This video saved my bacon. My first attempt at cuckoo repair went OK, but I had the stop position and star wheel set incorrectly. You showed me exactly how to fix it. Thanks.
Thanks a bunch for this! I’m a rank amateur and recently picked up a Czech cuckoo clock at a yard sale from an older couple. The guy said he hadn’t seen it run in about 50 years. Since it seemed to hold memories for him and fixing time pieces has become a hobby for me, I decided to fix it up for free and bring it back to them. The works were covered in 1/4” of dust and black kitchen grease. My photos from before disassembling were nearly useless because the dust was so thick. So, when the back plate came off, the wheels unexpectedly scattered. When I was reassembling it, your video helped me get the warning pin positioned properly. Now it runs again, and after some case repairs I can take it back to them and see their reaction. Cheers
Thank you so much for this very informative and helpful video. This is the most comprehensive video I have watched and your simple explanations allowed me to repair my clock. It was only calling once no matter what the hour was and after watching this, my $41 clock now works perfectly! What a bargain!!
Thanks for this interesting video. I have been fascinated by cuckoo clocks since I was a little boy and my grandmother had one. I picked up my own in 1988 while on a college band tour in Europe... that clock had many issues and sat in a box on a shelf for decades, but finally had it worked on several times and for now it's working again (it actually just went off as I type this lol). I've learned the hard way that these things are far too finicky for me to work on myself, but I'm fascinated to know how it all works.
Congratulations on getting your clock to work! If you want to watch a few cuckoo clock repairs just for the fun of it, @dperry428 has a lot of videos that show the clock repair from start to finish - I enjoy them a lot. ua-cam.com/users/dperry428videos
This is a fantastic video, thanks so much! Was able to disassemble, clean and reassemble my first cuckoo movement. Pretty simple once someone explains how these work.
This was a great video. I've learned a lot as a beginner. I've been searching for a regula movement video that is in focus and is well explained. It also shows the finesse of tuning one up to be in correct sequence. Thank you!
Great Video! Very informational, helpful, and easy to follow. After finishing up a video on wood plate movement restoration, I sure can appreciate all that's involved. Thanks
This video was very helpful to me in adjusting the strike side of a Schmeckenbecher one day movement similar to the Regula in your video. When first reassembled, the lock was occurring in the wrong place in the gong-high note- low note sequence. I initially thought I could adjust it by popping out the warning wheel and moving it but it kept locking at the wrong place, so I eventually used your technique of popping out the main wheel and moving it to where it needs to be when the strike side locks. It worked! Also helpful is your technique of slowly advancing the strike side with your fingers to see where the gong- high note- low note lever lifts occur. Thank you so much.
What a fascinating and ingenious mechanism these are. I have an old one on the wall that works perfect and my wife just picked up another that needs some attention so looking around for instructions. Thanks for the detailed video and explanations. Cuckoo clocks are awesome
great vids Bradford. i'm trying to bring back a clock (like the one in your video) that fell off the wall about 25 years ago. was put in a box until last week when we decided to fix it. insides look perfect,no dirt or grime. can hear something on the half and hour. runs ok but the bird and chimes don't operate yet. put new bellows on. it looks like the black rod does not retract the bird back in. that and the bellows don't sound yet.
Joe Kehoe in the Coal region PA - you and I need to hang out together I found you video extremely informative as well as easily interpreted thanks very much my new best friend
I am embarking on tuning up my grandparent's Kuner cuckoo clock. It has not been run in years and my granddaughter recently slammed a door and it fell and broke up some. I am pleased to see that most of the mechanisms are working! I was wondering what you recommend using for cleaning the metal mechanisms? I know a good dusting is in order but I am specifically wondering if it is wise to use an oil such as WD40. Many thanks!
1) Stay away from WD40 - it's a penetrating oil rather than a lubricating oil, and will gunk up your clock. 2) Re: cleaning, if you wish to disassemble the movement, I have a post about cleaning procedures: bluepapertech.com/clock-repair/cleaning-a-clock-movement/ If you're not ready to take that step, Just Mike, @justmike57 , has a few posts on the "dunk and swish" method, for example ua-cam.com/video/Ctbd-Vs2lNA/v-deo.html Good luck, and let me know how it goes!
Part II . I am not a member to youtube i`m not sure How to contact to anyone of you show pictures. Yes, I am new to this, but listening Bradford, he confence me to change my roll of signing up. Thank you Bradford, You are the only person who was able to to show almost each gear works and functions. Well done!
Good idea for a video. I do have one cuckoo clock movement that has a slotted wheel chime drum, but it's currently missing a few parts. I'll keep your video idea in mind, thanks!
This video is great, thanks. I have an issue though. The clock chimes correctly except after it strikes the 1 hour, after that it strike 1 hour again next time around, then it seams to recover and strike 2 the next time around. It appears to work correctly until it gets back around to 1 and does it again. GERR
Very good video and massively informative as always. My one day Cuckoo Clock "cuckoos" at two minutes to the hour and two minutes before the half hour. Can this be altered so it strikes "dead on" the hour and half hour?
@@KnowYourselfIsOnlyWay I understand what you're thinking here, but my cuckoo clock is made by Mayak from the time of the Soviet Union, the minute hand is not adjustable on the pivot in the same way as typical German cuckoo clock. The minute hand square hole cannot be rotated separately.
Hi Bradford, great video you have made! I intend to replace the three chains of my 8-day music and movement cuckoo clock (regula 34 if I am not wrong). Each weight is 1260g. Is the a difference for 1 day or 8 days chain? Or I just need to look out for the link per foot? And does 47 or 48 links per foot matter?
You do have to get the right number of links per foot. 47 links per foot vs. 48 links per foot shouldn't matter. As chains get old they tend to stretch a little bit. I haven't yet worked on an 8-day cuckoo, so I can't answer your question about chain length. I have sometimes calculated the required chain length of a cuckoo clock from measuring the gears, but that's a pain and involves a lot of calculation. @dperry428 (ua-cam.com/users/dperry428) has a lot of experience with 8-day cuckoo clocks, and could probably answer your question.
Would like to address to Thank you Bradford for illustrate of simple instructions to fix the smallest issues on Cuckoo clock mechanism. There is a problem I would like to add to this lesson. Do my request from my dearest neighbors asked me to possible fix their 1947 German Cuckoo Clock. I do not know that much about Cuckoo clock, but listening to Bradford video. Understanding this wonderful musical, bird caller clock. My problem is and I do need Help! on this problem. If anyone has a simple solution, please, let me know. Problem stands as follow: The two Bellows and music box does not come on at all. There isnt any shut off or on switch at all, There is a long rod comes down behind Weight on left for Bellow on Right. Bellow on left also does not come on at all. The clock mechanism was removed and a knob on Right that looks and feel stuck. which is attach to the long rod. Cannot able to take the clock apart not knowing that I cannot put back together without some assistance. I need help, Cause my neighbor`s wedding anniversary # 75 is in March and I promised to get this clock fix. Any ideas?
