Repair of an 8 day Hubert Herr Cuckoo Clock for Francis

[@BradfordNeedham]

An index for this video. I apologize if the timings are a little off: the audio seemed about 5 seconds behind the video. That may just be my connection. 0:00 - 1:15 Opening the case, checking for labels and overt damage. 1:15 - 5:58 Removing hands, opening the door wire, unhooking the ends of the chains, removing bellows, removing the movement, removing the bird. 5:58 - 7:22 Removing the jammed chains from the movement. 7:22 - 10:08 Looking for wear; finding the movement is gummed up with oil. 10:08 - 10:49 Removing the suspension leader; deciding to first clean the movement before disassembly. 10:49 - 19:04 Showing the parts of a Rack and Snail strike, and what can go wrong with it. 19:04 - 32:18 Disassembly. 32:18 - 32:35 The cleaned parts, with their pivots polished. 32:35 - 33:20 Checking for worn pivot holes, then checking the new bushings. 33:20 - 33:33 Viewing the assembled wheels before putting the plates together. 33:33 - 36:31 Reviewing how the rack and snail control the striking. 36:31 - 37:50 Installing the cuckoo gong and bellows levers. 37:50 - 37:58 The movement running on a test stand. 37:58 - 50:51 Repairing the bellows (in detail), explaining how to make the pattern for the bellows' fabric. 50:51 - 54:00 Showing the new bushing for the minute hand. 54:00 - 55:46 Threading the chains into the movement. 55:46 - 58:34 Attaching the weight hooks and loops to the chains. 58:34 - 1:00:18 Demonstrating the fully repaired clock.

[@ClockFixer]

I LOVE when Hubert Herr clocks barely push the minute hand when running!

[@dperry428]

Because someone doesn't know how to properly assemble it.

[@waynew.w6944]

Learn a lot from this video. Very few people have the skill and patience to repair cuckoo clocks. Thanks.

[@scottc6537]

Thanks for walking through the rack and snail mechanics. Good video.

[@flintbone]

Good job. A friend gave me a cuckoo clock and soon I will take it apart. Your video is handy. Keep up the good work.

[@rehorneman]

Like to see how you clean and polish your movements.I always enjoy watching your videos and I learn a lot. Thanks for doing them.

[@rehorneman]

I would like to know how you remove rust from the movement.I have been using Naval Jelly.Is there an easier way? How about cleaning chains? I watch your vids over and over. Love them.

[@dperry428]

Robert Horneman To remove rust, I use 0000 steel wool and polishing compound on arbors, sometimes holding the wool in needle-nose pliers or tweezers to get into the corners where the arbor contacts the wheel or pinion. For rusty pinions, I use toothpicks dipped in polishing compound and clean each leaf and, for lantern pinion trundles, a toothbrush or small brass brush with polishing compound on it, does a nice job. Glad you enjoy the videos. There will be more after the weather turns too cold to work outside.

[@rehorneman]

Thanks, I will do that. Can't wait for new videos.

[@ravishankarsubrahmanyam5289]

Oh that Sunday Shirt.. I loved it. I too use a similar ones to get along with the job. Video is nice and smooth. Learnt a lot. Thanks dear Hubert Herr..

[@JeffMendoza]

Your attention to detail and work ethic is amazing. The minute hand brass insert is great. I would love to see the process you take to clean and polish the movement and the pivots. I'll look through your other videos to see. I have a similar Regula 25 two train movement that I need to service to get working. Thank you for the video.

[@ritamccartt-kordon283]

How wonderful! Very interesting. I've always wanted a Cuckoo clock. It's such a pleasant sound. Bee Blessed Danny and Rita in TN on Rooster's Ridge

[@lechj9351]

Thanks for this video. Today I managed successfully to disassemble, clean, and put together an identical movement. Without reference to your instructions, it wouldn't be possible.

[@dperry428]

Great! Glad the video helped. Saved you some bucks, too, if you wanted it fixed and couldn't do it yourself.

[@knottreel]

I learn a lot watching your video. You proceed slowly and surely. I will try to be more patient with my projects.

