Setting up a Grandfather Clock

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Please note: The oil from your hands will turn the shiny brass of your clock to a chocolate brown color.  New clocks have a heavy coat of lacquer to protect the brass, but it is best to wear gloves when touching weights and other brass items!

​I.  First, locate and set aside the pendulum, the weights, the door key, and the winding crank (if your clock has cables).

II. Set up the clock case:

• Many grandfather clocks have leveling feet at the bottom.  With someone on hand to help you stabilize the clock, you will need to tilt the case first to one side and then to the other to access the leveling feet.  Screw each leveling foot all the way in, and then screw it out one full turn. 
• Using a level, adjust the clock until it is vertical on the left and right sides and the back leans slightly towards the wall.  Also adjust the feet so that the clock sits solidly on the floor (it doesn’t rock when gently bumped).
• Washington is earthquake country!  Grandfather clocks are top-heavy and likely to tip over.  New clocks should come with a nylon earthquake strap.  Attach the strap to a screw in a stud.  You can also buy earthquake straps at most hardware stores.

III.  A clock that has been moved or shipped will have had its movement secured to avoid damage, and this will now need to be unpacked.  To unpack the movement, first determine which kind of access panels your clock has:

• Left and Right  Most modern grandfather clocks have access panels on the left and right sides, near the top.  To access the movement, first lift up any tabs that may hold the panel in place.   Lift the panel straight up and then, once the panel bottom clears the groove that it sits in, tilt the bottom in toward the center of the clock and gently remove it. 
• Bonnet style  Other modern clocks and many antique clocks have a “bonnet” (the wooden case around the dial) that slides forward and off of the clock.  There may be tabs on the back of the clock that you must lift up before you can slide the bonnet off.
• Rear  Many clocks made from kits have an access panel in the back of the clock.

Once you have accessed the movement, unpack the following:

• Chime rods: Remove any paper or cardboard around the chime rods.
• Chime hammers: Some clocks have levers that can be lowered to hold the chime hammers in place during transport.  Lift these levers out of the way so the hammers can move freely. 
• Pendulum leader (the brass or steel strap that hangs down from the back of the movement):  This may be taped to the seat board (the board the movement sits on).  Gently remove the tape so that the pendulum leader is free.  Later you will hang the pendulum on it.
• Chains or cables:  Most grandfather clocks have chains or cables that the weights hang from.

                  -If your clock has chains, there should be a wire strung through the links of the chain just below the seat board.  Carefully remove this wire.
                   -If your clock has cables and pulleys instead of chains, there are probably Styrofoam blocks holding the pulleys in place.  Don’t try to remove these yet.  After the clock has run for a day, you will be able to easily lift the Styrofoam blocks off of the pulleys.

​IV.  Now that you've leveled the case and unpacked the movement, it is time to hang the pendulum and the weights.  Remember to wear gloves to protect the brass.  Also, if your clock has cables, be careful that the cable doesn’t slip off of the pulley while you are hanging the weights.

• Hang the pendulum on the pendulum leader that you earlier untaped.  Be certain the pendulum is properly seated so it will not fall off and be damaged.
• The weights may all look alike, but are generally different sizes.  Weights are usually hung with the lightest weight on your left and the heaviest weight on your right.  Modern weights are often marked with an L (Left), C (Center), and R (Right).
• At the top of each weight is a hook.  Check that the weight's hook is secure before hanging the weight. To do this, hold the weight in one gloved hand and turn the hook clockwise with the other hand until it is tight.
• Hang each weight carefully from the chain or pulley that it corresponds to.

V. Your clock is now set up and ready to wind and enjoy!