Sorry I missed your message; for some reason every once in a while UA-cam seems to not notify me of a new message. I don't have enough experience to solve this clock's problem, so please try @dperry428 (ua-cam.com/users/dperry428) - he occasionally fixes clocks in exchange for a donation to his favorite charity. Good luck, and again apologies for missing your message.
Hi Bradford, I watch all of your clock repair videos and always learn a lot from them. I have a three train, musical, cuckoo movement. If I sent the movement only to you ,would you consider doing a video of the disassembly , cleaning, no bushings, and re assembly ? Thanks Bob
Thanks for the offer, but I'm still so inexperienced that I don't trust myself with anything but close friends' and family members' clocks. You might try Don Perry (ua-cam.com/users/dperry428videos) on UA-cam, who occasionally fixes clocks for a donation to charity, and has decades of experience. Good luck!
Bradford, I can seee the general logic of what you are doing but really struggling to keep track of exactly what is moving what. Can you clarify how you are able to move the parts for testing using just your finger? Is there still a wheel missing from the movement to allow this to happen? I am trying to do the same thing with a full movement here and it can only be turned so far! You had various wheels removed at the start of the video and I am not sure which ones are now present. Please advise. Regards, Howard
Thanks for the good question - it can seem at first like there are a lot of gears to keep track of. On the strike (cuckoo) side of the movement (the drop lever, the rack and snail). At 1:40 I have not yet put in the levers that control the striking, and I'm just pulling the chain. But I imagine you're asking about about a spot later in the video, where I adjust the end of the striking. At 18:28 all the important parts are in, and I'm pushing the strike great wheel (the gear that runs the cuckoo side of the clock) with my thumb. The key to getting the wheels to turn happens very quickly in the video, and I did a poor job of pointing it out: at 18:32 I press a lever on the side of the movement, that raises the large lever near my right thumb. If your clock doesn't have such a lever, you can just raise the drop lever (the thing that keeps the rack from falling down), which gets the clock ready to strike. After that, I push the strike great wheel with my thumb. When pushing the great wheel, you need to push the direction that will drive the wheels; pushing in the other direction just makes the great wheel ratchet click (like when you're pulling the chains to wind the clock). Good luck, and let me know how it goes!
My clock has a problem that the bird coos too fast as if the weight was way too much. But that is not the case. Is there some way to slow down the cuckoo-ing? I want to hear the bird go cook coo~ cook coo~ and not like ckcuckcu. Absolutely can't count the coos, it happens super fast. Everything else is fine though. I am from a different country and there's no one here who can repair a cuckoo clock. It's been 3 years and every time I hear the clock I go mad cuz it coos so fast, as if the bird was in a hurry.
You might try @dperry428, who has loads of experience with cuckoos and other clocks. As a wild guess, I'd guess that the fan (the last gear in the striking train, which has two little flaps) is missing or missing some part of itself. The fan is designed to use air resistance to slow the striking of the clock. You can see the fan in this video spinning at about 3:05, in the upper-left of the movement. Another possibility is that the fan is slipping too much on its arbor. If that's the problem you may be able to fix it by removing the fan from its arbor and tightening it a little. Don't tighten it too much, because it's designed to slip a little as it starts and stops, to relieve pressure from the strike train. Let me know how this repair works out for you - good luck!
The strike side of some of my clocks are simply frozen. The weight is there but does not go down nor is there any gongs or cuckoo sound. Hopefully this will help to correct that as well.
OUTSTANDING VIDEO! Pls help me (TOTAL ROOKIE! Just retired and doing this for fun only) Cuckoo chimes 14 times every hour. Wasn't always like that; used to work perfectly.
(I assume it's a rack-and-snail clock rather than a count wheel clock) Because the clock cuckoos the same number every hour, I suspect the rack is falling too far. The rack tail should drop onto the snail to keep the rack from falling too far. dperry428 has posted a large number of his clock repair projects. In ua-cam.com/video/v4yreDqcf3E/v-deo.html he explains and shows the rack tail falling onto the snail. There could be lots of reasons the rack tail isn't falling onto the snail (bent or missing rack tail, missing snail, etc.) Please let me know what you find out is wrong with the clock. Thanks and good luck!
Better lucky than good?!?! I watched and paid attention, esp. to the "could be improperly oiled". Figured that's best place to start, so super-cleaned and tested and WORKS NOW! Apparently this was incorrectly oiled (there was an oil film I could see)? I learned a LOT from your video even tho didn't get to put much into action. I may EBAY myself a cuckoo someone else is having problems with and see if I can apply your knowledge to getting myself a deal! THANK YOU VERY MUCH SIR! :0)
Thanks for the request; I'm happy to see you are using these videos. I see I don't have a video of how to reassemble a rack-and-snail cuckoo; I'll add that to my list. UA-cam @dperry428 has several excellent videos showing reassembly of various cuckoos. If you mean the "Silent" lever, that keeps the clock from cuckoo-ing in the night, so far I've only worked on one clock that had one of those, and no longer have that clock. That Silent lever was a pain, because it kept unscrewing itself - so I wouldn't look to me as an authority on how to get that right.
I sympathize: You will be happy to know that I have a new camera, which doesn't beep. I have no idea why, but my old (old) Canon point-and-shoot camera always wound up with this maddening beeping in the edited video. Not a problem with my new (phone) camera.
hola; soy un afiionado,y tengo un problema con la sincronizacion de la caja musica: uns veces funciona, otras no se para y me tine loco el reloj es Regula 25 vintage si me puede ayudar le quedaria muy agradecido saludos cordiales
My post "Cleaning and Adjusting a Cuckoo Clock’s Musical Movement" might help. bluepapertech.com/clock-repair/cleaning-and-adjusting-a-cuckoo-clocks-musical-movement/
It sounds like the strike mechanism doesn't "lock" at what should be the end of striking. I've seen this happen for a few reasons, even in the few clocks I've worked on. One reason could be that the clock movement is dirty, making the Drop Lever (the lever whose tip falls into the sawtooth Rack) not fall into place. I've seen some clocks with a Helper Spring that puts pressure on that lever, to help it drop into place - sometimes that spring has become weak and needs to be replaced or tightened. If you've taken the movement completely apart and reassembled it, it's likely the Gathering Pallet (the little wheel with a pin that raises the Rack by one tooth each rotation) is out of sync with the lock pin (which I also call the Warning Pin) - I talk about that at length starting at 9:22, talking about too many cuckoos at about 11:01, and I talk about positioning the lock/warning pin vs. the gathering pallet at 12:32. Another thing I've seen is the lock lever (the lever that hits the lock pin to stop the striking) is sometimes bent out of position so that when the drop lever drops into the end of the rack (which should stop the striking) the end of the lock lever misses the lock pin, and the strike train just keeps on striking. So, some things to look for when it keeps going cuckoo: Does the drop lever drop into the end of rack when the rack is raised enough? If it doesn't, the drop lever is likely dirty or - if it has a helper spring - the helper spring is weak. If the drop lever does drop into place, take a look at what happens with the lock pin - the warning pin - at the moment the drop lever drops into place. Does the lock lever raise out of the way when the warning pin goes past it, or does it stay in place, but doesn't catch the locking pin? If it raises out of the way of the lock/warning pin, you need to separate the plates a little and reposition the warning wheel relative to the gathering pallet - I talk about how to do that at about 12:52. If on the other hand, the lock lever stays in place and the warning pin goes past it, you may need to GENTLY bend the locking lever in or out, up or down to align it with the locking pin. Another thing to look for - that I don't talk about in this video - is to check the warning wheel and see that the warning pin hasn't broken off! I describe replacing a bent and loose warning pin at needhamia.com/replacing-a-loose-warning-pin/ - that blog is about a different style of clock, but the warning pin concept and how to replace it is similar. NOTE: replacing a warning pin takes a bit of metalworking skill and a few tools. There are plenty of more complex things that can go wrong; this is just a short list of the things I've seen so far. Some more complex things: is the gathering pallet pin (or even the whole gathering pallet) missing? Is the gathering pallet in the wrong position on its arbor (its post) relative to the bigger pin on the wheel underneath it (it's hard to describe, and I haven't seen it happen so far)? Is the rack 'stop' - the lever that falls onto the snail - is that stop lever out of alignment so that the rack never raises high enough to stop the striking (that problem sounds exotic/rare to me)? Is the rack bent outward, or the gathering pallet pin bent, so that the gathering pallet doesn't raise the rack one tooth per turn? Good luck, and let me know how it goes.