[@paddypup1836]

Very informative. Thanks for taking the time to help us all

[@julieoliver4956]

Brilliant video l really enjoyed watching a master at work it's a shame that it's a dying art as so many clocks/watches are battery operated thank you so much for sharing this video 👍🏻👏🏻👌🏻⏰🕰

[@user-rq9po2zv4k]

Дякую вам за працю, хай щастить

[@rehorneman]

Love to see you do a musical cuckoo clock repair.Now that winter is coming maybe you will get one to do.

[@dperry428]

If I get one to do, I'll video the repair.

[@dalefrank1216]

Really enjoy your videos, your a craftsman at all things, it is so interesting watching all that you CAN do, concrete work, rock building and clock repair etc! Glad I found your channel!

[@dperry428]

Thank you.

[@user-rq9po2zv4k]

Дякую вам,я дуже задоволений вашим показом ремонту годинників,продовжуйте,це для мене є навчання,

[@dperry428]

Will only have a few more before I go out to work in the yard and do concrete work. I only work on clocks in the winter.

[@user-rq9po2zv4k]

@@dperry428 це теж добре ,зимою ,так зимою,а я ремонтую весь рік,коли клієнт приносить годинник

[@fraile67]

Love to see your videos ,

[@viridiana256072]

how do you adjust the cuckoo bellos the small arm gets stuck up without wires

[@dperry428]

Your question is unclear. What do you mean "gets stuck up without wires"? If you mean the left bellows (looking from the back) does not fall back down, look to see if the wire on the front part of the bellow top that lifts the bird's tail in on top of the tail instead of under the tail. If it's above the tail, that would keep it from falling back down.

[@user-oi7iz9et5n]

have a question for you, how much play should there be on scape wheel. pivots?? should there be little play?? how often does a scape wheel has to be rebushed?

[@dperry428]

Should be no more play than any other wheel. Yes, the escape wheel pivot holes do wear, but not as likely as those further down the train. Problem with the escape is that you have two critically interacting pivots -- the escape wheel and the anchor pivots, that can cause depthing issues of the pallets and escape wheel teeth, causing lockups, especially if both are worn.

[@user-oi7iz9et5n]

@@dperry428 Thank You!!! you the Best!!!

[@viridiana256072]

Hello, i just bought a cuckoo clock just like it i’m rebushing it, but weights are missing, can you be kind enough en tell me what size and weight is the right one for that cuckoo clock so i could buy off of Ebay, thank you in advance, Ty

[@dperry428]

1500 grams

[@viridiana256072]

@@dperry428 Thank you, much appreciated!!!

[@hurryporter4824]

should this kind of movement be serviced like watch movement??

[@dperry428]

Because I don't work on watch movements, I wouldn't know. How is a watch movement serviced?

[@viridiana256072]

Hello, when puting back together, how do yo setup, to make sure everething is adjusted, and working as is should, arms that lift bellows fall down all the way & the hands are pointing up, cause i;m trying to puti it back, i do after a test, both arms that move bellow up and down, don;t go down all the way, so bellows basically keep a bit open, they should be closed after each hour and cuckoo bird performance and hands are pointing a bit off from each hour, is there a point of referance when assembling back, where the position of snail should be Etc..

[@dperry428]

You're asking far too many things for me to cover everything. First, don't take apart a movement until you study it and learn how it works. Take notes and digital pictures. Now, for the bellows. If they are not closing all the way, bend the lift levers downward until the bellows close. If your working with a Hubert Herr movement, you'll have to loosen the minute hand nut and adjust the hand until it points right to 12. The snail should be set so that when the rack is released,, the rack tail will fall in the middle of a step on the snail.

[@viridiana256072]

@@dperry428 you know what i have just seeing yur video of how to adjust the striking and i just got it back to working order, thank you!! one more thing, that clock you repair for francis mine is just like it same one, how old is it??? i heard it's fro the late 50's???

[@dperry428]

They're too hard for me to give a date, but Hubert Herr had been in business since 1918, so your clock could easily be from the 50s. The older ones would not have rack and snail, but countwheel striking mechanisms.

