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How to Synchronize Chime Clocks

Chime clocks play songs that are often classical and beautifully composed. The sound a chime clock makes may be melodic with regard to classical music or may mimic the sound that grander clocks make, such as a bell tolling sound like Big Ben in London. Some clocks have more than one type of tune. A single tune can be chosen and set within the clock for a distinct chime. The clock, if in proper working order, can be set to play a distinct chime that can ring on the hour and will fill a residence with the grandest of sounds.

Things You'll Need

Smooth pliers
Clock oil
Glass dome

Instructions

- 1
  Wind your clock daily only if called for. Do not overwind an 8-day clock, which is only wound one time every seven days. Turn the larger minute hand on the dial slowly counterclockwise, and do not pass the 12. Stop moving the dial once the chimes ring, or set it on the 12, and do not wind past the 12 a second time. Make sure the dial lands on the 12 evenly after it chimes once and that the ticking mechanism within the clock is working.
- 2
  Examine the inner mechanisms of the clock to make sure that all the parts are properly connected and running. Adjust the pendulum on the clock. Reattach the pendulum if it is off balance so that it swings correctly. Make sure the clock is on an even surface before doing this so that the pendulum and chimes are set correctly to work in synchronistic order.
- 3
  Set the chime tune within the clock only when the clock is not chiming. Make sure the clock mechanisms do not interfere with the setting of the chime tune. Make sure the pendulum clock is ticking efficiently in order for the chime tune to work.
- 4
  Adjust the hammer within the chime mechanism to make the sound more pleasing to the ears and not overly loud or out of tune. Grasp the shank---which is away from the head of the chime rod---with a small pair of smooth pliers and proceed to bend the shank slowly. Bend the shank to less than 1/2 inch so that the hammer heads clear the chime rods by at least one-sixteenth to one-eighth of an inch while at rest.
- 5
  Make sure the clock is well oiled from the inside and don't overdue the oiling. An antique clock and newer clock with chiming mechanisms should only be oiled once every three years. Keep the back door of the clock closed so that no dust can get inside. If the clock is an open mechanism with chimes, see if it can be encased in a glass dome. Many antique clocks on old wooden bases with open brass mechanisms and chimes are often encased by glass domes. Replace the original glass dome with a new one if it is broken.

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