Hello, good video. I’ve just gotten into these clocks and bought an old Hubert herr movement. I put it in clock cleaning solution and oiled with clock oil. Did not disassemble. My issue is now the strike can count to 8 for example but seven next hour. Any information on the potential problem. I’m driving my wife nuts testing it! Thanks
I'd look at how freely the rack moves (the lever with the sawtooth eedge). It should drop and raise easily, without being gummy. It could be various dirty parts, which is why I disassemble and clean all the movement's parts before trying to figure out a difficult clock - I know that's a lot of work. Good luck with whatever path you choose, and thanks for the feedback.
Bradford Needham thanks for reply. I found the problem few days ago. The tab was not falling on the centre of the snail. More towards the front. I took the e clip off the first cog moves the snail back a bit and it’s good now. Thanks
Bradford, my cuckoo movement will gong on the hour, but it won't on the half hour. I see the warning wheel advance just before it's supposed to gong, but it won't gong. It seems like something's out of sync. Help!
I'm sorry to say I'm stumped. If it goes into warning on the half hour a lot of things are going right. I'd recommend taking a second look at whether the hammer is moving, and if it is whether it's too far from the gong. @dperry428 (ua-cam.com/users/dperry428about) has a huge amount of experience with Cuckoo clocks, and may be able to help.
@@BradfordNeedham thanks for getting back to me. I looked at it more carefully and it seems as though the arm with the teeth that is supposed to engage a single click or tooth, on the half hour is not coming up high enough. I took a look at the 2 tooth gear that looks like a spiral Galaxy located on the minute hand shaft and one arm is a little longer than the other. I'm assuming that the longer one triggers the arm with the teeth to drop all the way down to on the hour and the shorter one to gong on the half hour. It's just not lifting it high enough for it to begin the process.
@@joetherock Good diagnosis! Yes, the shorter arm of the spiral galaxy is supposed to raise the level high enough to drop the rack (the arm with the teeth) just one tooth, while the longer arm of the galaxy (cam) is supposed to drop the rack to the right number of hours. Note: the problem might be a dirty rack rather than the lever being in the wrong position, and a disassembly and cleaning might fix the problem. Don't go bending stuff until you know the problem isn't just dirt or oil gumming up the levers. Good luck, and let me know how it goes for you.
If you're asking about the levers that operate the bellows (coo-coo) and gong, the longer tab/arm lifts the lever at the right time; the shorter tab/arm keeps the lever from falling out of the movement. I too find all the little levers and tabs fascinating. @dperry428 (ua-cam.com/users/dperry428videos) often explains the working of all the cuckoo levers and cams while he's repairing one. You can look through the index comments to find what you're looking for. Good luck with your cool obsession!
I'm working on a hunter style clock and have an issue where the chain is jumping occasionally on the cuckoo side. The bird 🐦 door gets stuck on ocassion also. The chain looks ok. Have you come across a similar situation?
I've read about chain-jumping being caused by a chain that is either the wrong size (Links per Foot, or LPF) or has stretched over the years. Try comparing the links per foot of the cuckoo chain to the links per foot of the time chain. I don't have experience with a bird door being stuck. Good luck and let me know what you find out.
Great Videos. My Cuckoo clock does not strike on the hour. Instead, it strikes at 20 minutes or so after the hour. It used to strike at 10 minutes after the hour, but it has stretched to 20 minutes. How to I adjust the hands so that it strikes on the hour?
I can imagine a few causes, the most likely being that the minute hand has slipped. The cuckoo minute hands I've seen have either a round hole to slip onto a round minute barrel, or a square hole to fit a bushing into. If your minute hand has a round hole that fits on the minute barrel, you may need to simply tighten the hand nut that holds the hands onto the clock; for how to fix the problem, see "Troubleshooting clock hands" (ua-cam.com/video/haCnqlR7R-A/v-deo.html) by a Black Forest clockmaker, and my own "Problems adjusting the cuckoo clock minute hand" (needhamia.com/problems-adjusting-the-cuckoo-clock-minute-hand/). If your minute hand has a square bushing inside it, you may need to use pliers and possibly glue to reposition the bushing inside the minute hand so that the hand lines up with 12 o'clock when the clock strikes. Good luck, and let me know how it turns out.
Do you have a video that shows what to do if the weight is pulled all the way up on the left but it won't tick tock or stay running? I noticed on my cuckoo clock.the left weight is pulled completely up to the hole in the bottom of the wood and it does not seem to move down at all.
My bet is that he clock is dirty enough that the rack (the sawtooth lever on the front of the clock movement) is gummy., preventing the rack from falling on the half hour. Another possibility is that the snail or rack is a little out of adjustment. A full disassembly and cleaning, and perhaps a little bit of adjustment, should help. Good luck, and let me know how it goes.
I have an Anton Schneider 8 day, no music cuckoo clock. I bought it new a few months ago. At 2, 3, 4, &5:00, the clock cuckoos one short of the time, ie: 3 cuckoos at 4:00, etc... After 5:00, it cuckoos correctly until it reaches 2:00 again. I watched your video and am thinking it's a snail/rack issue. I like to be able to discuss this with you. Is that possible? Thanks in advance.
I don't consult on clock repairs, but you might get in touch with @dperry428 (www.youtube.com/@dperry428). He has a lot more experience, and works on other people's clocks (I don't yet).
I just bought a cuendet swiss musical movement cuckoo clock-6732-36 in an auction. This a Edelweis Lara's Theme from Dr. Zhivago...It was mentioned as never been tried but when I put things up it does not work. The pendulum does not work.. Please advice
Often the first thing a clock needs is a good disassembly and cleaning. See ua-cam.com/video/mX0gLUM-uNw/v-deo.html for a good example of cleaning a really dirty cuckoo clock.
