Sligh Simon Willard Grandfather Clock Manual
Posted on April 11, 2013 | By Customers
Sligh Aaron Willard Grandfather Clock – Simon Willard Grandfather Clock Setup
By Robert C.Pearson /
Setting Up Your Clock
1. Unpack – Remove all packing materials carefully
2. Position and Level Grandfather Clock
Position your clock in its final location, avoiding direct sunlight, heating/air conditioning vents, heavy traffic and play areas.
Your clock must rest in a level and stable position. Turn the leveling glides at the base of the clock to raise or lower each corner of the clock. Check your adjustments using a level and listen for an even beat (tick- tick).
3. Access Clock Mechanism (look at the illustration below)
There are two beige swing tabs on the back on the clock on each side. These lock the hood of the clock and prevent it from siding forward. Move them as to unlock the hood. From the front, place a hand on each side of the hood and carefully slide the hood forward toward you. When the back of the hood touches the moon dial, lift the entire hood upward and again toward you to clear the moon dial. Set the hood aside in a safe place.
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6. Hang Pendulum
NOTE: Use gloves or clean, soft cloth when handling brass fixtures to avoid tarnishing.
Carefully hook the pendulum onto the pendulum hanger as diagrammed (Fig. 8). NOTE: Take care not to twist the hanger, which may cause the delicate suspension spring to break.
7. Hang Weights
Make sure weight hooks are screwed tightly to the top of each weight prior to hanging. With foam blocks still in place, attach weights to pulleys, or in some clocks, chains. Weights are labeled on the bottom L (Left) R (Right) and C (Center). Place weights onto the left, right and center chains/pulleys as you face the clock front (Fig. 9). NOTE: Let clock run 24 hours and lift foam blocks from
between cables (Fig. 10).
8. Start Clock
Once the Grandfather clock is level and weights are hung, draw pendulum over to one side of the case and release it As pendulum slows down to its normal swing, the movement will automatically adjust to the proper beat. The sound should be an even tempo: Tick-Tick- Tick-Tick. If the sound is uneven, the beat is out of adjustment. Stop pendulum and restart the swing. If the beat is improved, but not yet even, repeat the process but pull the pendulum to the other side of the case. The movement will go out of beat if the clock is not level.
9. Set Time
DO NOT move the clock hands while chimes are playing. Turn the chimes off before setting the time when you need to move the hands more than an hour. To set your Grandfather clock, move the minute hand counter clockwise, the chimes should not play. If for some reason the chimes should begin to play when setting the clock, pause until they complete themselves before continuing. Wait until chimes stop, and turn the minute hand counter clockwise to the desired time . DO NOT move the hour hand, it will automatically adjust as the minute hand is turned. NOTE: If hour hand does not coincide with chime, see Troubleshooting.
**After moving the minute hand backwards to set the time, it may take an hour for the chimes to re-sync. It will happen, but the chimes may play at the incorrect intervals during the first hour after the change.
You may move the minute hand forward (clockwise) a quarter hour at a time allowing the chime to complete after hearing each click prior to the chime playing. After the chime has played, you may now progress to the next quarter hour.
10. Select Chimes
DO NOT adjust chime selectors while chimes are playing. Your Willard Grandfather clock is equipped with a chime selector and silence lever at the 3:00 position of the clock.
It is best that you move this lever when the minute hand is pointing away from a quarter hour. ie: 5 – 10 minutes after, 20 – 25 minutes after any hour
Slide the lever up or down or turn the dial to the desired position. These positions will not correspond exactly with the markings on the clock. Your clock is also equipped with a selector lever at the 9:00 position. This lever controls the automatic night silencer, which silences the chimes and strike during the nighttime hours.
11. To Silence Chimes
Place the lever on the right hand side to silent and do the same with the lever on the left side.
12. Adjust Chime Hammers
The tone of your chime is affected by the hammer positions. The hammers are set at this time, however, it is possible that they can go out of adjustment. If the hammers do not strike the rods correctly, bend the hammer shafts slightly. The hammer heads, while at rest, should be approximately 1/8″ from the rods. If it is too close, the note will sound twice or sound dull. If too far away, the note will be soft or fail to sound at all.
13.Set Moon Dial
CAUTION: If the moon does not move easily, it is probably in the process of advancing. Wait a few hours, or set the clock several hours ahead or back, and then try again. Use a calendar to look up the date of the last full moon. Count the number of days, including today, since the last full moon. Apply slight pressure to the face of the moon dial with your hand and rotate clockwise until the moon is directly below the #15. Turn the moon dial clockwise one “click” for everyday since the last full moon. The moon dial is now set and will continue to operate unless the clock stops. The moon dial may be reset when the clock is started.
14. Set 31 day Calendar Dial
Your Willard clock has a calendar dial. Insert a pointed object into one of the setting holes, located above each date, and turn dial. You may also open the front lower door and move the dial from below. The calendar can be set to coincide with the current date, but will need to be advanced at the end of any months having less than 31 days.
15. Wind Clock
Crank Key Wind
Your Grandfather clock should be wound once a week or before weights have finished descending. If you turn the chimes to silent, the outer weights will not descend. To wind the Grandfather clock, insert the winding crank into each of the holes in the dial. Turn the crank in a clockwise direction. The Grandfather clock is equipped with an automatic limit device, which prevents weights from being raised too far. When winding, take extra care to prevent cables from crossing. If weights reach the bottom of the clock, make sure they are not tipped forward or backwards when you begin winding the clock. Wind slowly, do not allow the weights to sway.
DO NOT hold the weights as you wind, use only the crank.
DO NOT wind the clock without the weights on the pulleys.
NOTE: IF YOU TURN THE CHIMES TO SILENT – on clocks with three weights the
outer weights will not descend, and on clocks with two weights the weight to your left, as you face the Grandfather clock, will not descend.
16. Adjust/Regulate Clock
To adjust the timekeeping on your Grandfather clock, turn the regulating nut under the pendulum bob up to speed the swing of the pendulum, turn down to slow the pendulum. Hold pendulum with a soft cloth with one hand while adjusting the regulating nut with the other. DO NOT allow pendulum to twist. This may damage the suspension spring. One complete turn of the regulating nut will affect approximately one half minute in 24 hours. Seasonal temperature changes may require adjustments to the regulating nut. Reset Grandfather clock hands after adjustment.
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