[@viridiana256072]

@@dperry428 Thank you i ll really apreciate all you knowledge, Thank you, Best regards!!!

[@catalinmiclaus1172]

Nice video, thanks! I also would appreciate some explanations how to synchronize the wheels on cuckoo side, when putting them together, so that it functions properly (how to position them correctly).

[@dperry428]

The best thing to do is to study the workings of the cuckoo side before taking it apart. Understand how it works. With most of these modern small cuckoo movements, the easiest procedure is to put pressure on the chain wheel of the cuckoo side, move the minute hand past the hour and cause the cuckoo side to function until it locks into its rest position. Note the positions of the levers, warning pin, gathering pallet and star wheel if its between the plates. You'll find that in all these movements, the warning pin on the warning wheel, which is the wheel just before the governor (fan), is positioned at the top edge of the plates. That's where the stop lever is holding the pin. When putting it back together, with the levers in place, again move the cuckoo side until it locks with the pin on the stop lever. THEN, put the gathering pallet on with the pin that rides on it in the slot on the gathering pallet. It is the gathering pallet that allows the stop lever to drop in front of the warning pin. Don't press the gathering pallet into place too tightly and you can then make micro-adjustments to it to make everything function properly. After everything is working well, the gathering pallet can receive its final press into place.. Note that when the gathering pallet is in place, the rack is what allows the rider on the gathering pallet to drop into the slot.

[@catalinmiclaus1172]

@@dperry428 Thank you very much for this explanation. Until now I was doing it through trial and error but what you just said makes sense and is a quick and direct approach. (I was putting the gathering pallet in place too soon) I will apply it when I will service my next clock(I am an amateur, I have a few cuckoo clocks and I try to service them as a hobby). Now I am watching another video of yours (Regula 25 Cuckoo Clock with Animated Squirrels) where you already explained what I just asked you. I'm very happy that I discovered your KZbin channel, your videos answers my questions.

[@dperry428]

I am an amateur as well. I've just been doing it for more than 50 years.

[@catalinmiclaus1172]

​@@dperry428 That is quite a while, compared with my 2 years since I began to be interested in cuckoo clocks. Although I grew up with a cuckoo clock in house, it took me about 20 years to get attracted to them. And by that time that cuckoo clock that I had was already in trouble (below broken and some desynchronizations on the cuckoo side -due to "some" kids that tried to "fix" it without knowing anything). Now I am glad and very satisfied that I managed to have it working again; I can't wait to service it when the time comes. Your videos are of great value to me, it's very nice that you share your experience to people and I appreciate.

[@dperry428]

Thank you for the comment. Glad you're developing an interest in clock repair. That's what my videos are for -- sharing information. You might also be interested in the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC) and its message board. Lots of clock information discussion. I've been a member since 1972. nawcc.org/

[@sgnt9337]

Ha ha ! I like the Sunday shirt.

[@benhansford8524]

Thanks for the video, I'm trying to refurbish my grandfather Herbert Herr just like the one you are showing. My question to you is what do you use to clean the brass and gears with.

[@dperry428]

For nearly 50 years, I simply take it apart, scrub with a small brush and clock cleaning solution, rinse in hot water and dry with a hair dryer or by hand. In the last year, I now use an ultrasonic cleaner for initial cleaning. I polish the pivots on my lathe and use a polish made for acrylic shower surrounds to polish the gears and brass plates. It is an extremely mild abrasive and leaves an acrylic protective coating on the brass Cotton balls work well with the polish and for stubborn stains 0000 steel wool. Also use toothpicks and polish to clean and polish the leaves of pinions. Toothpicks also to peg out each pivot hole before reassembly and oiling.

[@PaulMappud]

Hi, just put mine back together striking ok except the short bellow arm is stopping in the up position after it finishes striking, took pics as I took it apart and thought it went back the same, do I need to take it apart or can I adjust/change something, regards.