Hi sir i have this same model of cucko clock all so work but cucko is not stopping every hour is not not stopping non stop coming & back running not stop the cucko what I'm do tel me pls
The cuckoo not stopping makes me think of two likely causes: 1) dirty or sticky levers - to fix this problem, disassemble and clean the clock, or 2) the gathering pallet wheel and warning wheel are out of sync - to fix this problem, review from 11:00 in the video. Good luck with your clock.
I have a regula cuckoo clock and i have a problem is that the clock stops at 2 or 3 minutes before 12 and i move the minute clock hand and it offers some resistance to pass the 12 do you know what problem probarly it has? thanks the clock was oiled 2 years ago
I've read on the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors forums that this is one sign of a dirty clock. Normally a few minutes before the hour the clock "goes into warning" - that is, it turns some gears in preparation for striking. In a dirty clock, the extra pressure required to move those gears is too much for the clock. As is often the case, a full disassembly and cleaning should improve matters. Good luck, and post here what you find. Thanks.
I've never done that, but it sounds possible to replace the movement in a cuckoo clock. The weights would probably have to be changed to be the right ones for an 8 day movement. If you try it, please let me know how it goes - good luck!
I'm trying to figure out why on my movement the weight for the cuckoo side cuckoos all the way to the floor, but only at 11 o'clock. Everything else works fine until it hits 11. Is this an issue with the rack, snail, gathering pin, or something else? Again, all works well until it hits 11 o'clock Any ideas where to look? Thanks.
If you can, I'd suggest taking the movement out of the case so you can see what happens at the front of the movement at 11:00. It could be the usual things (see my reply to Michael Miller) or it could be that the rack is bent and jams at 11:00. You should be able to see what's going wrong by watching the rack and gathering pin behavior at 11:00 vs. earlier hours. Good luck, and let me know how it goes.
@@BradfordNeedham The rack was somewhat bent and for some reason, the gathering pin was missing the notch, causing the 11 o'clock count to not shut off All is fine now after straightening the rack. Thanks for your earlier advice.
This is by far the best CC movement repair video I have seen and learned how to fix my CC movements because of this. Thank you very much!!!! May I ask where you got the tool you used to put the gears back in place when you were adjusting the warning wheel??
Thank you for your kind comment! I'm glad you enjoyed this video. The tool is called a Pivot Locator. I bought my 8-inch long Pivot Locator from Timesavers: timesavers.com/i-8948894-8-pivot-locator.html Another handy tool for Regula brand cuckoo movements is the Knipex 22 02 140 Round Nose Pliers. They're perfect for removing those odd little Regula clips. See them in action at ua-cam.com/video/GfUAY6v1Im0/v-deo.html (I bought mine from Amazon).
@@BradfordNeedham Thank you very much. I am currently trying to repair a regula movement I have; the time gear seems to be bad, it won't hold the chain it just falls down when wound. Do you know where I can get what I have been told is a CG25t gear? Can you recommend a place to get replacement parts? thank you
I have a new problem, my cuckoo has 2 doors and when the bird is singing at the same time the musical box from the other door starts to play how can i do to make that when the bird finish later the music box plays
I don't have a whole lot of experience with musical cuckoo clocks, but I have written a blog explaining what I learned about how the music is triggered. See needhamia.com/cleaning-and-adjusting-a-cuckoo-clocks-musical-movement/ The section titled "How the music connects to the rest of the clock" describes the levers that run the music. From your description it sounds like what I call the music warning lever is out of position and doesn't stop the music from playing. I remember that when I worked on the clock I described, I found it a little tricky to bend the music warning lever into a position where it would just barely stop the music box fan (governor) when in place, but would move well out of the way of the fan when the bird finished cuckoo'ing.
Me too! At first I thought cuckoo clocks were complicated and touchy, but the more I work on cuckoos, the more I like them: they're designed to be rugged and keep running even when they're very dirty; they don't speed up and slow down between windings like a spring wound clock sometimes does; repairing them doesn't require an expensive spring winder... and I get a kick out of the little bird popping out.
I would really appreciate if you would please help me fix my cuckoo clock. I'm on a small soc. sec. income.. but I would do what I can if you could kindly help me... Someone worked on my clock.. but it isn't working properly now. [lesson learned].. Thank you.
I'm sorry I'm not yet experienced enough to work on others' clocks. @dperry428 is highly skilled, and works on clocks in exchange for a donation to your favorite cause. I hope you manage to get your clock working - good luck.
@@tranquan912 The tool is a "Pivot Locator". Timesavers sells it. See timesavers.com/i-8948894-8-pivot-locator.html Any clock repair store should sell something like the one I used. Good luck!
My guess would be that the rack (the saw-shaped part) is dirty or gummy, or the clock is out of adjustment. A lot of problems can be fixed by disassembling the movement and cleaning all the parts, but I know that's a lot of work.
I always get weirdly disappointed by Cuckoos. I really do love the look and the function of them but build quality of the movements always leaves something to be desired. Maybe I've become a clock snob but I really want a Cuckoo with a high quality and beautiful movement.
I think of a cuckoo movement as the heavy-duty tank of clocks. Unlike most other clocks, a cuckoo is constantly exposed to the air, and all the junk that's in the air. It's a wonder that the clock keeps working with a serious amount of dust, oil, and animal hair in its works.
This video saved my bacon. My first attempt at cuckoo repair went OK, but I had the stop position and star wheel set incorrectly. You showed me exactly how to fix it. Thanks.
Thanks a bunch for this! I’m a rank amateur and recently picked up a Czech cuckoo clock at a yard sale from an older couple. The guy said he hadn’t seen it run in about 50 years. Since it seemed to hold memories for him and fixing time pieces has become a hobby for me, I decided to fix it up for free and bring it back to them. The works were covered in 1/4” of dust and black kitchen grease. My photos from before disassembling were nearly useless because the dust was so thick. So, when the back plate came off, the wheels unexpectedly scattered. When I was reassembling it, your video helped me get the warning pin positioned properly. Now it runs again, and after some case repairs I can take it back to them and see their reaction. Cheers
What an inspiring story! Thank you and congratulations.
Thank you so much for this very informative and helpful video. This is the most comprehensive video I have watched and your simple explanations allowed me to repair my clock. It was only calling once no matter what the hour was and after watching this, my $41 clock now works perfectly! What a bargain!!
Thank you for the kind note. I'm glad it worked out for you - congratulations!
Thanks for this interesting video. I have been fascinated by cuckoo clocks since I was a little boy and my grandmother had one. I picked up my own in 1988 while on a college band tour in Europe... that clock had many issues and sat in a box on a shelf for decades, but finally had it worked on several times and for now it's working again (it actually just went off as I type this lol).
I've learned the hard way that these things are far too finicky for me to work on myself, but I'm fascinated to know how it all works.
Congratulations on getting your clock to work! If you want to watch a few cuckoo clock repairs just for the fun of it, @dperry428 has a lot of videos that show the clock repair from start to finish - I enjoy them a lot. ua-cam.com/users/dperry428videos
This is a fantastic video, thanks so much! Was able to disassemble, clean and reassemble my first cuckoo movement. Pretty simple once someone explains how these work.
Congratulations on your successful venture into clock repair! I'm glad my video helped.
