# Help me with my wife’s Grandfather clock **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 11, 2022, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-wife-s-grandfather-clock/962653 "2022-04-11T08:43:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-wife-s-grandfather-clock/962653/1 "2022-04-11T08:43:03Z")
My wife has owned a seven-foot grandfather clock ever since I’ve known her (since 1991), and it has remained unused in a corner for at least ten years. This past weekend, we placed it back into service (her nephew did, while I was at work). The clock was wound, the weights raised, the hands and moon-phase dial set, and the pendulum set in motion. It looks and sounds great! But the chime is three hours behind the movement. That is, at midnight tonight, after playing the Westminster chime tune, it chimed NINE times instead of twelve. I stayed up an extra hour to confirm this, and sure enough, at 1:00 am it struck TEN. Does anyone know of an easy and straightforward fix for this? TIA. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-wife-s-grandfather-clock/962653/2 "2022-04-11T08:57:20Z")
Simple fix. Be very,very gentle. Clock hands are fragile. Wrist watches have similar problems. The calendar dial changes at midnight. Sometimes the hands had slipped and the hour hand would be wrong. A watch repair shop has a tool to remove the hands and press back on. So they align with the calendar. My seconds hand came off and disappered inside the watch. The repair shop fixed it while I waited. > **[Grandfather Clock Chimes the Wrong Hour - The Clock Depot](https://clocks-blog.theclockdepot.com/grandfather-clock-chimes-the-wrong-hour/)** > > If your grandfather clock chimes the wrong hour, this will be a quick fix to set it correctly and your clock will be in perfect hour sync. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-wife-s-grandfather-clock/962653/3 "2022-04-11T12:26:02Z")
If it were my clock, and it hadn’t been used in decades, I’d find a qualified and well-reputed clock maker to give it a thorough cleaning and regulation. It might cost some money (I’m guessing a couple hundred, at least), but if it’s a good clock, it would be worth it to know it had been properly maintained. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-wife-s-grandfather-clock/962653/4 "2022-04-11T13:23:02Z")
My father oiled our old clocks. A mantel clock and a old pendulum wall clock. It’s a special clock oil. Available on Amazon. Horace Whitlock’s Clock Oil Kit, comes with directions. It would be great to get an old clock cleaned & serviced. Finding anyone local would be a challenge. You’d have to check on a clock forum for references. There was a time that people came to homes and serviced the clocks. It was a lucrative trade that ended a century ago. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-wife-s-grandfather-clock/962653/5 "2022-04-11T14:07:23Z")
My Dad had a mantle clock. One morning around 2:00, it rang 47 o’clock. 🎵 You wanted to put it at the top of the staircase But I said you couldn’t, 'cause it might run down. Where, oh where are you tonight Why did you leave me here all alone I searched the world over and I thought I’d found true love You met another and \>Pfft!\< you was gone. 🎶 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-wife-s-grandfather-clock/962653/6 "2022-04-11T16:54:45Z")
From one of my favorite filkers, Frank Hayes singing “Grandfather Clock”: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/G3l0job0ebI/maxresdefault.jpg "Frank Hayes - Grandfather Clock [HQ]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3l0job0ebI) ---
**Author:** ![Mikkel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikkel/32/13151_2.png) [@Mikkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikkel)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-wife-s-grandfather-clock/962653/7 "2022-04-11T17:02:38Z")
The clock my parents had, had a piece of metal hanging down in the side where the “bell” was. When you pulled it, the next hour would ring. If your wife’s clock have a similar feature, you just pull it three times and the hour chime will be synchronized again. Otherwise remove the weight for the chimes and move the hands nine hours forward. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-wife-s-grandfather-clock/962653/8 "2022-04-11T22:51:51Z")
There was this show on Netflix last year called **The Repair Shop** where the “cast” repaired stuff like clocks, paintings, ceramics, furniture, you name it. It’s British, it’s fascinating and if there is a second season, I’ll have to re-new my Netflix subscription. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-wife-s-grandfather-clock/962653/9 "2022-04-11T23:27:23Z")
Googling, The Repair Shop is currently airing its ninth series/season in UK, and according to Justwatch, five series/seasons are available on Discovery Plus. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-wife-s-grandfather-clock/962653/10 "2022-04-11T23:35:25Z")
I suppose it would be best if I give y’all an update now. I followed the link given by **aceplace57** in his response, and used the technique that was provided there. Result: the clock is running perfectly now. Many thanks to all, and carry on with whatever conversations you want to have about this topic. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-wife-s-grandfather-clock/962653/11 "2022-04-11T23:43:49Z")
My two clocks with manual chimes always take a few days to “catch up” after a time change. Might be the same if you’ve just started it again after a long time. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-wife-s-grandfather-clock/962653/12 "2022-04-11T23:54:04Z")
Excellent! Thanks for the tip. ---
**Author:** ![Kzbre5m](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@Kzbre5m](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kzbre5m)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-wife-s-grandfather-clock/962653/13 "2022-04-12T14:08:59Z")
I came to follow this as I have a mantle clock that I wind too tight. Then I saw this: > [@aceplace57](#): > > There was a time that people came to homes and serviced the clocks. It was a lucrative trade that ended a century ago. Alfred Hitchcock was in the musician’s apartment to wind a clock in _The Rear Window_.