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Instructions for Three-Weight Jones Black Forest Cuckoo Clocks

Three-weight black forest cuckoo clocks are not at all mechanically based, like some of their more modern counterparts. The first weight of a black forest clock typically controls the movement of the time arrows. The second weight usually controls the movements of the cuckoo bird and the sound that it makes. The third weight controls the music played when the cuckoo bird comes out of the clock. Installing your three-weight black forest cuckoo clock properly ensures that it functions at a high level.

Things You'll Need

Pendulum
Pine cone weights
Phillips-head screwdriver
Flat surface
Hammer
Nails

Instructions

- 1
  Remove your clock from its packaging. Place it face down so the back side faces upwards on a flat surface, such as a table. Place the separate pendulum and two pine cone weights away from the clock on the flat surface.
- 2
  Push up the clamp holding the back panel down. Unscrew the back panel with the Phillips-head screwdriver. Place the back panel and its screw aside.
- 3
  Remove the paper under the chime spring by hand and set it aside. Remove the wire clips holding down your clock's bellows by hand.
- 4
  Replace the back panel. Move the clamp back down to lock the back panel in place.
- 5
  Hammer a nail into the wall where you will be placing your clock. Mount its back side evenly to the nail. Ensure it is not tipped to one side, as its pendulum will not work if it is.
- 6
  Unwrap the chains from the paper bag below your clock by hand. Remove the paper and wire holding the chains and place them on the flat surface. Unfurl the chains so they hang freely below your clock.
- 7
  Push the bolts holding down the cuckoo bird door to the side to open it.
- 8
  Place your clock's first weight, the pendulum, on its triangular wire loop located in the bottom center of your clock. Place your clock's second and third weights, the pine cone weights, on their wire hooks to the left and right of the pendulum.
- 9
  Move the longer minute hand on your clock's face to set the time in hours and minutes. For example, if the time is 4:25 p.m., move the minute hand all the way around the clock four times for the four hours, and leave the minute hand at the "5" numeral to finish setting the time. Do not adjust the time with the smaller hour hand.
- 10
  Start up your clock by carefully pushing the pendulum to either the left or right. Look at your clock in three hours to check if it has fully rewound itself. Look for the pine cone weights to be right below the clock bottom and the chain rings to be far below the weights if it has rewound itself. Rewind it manually by pulling the rings downwards until the weights sit directly underneath the bottom of the clock.

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