This was a great video. I've learned a lot as a beginner. I've been searching for a regula movement video that is in focus and is well explained. It also shows the finesse of tuning one up to be in correct sequence. Thank you!
Great Video! Very informational, helpful, and easy to follow. After finishing up a video on wood plate movement restoration, I sure can appreciate all that's involved. Thanks
Wow! Congratulations on the wooden plate movement restoration; I'm just starting to learn the woodworking necessary for clock repair.
This video was very helpful to me in adjusting the strike side of a Schmeckenbecher one day movement similar to the Regula in your video. When first reassembled, the lock was occurring in the wrong place in the gong-high note- low note sequence. I initially thought I could adjust it by popping out the warning wheel and moving it but it kept locking at the wrong place, so I eventually used your technique of popping out the main wheel and moving it to where it needs to be when the strike side locks. It worked! Also helpful is your technique of slowly advancing the strike side with your fingers to see where the gong- high note- low note lever lifts occur. Thank you so much.
I'm so happy you were able to get your clock going - Congratulations on your hard work!
Thank you, this is a fabulous video. Exemplary explanation and articulate presentation.
What a fascinating and ingenious mechanism these are. I have an old one on the wall that works perfect and my wife just picked up another that needs some attention so looking around for instructions. Thanks for the detailed video and explanations. Cuckoo clocks are awesome
Thanks for the kind note. As far as instructional sources, I find watching @dperry428 UA-cam videos very helpful (ua-cam.com/users/dperry428videos).
Well, I learned a lot more that I ever expected to. Thanks a million,
Fantastic n simply First Class video showing how to adjust from start to finish.
great vids Bradford. i'm trying to bring back a clock (like the one in your video) that fell off the wall about 25 years ago. was put in a box until last week when we decided to fix it. insides look perfect,no dirt or grime. can hear something on the half and hour. runs ok but the bird and chimes don't operate yet. put new bellows on. it looks like the black rod does not retract the bird back in. that and the bellows don't sound yet.
Great video. Thanks for taking the time to show and explain the adjustment. Very helpful and thanks for sharing your skills.
Joe Kehoe in the Coal region PA - you and I need to hang out together I found you video extremely informative as well as easily interpreted thanks very much my new best friend
I am embarking on tuning up my grandparent's Kuner cuckoo clock. It has not been run in years and my granddaughter recently slammed a door and it fell and broke up some. I am pleased to see that most of the mechanisms are working! I was wondering what you recommend using for cleaning the metal mechanisms? I know a good dusting is in order but I am specifically wondering if it is wise to use an oil such as WD40. Many thanks!
1) Stay away from WD40 - it's a penetrating oil rather than a lubricating oil, and will gunk up your clock. 2) Re: cleaning, if you wish to disassemble the movement, I have a post about cleaning procedures: bluepapertech.com/clock-repair/cleaning-a-clock-movement/ If you're not ready to take that step, Just Mike, @justmike57 , has a few posts on the "dunk and swish" method, for example ua-cam.com/video/Ctbd-Vs2lNA/v-deo.html Good luck, and let me know how it goes!
@@BradfordNeedham Thanks SO much for your advice!
Part II . I am not a member to youtube i`m not sure How to contact to anyone of you show pictures. Yes, I am new to this, but listening Bradford, he confence me to change my roll of signing up. Thank you Bradford, You are the only person who was able to to show almost each gear works and functions. Well done!
Thank you, and enjoy UA-cam!
Great video extremely helpful thank you
Could you do a video on the adjustment of the lock lever when the cuckoo isn't stiking on the half hour?
This was so cool. Enjoyed every bit.
Well explained. Thank you. Many things to keep track of!
Very good video, I'm currently trying to get a USSR cukoo clock working correctly but struggling with the bellows operation
Can you show similar adjustments with a Cuckoo Clock using a slotted wheel chime drum instead of snail and rack please?
Good idea for a video. I do have one cuckoo clock movement that has a slotted wheel chime drum, but it's currently missing a few parts. I'll keep your video idea in mind, thanks!
Thanks for the upload, l seem to have an issue with the melody chime not coming in after the cuckoo. Cuckoo works good on 1/2 hour and every hour.
Thanks for this! Got my cuckoo working perfectly now!
Thanks! I'm so happy this video helped, and that you have a working cuckoo clock.
This video is great, thanks.
I have an issue though. The clock chimes correctly except after it strikes the 1 hour, after that it strike 1 hour again next time around, then it seams to recover and strike 2 the next time around. It appears to work correctly until it gets back around to 1 and does it again. GERR
Did you manage to repair it? what was? Mine is exactly the same as his. Can you please help me?
I think I got it, but I'm not sure I'll watch the video again, thank you.
Very good video and massively informative as always.
My one day Cuckoo Clock "cuckoos" at two minutes to the hour and two minutes before the half hour.
Can this be altered so it strikes "dead on" the hour and half hour?
When cuckoo, stop the clock and move the minute hand to the 30 or 60 minute.
@@KnowYourselfIsOnlyWay I understand what you're thinking here, but my cuckoo clock is made by Mayak from the time of the Soviet Union, the minute hand is not adjustable on the pivot in the same way as typical German cuckoo clock. The minute hand square hole cannot be rotated separately.
Hi Bradford, great video you have made! I intend to replace the three chains of my 8-day music and movement cuckoo clock (regula 34 if I am not wrong). Each weight is 1260g. Is the a difference for 1 day or 8 days chain? Or I just need to look out for the link per foot? And does 47 or 48 links per foot matter?
You do have to get the right number of links per foot. 47 links per foot vs. 48 links per foot shouldn't matter. As chains get old they tend to stretch a little bit.
I haven't yet worked on an 8-day cuckoo, so I can't answer your question about chain length. I have sometimes calculated the required chain length of a cuckoo clock from measuring the gears, but that's a pain and involves a lot of calculation. @dperry428 (ua-cam.com/users/dperry428) has a lot of experience with 8-day cuckoo clocks, and could probably answer your question.
Would like to address to Thank you Bradford for illustrate of simple instructions to fix the smallest issues on Cuckoo clock mechanism. There is a problem I would like to add to this lesson. Do my request from my dearest neighbors asked me to possible fix their 1947 German Cuckoo Clock. I do not know that much about Cuckoo clock, but listening to Bradford video. Understanding this wonderful musical, bird caller clock. My problem is and I do need Help! on this problem. If anyone has a simple solution, please, let me know. Problem stands as follow: The two Bellows and music box does not come on at all. There isnt any shut off or on switch at all, There is a long rod comes down behind Weight on left for Bellow on Right. Bellow on left also does not come on at all. The clock mechanism was removed and a knob on Right that looks and feel stuck. which is attach to the long rod. Cannot able to take the clock apart not knowing that I cannot put back together without some assistance. I need help, Cause my neighbor`s wedding anniversary # 75 is in March and I promised to get this clock fix. Any ideas?
Sorry I missed your message; for some reason every once in a while UA-cam seems to not notify me of a new message. I don't have enough experience to solve this clock's problem, so please try @dperry428 (ua-cam.com/users/dperry428) - he occasionally fixes clocks in exchange for a donation to his favorite charity. Good luck, and again apologies for missing your message.
