HELP!! KERN 400 Day Clock

[Veritas]

Bill not trying to scare you off, but many who repair clocks don,t repair these.They don,t have the patience or the understanding to do it.
But if you wish to learn in the future we are here to help you along.

[Burkhard Rasch]

Hi billfree,You have a verry nice Kern Picolo with Graham dead beat escapement well worth getting it running.As others have stated these clocks are quiet simple(just 4 wheels and pinions and a straight foreward escapement),but can be nasty sometimes because the faults that make them stop are not easily revealed.The Kern firm is the only remaining of a number of allmost twenty that still produces anniversaries on demand.Google for "Kern Jahresuhren" and see what Your clock would cost today.The matching suspension spring can be ordered either from Mr.Kern or from an american supplier listed above.If You intend to clean and oil Your clock Yourself,You should also order a copy of Charles Terwilliger`s 400 Day Clock Repair Guide,the "bible" for these and a verry good bock to understand how a mechanical clock works.I´m sure that You-like me-as a motorcyclist have the necessary technical understanding and mechanical skills alltough dimensions are a bit smaller.Wellcome to the board!
Burkhard

[billfree]

Originally Posted by Veritas

Bill not trying to scare you off, but many who repair clocks don,t repair these.They don,t have the patience or the understanding to do it.
But if you wish to learn in the future we are here to help you along.

Thanks Kevin.
-> posts merged by system <-

Originally Posted by Burkhard Rasch

Hi billfree,You have a verry nice Kern Picolo with Graham dead beat escapement. Google for "Kern Jahresuhren" and see what Your clock would cost today.The matching suspension spring can be ordered either from Mr.Kern or from an american supplier listed above.If You intend to clean and oil Your clock Yourself,You should also order a copy of Charles Terwilliger`s 400 Day Clock Repair Guide,the "bible" for these and a verry good bock to understand how a mechanical clock works.I´m sure that You-like me-as a motorcyclist have the necessary technical understanding and mechanical skills alltough dimensions are a bit smaller.Wellcome to the board!
Burkhard

Thanks for the info.

[Scottie-TX]

BILLF, I certainly don't wanna discourage you - proceed as far as you can - to success, hopefully - but for me this wouldn't be a first clock to repair.
First one I ever tried was a miserable failure. Without this board and braintrust for help, intuitively I decided that beat would be relative to equal amplitudes from center. How wrong intuition can be as now I know half cycles will always be equal, either side of center. I thought, "overswing" was a golfing term!

[billfree]

Originally Posted by Scottie-TX

BILLF, I certainly don't wanna discourage you - proceed as far as you can - to success, hopefully - but for me this wouldn't be a first clock to repair.
First one I ever tried was a miserable failure. Without this board and braintrust for help, intuitively I decided that beat would be relative to equal amplitudes from center. How wrong intuition can be as now I know half cycles will always be equal, either side of center. I thought, "overswing" was a golfing term!

After reading all the posts I think I will just be happy to look at it. I locked the pendulum(??) in place with the screw on the bottom.

Thanks Scottie for the info.

[whatgoesaround]

I wouldn't get too discouraged. When it is a newer model and in as good a condition as this one appears to be, I would bet that it only needs a new suspension spring and to be put in beat. There are plenty of posts on how to set the beat and it is not exceptionally difficult. Don't rob yourself of the joy and pride of getting one of these going. Of course, that is how the sickness starts, though, and soon you will be accumulating these 400 day clocks and reading this forum all the time.

[Scottie-TX]

AB SO LUTELY, Billf!
I'd give 'er a go. BILL, I'm not even a fan of these, but recently bought one for the SOLE purpose of understanding them. Ten bucks for a lesson. Not bad. I learned a LOT! . . . . and had fun to boot.