Franz Hermle 350-020

[srb1194]

Greetings all from South Carolina. I'm a newbie here and am a definite novice in clock repair. So I have this movement in a clock my wife bought in the early 80's. The clock hasn't really been wound that many times through the years. I had an inclination to see if I could get it running again. My local repair shop basically wants about the same amount for repair as I could buy a complete assembly. With that being said I can afford to spend a little time attempting to repair this myself.

Here's what I know after watching come videos from this forum. The balance wheel (if correct) will not continue to spin on it's on if started by hand. It feels like that needs lubrication to me. Not all of the chime levers are working correctly and I can tell they are laboring when trying to move. With a little help they all work but the flywheels (?) aren't spinning correctly from a visual inspection. They are definitely binding.

My main question is regarding lubrication. Can I attempt to lubricate shafts and the balance wheel and possibly resolve these issues? I've ordered some synthetic clock oil from Amazon that is coming later this week.

I appreciate any guidance that is offered.

Steve

350-020.pdf

[AndyGSi]

Welcome to the forum.

I expect the clock people are going to want to see photos of the actual movement.

In particular what play is there in the pivots.

[clockboy]

That’s a Hemel floating balance clock. Does it run when wound if not then it needs a service. You could try and lubricate the pinions and see if it runs BUT as I have found there really is not any shortcuts with clocks or watches.

[srb1194]

Thanks for the feedback. The balance wheel is free when removed and spins very well for quite a while. The lever that the balance wheel engages with feels a little loose and not freely moving back and forth. I have oil arriving on Thursday and am hopeful that by lubricating the pinions that things will free up. Is it possible that it's wound too tight on the clock mechanism? I think I see a way to release the spring by leveraging the spring steel lever that engages on the winding cog. Seems logical that I can hold the key in and move this lever to carefully loosen the tension. Thoughts?

 

[HectorLooi]

3 hours ago, srb1194 said:

Seems logical that I can hold the key in and move this lever to carefully loosen the tension. Thoughts?

Many a newbie have tried this and have a black thumbnail to show for it.

There is a proper tool for letting down the mainspring but you can easily make one yourself. 

Cut a 6" piece of 3/4" PVC pipe, cut a slot in one end to slip your winding key in it. You can also use a piece of broomstick too.

I have a Smiths floating balance clock on my bench at the moment. Just spent the whole of last week cleaning and polishing all the pivots and steel arbors. Managed to get the going train running again and synchronized the wheels in the chime and strike trains last night. 

I guess I don't do chiming clocks regularly enough to be proficient at it. Getting the synchronization correct still takes me quite a bit of time. If this is your first clock, you might find it really challenging.

Good luck. 

Edited January 29 by HectorLooi
Added video

[oldhippy]

Floating balance clocks are normally very good time keepers. Unfortunately from that single photo I do not know what any of the train wheels are like I need to see inside the movement and the front plate. The oil sinks are hardly noticeable that is if you can call them oil sinks so be careful with oiling as the oil will run all over the place.   A warning for you do not follow this person from that video he is a bloody menace to the clock repairing world, although this video is harmless enough you certainly will need a let down key.  

[HectorLooi]

22 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

  A warning for you do not follow this person from that video he is a bloody menace to the clock repairing world,

Wholeheartedly agree. 

[clockboy]

As oldhippy has stated don’t follow that vids advice. If the wood splits when unwinding a strong spring it could cause damage to the clock and yourself.

[srb1194]

Thanks for all the tips. So is there a consensus that it could be wound too tightly creating tension on the clock spring movement? I’m not comfortable disassembling the movement and am trying to minimize the risk for failure. As I said in the beginning, the cost for a professional cleaning is almost equal to a new movement. This is my reasoning behind self repair. I’ve really for nothing to loose other than a fingernail which I’ll certainly try to avoid.

[srb1194]

4 hours ago, oldhippy said:

Floating balance clocks are normally very good time keepers. Unfortunately from that single photo I do not know what any of the train wheels are like I need to see inside the movement and the front plate. The oil sinks are hardly noticeable that is if you can call them oil sinks so be careful with oiling as the oil will run all over the place.   A warning for you do not follow this person from that video he is a bloody menace to the clock repairing world, although this video is harmless enough you certainly will need a let down key.  

I’ll try to get some more pictures uploaded later of the movement. Thanks!

[HectorLooi]

There is no such thing as an overwound clock.

The mainspring could be wound fully until it can't be wound anymore, but the movement doesn't get jammed because of "over-tension".

There are many factors that prevent a clock from working. Such as dried up oils, dirt particles in the gears, worn out bushings, bent pivots, damaged wheels, rust, damaged pallet fork, damaged floating balance.

Close up photos of the movement will help us narrow down the problems.

[srb1194]

50 minutes ago, HectorLooi said:

There is no such thing as an overwound clock.

The mainspring could be wound fully until it can't be wound anymore, but the movement doesn't get jammed because of "over-tension".

There are many factors that prevent a clock from working. Such as dried up oils, dirt particles in the gears, worn out bushings, bent pivots, damaged wheels, rust, damaged pallet fork, damaged floating balance.

Close up photos of the movement will help us narrow down the problems.

Thanks for the clarification. I'll get some more photos later today.

[srb1194]

Okay, here are some more pictures. I figured more was better than few. The balance wheel was removed for inspection. The stand that the movement is mounted to is a temporary fixture to check operation. Let me know what else needs to be provided. By the way I did see the corrosion on the one gear and plan to clean that in some manner. As I said before, I have synthetic oil coming tomorrow so I'll b ready for that after I clean it up as needed. Can soapy water be used with a damp cloth?

Thanks again for all the suggestions so far.

Steve