Hi Bradford, I watch all of your clock repair videos and always learn a lot from them.
I have a three train, musical, cuckoo movement. If I sent the movement only to you ,would you consider doing a video of the disassembly ,
cleaning, no bushings, and re assembly ? Thanks Bob
Thanks for the offer, but I'm still so inexperienced that I don't trust myself with anything but close friends' and family members' clocks. You might try Don Perry (ua-cam.com/users/dperry428videos) on UA-cam, who occasionally fixes clocks for a donation to charity, and has decades of experience. Good luck!
Bradford,
I can seee the general logic of what you are doing but really struggling to keep track of exactly what is moving what.
Can you clarify how you are able to move the parts for testing using just your finger? Is there still a wheel missing from the movement to allow this to happen?
I am trying to do the same thing with a full movement here and it can only be turned so far!
You had various wheels removed at the start of the video and I am not sure which ones are now present. Please advise. Regards, Howard
Thanks for the good question - it can seem at first like there are a lot of gears to keep track of. On the strike (cuckoo) side of the movement (the drop lever, the rack and snail). At 1:40 I have not yet put in the levers that control the striking, and I'm just pulling the chain. But I imagine you're asking about about a spot later in the video, where I adjust the end of the striking. At 18:28 all the important parts are in, and I'm pushing the strike great wheel (the gear that runs the cuckoo side of the clock) with my thumb. The key to getting the wheels to turn happens very quickly in the video, and I did a poor job of pointing it out: at 18:32 I press a lever on the side of the movement, that raises the large lever near my right thumb. If your clock doesn't have such a lever, you can just raise the drop lever (the thing that keeps the rack from falling down), which gets the clock ready to strike. After that, I push the strike great wheel with my thumb. When pushing the great wheel, you need to push the direction that will drive the wheels; pushing in the other direction just makes the great wheel ratchet click (like when you're pulling the chains to wind the clock).
Good luck, and let me know how it goes!
My clock has a problem that the bird coos too fast as if the weight was way too much. But that is not the case. Is there some way to slow down the cuckoo-ing? I want to hear the bird go cook coo~ cook coo~ and not like ckcuckcu. Absolutely can't count the coos, it happens super fast. Everything else is fine though.
I am from a different country and there's no one here who can repair a cuckoo clock. It's been 3 years and every time I hear the clock I go mad cuz it coos so fast, as if the bird was in a hurry.
You might try @dperry428, who has loads of experience with cuckoos and other clocks. As a wild guess, I'd guess that the fan (the last gear in the striking train, which has two little flaps) is missing or missing some part of itself. The fan is designed to use air resistance to slow the striking of the clock. You can see the fan in this video spinning at about 3:05, in the upper-left of the movement. Another possibility is that the fan is slipping too much on its arbor. If that's the problem you may be able to fix it by removing the fan from its arbor and tightening it a little. Don't tighten it too much, because it's designed to slip a little as it starts and stops, to relieve pressure from the strike train. Let me know how this repair works out for you - good luck!
I hang some weight (1 or 2 (18650)battery) on the other side of strike weight, to slow down the star wheel.
The strike side of some of my clocks are simply frozen. The weight is there but does not go down nor is there any gongs or cuckoo sound. Hopefully this will help to correct that as well.
OUTSTANDING VIDEO! Pls help me (TOTAL ROOKIE! Just retired and doing this for fun only) Cuckoo chimes 14 times every hour. Wasn't always like that; used to work perfectly.
(I assume it's a rack-and-snail clock rather than a count wheel clock) Because the clock cuckoos the same number every hour, I suspect the rack is falling too far. The rack tail should drop onto the snail to keep the rack from falling too far. dperry428 has posted a large number of his clock repair projects. In ua-cam.com/video/v4yreDqcf3E/v-deo.html he explains and shows the rack tail falling onto the snail. There could be lots of reasons the rack tail isn't falling onto the snail (bent or missing rack tail, missing snail, etc.) Please let me know what you find out is wrong with the clock. Thanks and good luck!
@@BradfordNeedham Thank you sir! I'll check out his video and see what I can do...will let you know!
Better lucky than good?!?! I watched and paid attention, esp. to the "could be improperly oiled". Figured that's best place to start, so super-cleaned and tested and WORKS NOW! Apparently this was incorrectly oiled (there was an oil film I could see)? I learned a LOT from your video even tho didn't get to put much into action. I may EBAY myself a cuckoo someone else is having problems with and see if I can apply your knowledge to getting myself a deal! THANK YOU VERY MUCH SIR! :0)
@@hogansgoat15 Hurrah! I'm surprised at how often complex-seeming clock problems are just the result of a dirty clock. Congratulations!
Can you please make a short video detailing how to reinstall the shut off lever?
Thank you!
Thanks for the request; I'm happy to see you are using these videos. I see I don't have a video of how to reassemble a rack-and-snail cuckoo; I'll add that to my list. UA-cam @dperry428 has several excellent videos showing reassembly of various cuckoos. If you mean the "Silent" lever, that keeps the clock from cuckoo-ing in the night, so far I've only worked on one clock that had one of those, and no longer have that clock. That Silent lever was a pain, because it kept unscrewing itself - so I wouldn't look to me as an authority on how to get that right.
Thanks for the information... I have to say the constant beeping in the audio drove me to captions.
I sympathize: You will be happy to know that I have a new camera, which doesn't beep. I have no idea why, but my old (old) Canon point-and-shoot camera always wound up with this maddening beeping in the edited video. Not a problem with my new (phone) camera.
hola; soy un afiionado,y tengo un problema con la sincronizacion de la caja musica: uns veces funciona, otras no se para y me tine loco
el reloj es Regula 25 vintage
si me puede ayudar le quedaria muy agradecido
saludos cordiales
My post "Cleaning and Adjusting a Cuckoo Clock’s Musical Movement" might help. bluepapertech.com/clock-repair/cleaning-and-adjusting-a-cuckoo-clocks-musical-movement/
So what do I look for when it keeps going cuckooing/gonging?
It sounds like the strike mechanism doesn't "lock" at what should be the end of striking. I've seen this happen for a few reasons, even in the few clocks I've worked on. One reason could be that the clock movement is dirty, making the Drop Lever (the lever whose tip falls into the sawtooth Rack) not fall into place. I've seen some clocks with a Helper Spring that puts pressure on that lever, to help it drop into place - sometimes that spring has become weak and needs to be replaced or tightened. If you've taken the movement completely apart and reassembled it, it's likely the Gathering Pallet (the little wheel with a pin that raises the Rack by one tooth each rotation) is out of sync with the lock pin (which I also call the Warning Pin) - I talk about that at length starting at 9:22, talking about too many cuckoos at about 11:01, and I talk about positioning the lock/warning pin vs. the gathering pallet at 12:32. Another thing I've seen is the lock lever (the lever that hits the lock pin to stop the striking) is sometimes bent out of position so that when the drop lever drops into the end of the rack (which should stop the striking) the end of the lock lever misses the lock pin, and the strike train just keeps on striking.