[@dperry428]

The second wheel contains the pins that lift the bellows wires. It needs to be advanced just enough for the pin that is holding up the bellow wire to release it. You can try moving the gathering pallet on the front of the movement enough to retard the stopping of the strike until the pin on the second wheel releases the bellow wire. If you're lucky, the warning wheel won't now be too far out of adjustment to stop the movement at the end of the strike. Otherwise, you may have to loosen a plate screw enough to spread the plates, disengage the fly and the warning wheel to adjust the position of the pin on the warning wheel. Most times, just adjusting the position of the gathering pallet is enough.

[@PaulMappud]

@@dperry428 : Will try that, many thanks for the reply.

[@Oh-ou4lp]

Kinda a silly question but how can you tell if you have a Hubert Herr 8 day cuckoo clock mine looks simallare but the back moiunting scerws have 5 on the back to fast the movent to the clock, Its my frist clock terra down I have no exp in this but the clock doesnt work atm so I figured why not try since repairs are costly in my area 200$ and a new clock can run around same price I want to try to fix it my self (with help from exps like your self) thank you for any tips in adavced

[@dperry428]

The name is stamped on the back plate. I'm not familiar with a clock that you describe. It's possible it's not even a German-made clock. My suggestion would be to study the clock and the way it works, take digital photos as of the clock as it is and as you take it apart. Print out the pictures and put them in reverse order as you took it apart. That way, you have a step-by-step picture instruction set of how to put it back together. Since this is a best-chance effort anyway, why not just try a "dunk-and-swish" cleaniing? Wash it in strong, soapy water, scrub with a toothbrush to remove as much dirt and grime as possible, rinse thoroughly in hot water and dry completely with a hair dryer. Oil only the pivot holes and see if it runs.

[@Oh-ou4lp]

@@dperry428 Thanks for the response ill try the soap dunk and see if she will run the only thing on the back plate i can see is hubertherr triberg Germany unadjusted an no jewels maybe in the past some one replaced it?

[@dperry428]

If it's stamped Hubert Herr, then that's what it is. Your saying it had 5 screws attaching it to the case is confusing. Perhaps a more recent model.

[@Oh-ou4lp]

@@dperry428 oh I see I mean the screws that attach to the wood of the clock the back of the movent has only 4 bolts

[@dperry428]

Could be a particular model. I'm no expert on all cuckoo clocks. However, there is no 30 day Hubert Herr cuckoo clock. The one that runs on less weight is a one-day, also called a 30 HOUR.

[@edmamon4655]

Can you guess at what may make a Hubert Herr Dancing Squirrels cuckoo clock from ~2005-2007 get stuck in the cuckooing process. In other words, once it cuckoos once it does not stop after 1-12 cuckoos... Background > my parents passed together in '07. In cleaning their basement I found this clock, brand new in box from QVC. I took it to my Wisconsin lake house and hung it there. The problem described above appeared fairly quickly. Our only solution was to turn off the striking/cuckoo lever. This clock is very sentimental to me and I would like to figure out how to get it cuckoo properly (it keeps time well enough). At the lake house it only runs on about 25 weekends for 48-72 hours per year. This would average ~50 days per year or less than 2 years of total run time to date. It has never been opened for cleaning or oiling... It is mounted on an outside wall and for the first 6 years the inside winter temp would basically match external until the house was opened again in April.

[@dperry428]

It's very difficult to diagnose from a distance, but if you understand how the cuckoo mechanism works, then you can watch to see what is not functioning correctly. Firstly, even if the clock has not been run that often, a 15-year-old clock will have the oil likely congealing. It may need a proper cleaning and oiling. Other than that, if you study the strike mechanism, you'll see it is controlled by a rack-and-snail with a gathering pallet that lifts the rack to count the hours. If the pin on the gathering pallet is bent or broken the cuckoo will not stop. If the stop pin on the warning wheel is bent or broken, the cuckoo will not stop. If the rack does not drop freely, the counts will not be accurate. I'd take the movement out, put it on a test stand, study the movement parts and see what is malfunctioning.

[@nicoleling07]

Love this video! Thanks for your sharing. What is the function of the element that looks like a windmill that placed between the two plates? Thank you!:)

[@dperry428]

I assume you mean the governor at the end of the strike train. The flat brass blades create air resistance and control the speed of the striking. The blades are also a loose friction fit that allows them to slip on the arbor when the striking comes to an abrupt end, dissipating the kinetic energy of the train to prevent damage to the gears and pins.

