Clock Owners" tab click on the "Find a Professional" link. TOP OF LINE.. Case Size: 12" H x W 7.5" x 5.1" Depth. much since it will drip in the case. Re your paragraph on clocks with balance wheels - do you move the lever towards plus if the clock is running slow or vice-versa? Setup Balance Wheel Mantel Clock: This type of clock usually starts by itself upon winding. Has it been cracked, crazed, or just poorly restored and damaged in the process? All rights reserved. If you can set the number of beats per minute, and if you know how many beats per minute your clock does, you are set. They may also have a few numbers on it such as 89 or 124. Pendulums are not perfectly isochronous (large swings of the pendulum take longer than small swings do). Turn the nut to the left to lengthen the pendulum and to the right to shorten it. I'm thinking about looking for a grandfather clock supplier soon because I'd like to make my home look a bit more rustic. var year = today.getFullYear() I put a small file upside down in a vise so the tang is pointing up. Good luck! .tick . 2 Check your clock against accurate timepiece or computer Seth Thomas Collectible Desk, Mantel & Shelf Clocks 1920-1949, Seth Thomas Collectible Vintage Alarm Clocks & Clock Radios 1920-1949 Time Period Manufactured, I just had it serviced, but I had to go all the way to El Paso Texas to do the service because there are no clock repair shops in Las Cruces NM and I'm about 40 miles West of Las Cruses. Finally, to highlight some mantel clocks, the two most valuable clocks are both Pillar & Scroll mahogany case clocks that sold for $4,600 and $3,000 respectively. I'm now out of adjustment and out of ideas! Assuming you have an old one, the adjustment is by a 3-pronged 'spider' which sits on top of the balance wheel (the one that moves back and forth as the clock ticks). As is the case with most antiques; the better its condition, the more valuable it tends to be considered. Hi, I have just bought a 200+ yr old French clock that runs fast. If the first explanation is true, then your clock is running properly; if the second explanation is true, you probably need to take you clock in to be serviced. Trouble shooting is always a challenge. How to synchronize the striking on a Seth Thomas tambour mantel clock from the 1920's. This clock strikes the hour and half-hour on a cathedral gong. I've tried setting it to the extreme + and - and it still runs fast. Simply put, the earliest clocks tend to be more valuable, compared to the ones made later on. I guess I need to know more. Show more Show more 2:20 Seth Thomas Antique Westminster. Thank you. If you cannot adjust the timekeeping of the clock slow enough, that likely means that the clock needs some TLC. For reference, he died in 1859, so it would be ideal if your clock were older than that. Thus as the movement becomes worn, the push the gear train gives to the pendulum is decreased, but the drag on the pendulum during locking is also decreased, so the arc of the pendulum can actually increase and the clock can slow down. Additionally, the movement will say made in USA. This clock is over 50 years old. Any advice or instruction on how to put this adjustment nut back? One turn of the nut will regulate time keeping approximately two minutes a day. If you didn't know the power had gone out, you wouldn't know that your clock was inaccurate! There are several ways clocks can count the hours, but a common strike system is called the rack and snail. How can I get it to run correctly? The long answer explains why. Many antique Seth Thomas clocks also feature date stamps on the bottom of the clock. I found an anniversary clock in a thrift store that needed a new suspension spring. We hope this article helped you better understand the history, value, and method of identifying and dating your clock. As you might expect, the history of the Seth Thomas Clock Company starts with Seth Thomas himself. Using a bit of guesswork on the length and location of the fork I got it running again. More specifically, its ticks at about 105 instead of 120. Both of them were in mostly original condition, presenting impressive nostalgic elements. 4 Advance the big hand to the 12 o'clock position and stop. To reiterate, the most straightforward one would be the date stamp. I'd rather not make that long trip again just to it adjusted. In fact, the name Seth Thomas was so important that a section of Plymouth Hollow, Connecticut, was turned into a different town named after him: Thomaston, CT. After a troubled history, of merging with, and being acquired by different companies (General Time, Colibri Group, etc. Most likely, you will find a full paper label (or remains of a label). What else can I do? Can you help me and if so please advise your cost for this service. My recently purchased grandfather clock is delaying even after I did rotate the pendulum nut to the maximum. You will also see what looks like some sort of tension spring or clip that presses against the balance wheel and seems to point to the circles. I've adjusted the pendulum bob down to its lowest setting which has helped but not cured the problem entirely. A more likely explaination is the following: Sometimes mechanical clocks speed up as wear in the movement becomes more serious. I ordered a pack of 3 and the lower block. Refer to the View A and View B in the illustration above and follow the steps below to put the clock in beat.