So, some things to look for when it keeps going cuckoo: Does the drop lever drop into the end of rack when the rack is raised enough? If it doesn't, the drop lever is likely dirty or - if it has a helper spring - the helper spring is weak. If the drop lever does drop into place, take a look at what happens with the lock pin - the warning pin - at the moment the drop lever drops into place. Does the lock lever raise out of the way when the warning pin goes past it, or does it stay in place, but doesn't catch the locking pin? If it raises out of the way of the lock/warning pin, you need to separate the plates a little and reposition the warning wheel relative to the gathering pallet - I talk about how to do that at about 12:52. If on the other hand, the lock lever stays in place and the warning pin goes past it, you may need to GENTLY bend the locking lever in or out, up or down to align it with the locking pin. Another thing to look for - that I don't talk about in this video - is to check the warning wheel and see that the warning pin hasn't broken off! I describe replacing a bent and loose warning pin at needhamia.com/replacing-a-loose-warning-pin/ - that blog is about a different style of clock, but the warning pin concept and how to replace it is similar. NOTE: replacing a warning pin takes a bit of metalworking skill and a few tools.
There are plenty of more complex things that can go wrong; this is just a short list of the things I've seen so far. Some more complex things: is the gathering pallet pin (or even the whole gathering pallet) missing? Is the gathering pallet in the wrong position on its arbor (its post) relative to the bigger pin on the wheel underneath it (it's hard to describe, and I haven't seen it happen so far)? Is the rack 'stop' - the lever that falls onto the snail - is that stop lever out of alignment so that the rack never raises high enough to stop the striking (that problem sounds exotic/rare to me)? Is the rack bent outward, or the gathering pallet pin bent, so that the gathering pallet doesn't raise the rack one tooth per turn?
Good luck, and let me know how it goes.
Hello, good video.
I’ve just gotten into these clocks and bought an old Hubert herr movement.
I put it in clock cleaning solution and oiled with clock oil. Did not disassemble.
My issue is now the strike can count to 8 for example but seven next hour.
Any information on the potential problem.
I’m driving my wife nuts testing it!
Thanks
I'd look at how freely the rack moves (the lever with the sawtooth eedge). It should drop and raise easily, without being gummy. It could be various dirty parts, which is why I disassemble and clean all the movement's parts before trying to figure out a difficult clock - I know that's a lot of work. Good luck with whatever path you choose, and thanks for the feedback.
Bradford Needham thanks for reply. I found the problem few days ago. The tab was not falling on the centre of the snail. More towards the front. I took the e clip off the first cog moves the snail back a bit and it’s good now.
Thanks
Bradford, my cuckoo movement will gong on the hour, but it won't on the half hour. I see the warning wheel advance just before it's supposed to gong, but it won't gong. It seems like something's out of sync. Help!
I'm sorry to say I'm stumped. If it goes into warning on the half hour a lot of things are going right. I'd recommend taking a second look at whether the hammer is moving, and if it is whether it's too far from the gong. @dperry428 (ua-cam.com/users/dperry428about) has a huge amount of experience with Cuckoo clocks, and may be able to help.
@@BradfordNeedham thanks for getting back to me. I looked at it more carefully and it seems as though the arm with the teeth that is supposed to engage a single click or tooth, on the half hour is not coming up high enough. I took a look at the 2 tooth gear that looks like a spiral Galaxy located on the minute hand shaft and one arm is a little longer than the other. I'm assuming that the longer one triggers the arm with the teeth to drop all the way down to on the hour and the shorter one to gong on the half hour. It's just not lifting it high enough for it to begin the process.
@@joetherock Good diagnosis! Yes, the shorter arm of the spiral galaxy is supposed to raise the level high enough to drop the rack (the arm with the teeth) just one tooth, while the longer arm of the galaxy (cam) is supposed to drop the rack to the right number of hours. Note: the problem might be a dirty rack rather than the lever being in the wrong position, and a disassembly and cleaning might fix the problem. Don't go bending stuff until you know the problem isn't just dirt or oil gumming up the levers. Good luck, and let me know how it goes for you.
There are two tabs on each lever. What is function / work of small tab? Please answer my question. I am obsessed with cuckoo clocks.
If you're asking about the levers that operate the bellows (coo-coo) and gong, the longer tab/arm lifts the lever at the right time; the shorter tab/arm keeps the lever from falling out of the movement. I too find all the little levers and tabs fascinating. @dperry428 (ua-cam.com/users/dperry428videos) often explains the working of all the cuckoo levers and cams while he's repairing one. You can look through the index comments to find what you're looking for. Good luck with your cool obsession!
I'm working on a hunter style clock and have an issue where the chain is jumping occasionally on the cuckoo side. The bird 🐦 door gets stuck on ocassion also. The chain looks ok. Have you come across a similar situation?
I've read about chain-jumping being caused by a chain that is either the wrong size (Links per Foot, or LPF) or has stretched over the years. Try comparing the links per foot of the cuckoo chain to the links per foot of the time chain. I don't have experience with a bird door being stuck. Good luck and let me know what you find out.
Great Videos. My Cuckoo clock does not strike on the hour. Instead, it strikes at 20 minutes or so after the hour. It used to strike at 10 minutes after the hour, but it has stretched to 20 minutes. How to I adjust the hands so that it strikes on the hour?
I can imagine a few causes, the most likely being that the minute hand has slipped. The cuckoo minute hands I've seen have either a round hole to slip onto a round minute barrel, or a square hole to fit a bushing into.
If your minute hand has a round hole that fits on the minute barrel, you may need to simply tighten the hand nut that holds the hands onto the clock; for how to fix the problem, see "Troubleshooting clock hands" (ua-cam.com/video/haCnqlR7R-A/v-deo.html) by a Black Forest clockmaker, and my own "Problems adjusting the cuckoo clock minute hand" (needhamia.com/problems-adjusting-the-cuckoo-clock-minute-hand/).
If your minute hand has a square bushing inside it, you may need to use pliers and possibly glue to reposition the bushing inside the minute hand so that the hand lines up with 12 o'clock when the clock strikes.
Good luck, and let me know how it turns out.
Do you have a video that shows what to do if the weight is pulled all the way up on the left but it won't tick tock or stay running? I noticed on my cuckoo clock.the left weight is pulled completely up to the hole in the bottom of the wood and it does not seem to move down at all.
How old is the oldest movement
I'm not sure, but I know that the one that works in Salisbury Cathedral, Wiltshire, England is very old.
is it possible to get the gong to strike first on a cuckoo that has the gong arm on the bottom
I'm not sure how you'd do that. I don't think swapping the levers around would work.
Hi the clock I have used to strike on the hour and half hour but now it’s stopped striking on the half hour. Any reason for this ?
My bet is that he clock is dirty enough that the rack (the sawtooth lever on the front of the clock movement) is gummy., preventing the rack from falling on the half hour. Another possibility is that the snail or rack is a little out of adjustment. A full disassembly and cleaning, and perhaps a little bit of adjustment, should help.
Good luck, and let me know how it goes.
I have an Anton Schneider 8 day, no music cuckoo clock. I bought it new a few months ago. At 2, 3, 4, &5:00, the clock cuckoos one short of the time, ie: 3 cuckoos at 4:00, etc... After 5:00, it cuckoos correctly until it reaches 2:00 again. I watched your video and am thinking it's a snail/rack issue. I like to be able to discuss this with you. Is that possible? Thanks in advance.
I don't consult on clock repairs, but you might get in touch with @dperry428 (www.youtube.com/@dperry428). He has a lot more experience, and works on other people's clocks (I don't yet).
Great video verry helpful lots info.thanks
I just bought a cuendet swiss musical movement cuckoo clock-6732-36 in an auction. This a Edelweis Lara's Theme from Dr. Zhivago...It was mentioned as never been tried but when I put things up it does not work. The pendulum does not work.. Please advice
Often the first thing a clock needs is a good disassembly and cleaning. See ua-cam.com/video/mX0gLUM-uNw/v-deo.html for a good example of cleaning a really dirty cuckoo clock.
The gears are satisfying to hear. whizzzzzz
Hi sir i have this same model of cucko clock all so work but cucko is not stopping every hour is not not stopping non stop coming & back running not stop the cucko what I'm do tel me pls
The cuckoo not stopping makes me think of two likely causes: 1) dirty or sticky levers - to fix this problem, disassemble and clean the clock, or 2) the gathering pallet wheel and warning wheel are out of sync - to fix this problem, review from 11:00 in the video. Good luck with your clock.
I have a regula cuckoo clock and i have a problem is that the clock stops at 2 or 3 minutes before 12 and i move the minute clock hand and it offers some resistance to pass the 12 do you know what problem probarly it has? thanks the clock was oiled 2 years ago
I've read on the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors forums that this is one sign of a dirty clock. Normally a few minutes before the hour the clock "goes into warning" - that is, it turns some gears in preparation for striking. In a dirty clock, the extra pressure required to move those gears is too much for the clock. As is often the case, a full disassembly and cleaning should improve matters. Good luck, and post here what you find. Thanks.
So, can you replace a 25 to a 34 8 day movement?
I've never done that, but it sounds possible to replace the movement in a cuckoo clock. The weights would probably have to be changed to be the right ones for an 8 day movement. If you try it, please let me know how it goes - good luck!
I'm trying to figure out why on my movement the weight for the cuckoo side cuckoos all the way to the floor, but only at 11 o'clock. Everything else works fine until it hits 11. Is this an issue with the rack, snail, gathering pin, or something else? Again, all works well until it hits 11 o'clock
Any ideas where to look? Thanks.
If you can, I'd suggest taking the movement out of the case so you can see what happens at the front of the movement at 11:00. It could be the usual things (see my reply to Michael Miller) or it could be that the rack is bent and jams at 11:00. You should be able to see what's going wrong by watching the rack and gathering pin behavior at 11:00 vs. earlier hours.
Good luck, and let me know how it goes.
@@BradfordNeedham Will do. Thanks for the assistance.
@@BradfordNeedham The rack was somewhat bent and for some reason, the gathering pin was missing the notch, causing the 11 o'clock count to not shut off
All is fine now after straightening the rack.
Thanks for your earlier advice.
@@kenz5469 Glad this story has a happy ending - congratulations!
This is by far the best CC movement repair video I have seen and learned how to fix my CC movements because of this. Thank you very much!!!! May I ask where you got the tool you used to put the gears back in place when you were adjusting the warning wheel??
Thank you for your kind comment! I'm glad you enjoyed this video. The tool is called a Pivot Locator. I bought my 8-inch long Pivot Locator from Timesavers: timesavers.com/i-8948894-8-pivot-locator.html Another handy tool for Regula brand cuckoo movements is the Knipex 22 02 140 Round Nose Pliers. They're perfect for removing those odd little Regula clips. See them in action at ua-cam.com/video/GfUAY6v1Im0/v-deo.html (I bought mine from Amazon).
@@BradfordNeedham Thank you very much. I am currently trying to repair a regula movement I have; the time gear seems to be bad, it won't hold the chain it just falls down when wound. Do you know where I can get what I have been told is a CG25t gear? Can you recommend a place to get replacement parts? thank you
Thx for sharing
very good ,thank you
I have a new problem, my cuckoo has 2 doors and when the bird is singing at the same time the musical box from the other door starts to play how can i do to make that when the bird finish later the music box plays
I don't have a whole lot of experience with musical cuckoo clocks, but I have written a blog explaining what I learned about how the music is triggered. See needhamia.com/cleaning-and-adjusting-a-cuckoo-clocks-musical-movement/ The section titled "How the music connects to the rest of the clock" describes the levers that run the music. From your description it sounds like what I call the music warning lever is out of position and doesn't stop the music from playing. I remember that when I worked on the clock I described, I found it a little tricky to bend the music warning lever into a position where it would just barely stop the music box fan (governor) when in place, but would move well out of the way of the fan when the bird finished cuckoo'ing.
I like cuckoo clock movements.
Me too! At first I thought cuckoo clocks were complicated and touchy, but the more I work on cuckoos, the more I like them: they're designed to be rugged and keep running even when they're very dirty; they don't speed up and slow down between windings like a spring wound clock sometimes does; repairing them doesn't require an expensive spring winder... and I get a kick out of the little bird popping out.
@@BradfordNeedham I like weight clocks better.
Plus, I designed a movement on a simulator software.
that piece of metal was slighty touching the plate, so was a extra effort it had to do
I would really appreciate if you would please help me fix my cuckoo clock. I'm on a small soc. sec. income.. but I would do what I can if you could kindly help me... Someone worked on my clock.. but it isn't working properly now. [lesson learned].. Thank you.
I'm sorry I'm not yet experienced enough to work on others' clocks. @dperry428 is highly skilled, and works on clocks in exchange for a donation to your favorite cause. I hope you manage to get your clock working - good luck.
@@BradfordNeedham Thank you for your kind reply.. I've just now left a comment/inquiry for dperry428..
Hello,I want buy tool repair,can you help me
I recommend Timesavers (timesavers.com/). What tools do you want to buy?
because I see video you 15:25 minutes,I don’t know the name tool you do that,can you help the name tool, thank you so much
@@tranquan912 The tool is a "Pivot Locator". Timesavers sells it. See timesavers.com/i-8948894-8-pivot-locator.html Any clock repair store should sell something like the one I used. Good luck!
Thank you so much
Our clock only cuckoos once.no matter.what time it is.
My guess would be that the rack (the saw-shaped part) is dirty or gummy, or the clock is out of adjustment. A lot of problems can be fixed by disassembling the movement and cleaning all the parts, but I know that's a lot of work.
Only in Britain.
𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒔 𝒔𝒊𝒓 👍
I always get weirdly disappointed by Cuckoos. I really do love the look and the function of them but build quality of the movements always leaves something to be desired. Maybe I've become a clock snob but I really want a Cuckoo with a high quality and beautiful movement.
I think of a cuckoo movement as the heavy-duty tank of clocks. Unlike most other clocks, a cuckoo is constantly exposed to the air, and all the junk that's in the air. It's a wonder that the clock keeps working with a serious amount of dust, oil, and animal hair in its works.