[@nicoleling07]

Got it! Interesting! Thank you 🙏

[@michaelbullerdieck8821]

I have a pre-WWII cuckoo clock I received in pieces. I replaced the bellows and have everything working except the wire that moves the bird in and out. I have one wire that may be it but for the life of me I cannot figure out how it would work. If I sent you pictures do you think you could help?

[@dperry428]

I hold all comments for review. Just leave your email in a comment here. I'll copy it and delete the message. Yes, I could probably help with the problem if you send pictures.

[@dperry428]

I tried 3 times to send an email answer to your problem and each time the message was returned as undeliverable. Don't know what the problem is, but I'll try to explain it here without the picture I tried to send. Here's my message: Mike This is a pretty easy one to solve. A wire is broken off one of the levers. The brass lever that rides on a cam and has an extension that goes outside the back plate and rides on the count wheel has a second wire broken off. It should have a wire extension that sticks out the side of the movement and pushes on the lever that moves the bird outward. If you look closely at the arbor that contains that brass lever, you should see where the wire was broken off. You'll need to drill out the hole where the wire was and replace it with a new piece. It can be attached either by peening the hole around the wire, soldering it in, or gluing it with Loctite. Also, you need to wind the spring that goes round the post of the bird perch such that the spring makes the bird go INTO the clock rather than pushing it out. The link below is to a video of a movement virtually identical to yours that I worked on last year. It starts at a point where I explain how the levers interact to make the bird work. kzbin.info/www/bejne/goHdg3dtn5JojKM The wire you found is one of two that is used to attach the top decorative piece that attaches to the roof of the clock case. The wire hook would be screwed to the case top and the hook would go through a wire eye on the back of the decorative top to hold it in place. It is not part of the movement. You may or may not have the top that goes with the clock. The are often missing as they get broken and tossed out, unfortunately.

[@dperry428]

Here's another short video to show the wire you need to add and how it works. kzbin.info/www/bejne/apyaf62jbtx1iac

[@IrayaHitsomoyo]

Hi there i wuld like to know with kind of fabric you use for bellows uprishiate your answer if you culd

[@dperry428]

Thin Tyvek for newer clocks. Leather for older clocks. Keep it original. timesavers.com/search.html?q=bellows+material&go=Search

[@ClockFixer]

Regula is waaaaaay better movement!

[@cliffw7]

I can't thank you enough for your videos, Love them. I have to ask where do you get your leather for the cuckoo bellows. I am redoing a Herbert Herr cuckoo myself and don't know where to get it. Any help would be appreciated thank you

[@dperry428]

You can buy the leather to repair the bellows or buy the tops or entire bellows: timesavers.com/search.html?q=leather+bellows timesavers.com/i-8946487-leather-bellow-material.html ronellclock.com/searchquick-submit.sc?keywords=leather and also on eBay.

[@cliffw7]

I ordered them, Thanks again .Is there any chance you could make a video on how you Polish your parts.

[@dperry428]

There's no one way to clean parts when they're really nasty. I have some brushes I use and also 0000 steel wool, Brasso and polishing compound like the stuff one uses to clean acrylic tubs and showers. Toothpicks and some compound to get into the leaves of rusted pinions. It's just a matter of scrubbing and rubbing to remove the really nasty part. Some people use a powered brass wire wheel, but there's too much danger of snagging a gear and flinging it across the room and that method is generally very rough on the parts. Of course, a follow-up cleaning with the ultrasonic, rinsing and drying.

[@curingabettoni4310]

boa aulla , gracies Brazil

[@nguyenngo3]

thanks for your instruction, my cuckoo clock working except the lag between the music and time of cuckoo. Music continuously playing about 4 minutes before cuckoo strikes the number of hour . Any trick to setup for sync between of 2 actions ?

[@dperry428]

There are many variations in the way the cuckoo mechanism and the music mechanism interact, but it is normally a lever or wire from the cuckoo mechanism that trips the music. All I can tell you is to study the way it is set up and how it works. Likely, you'll simply need to bend a wire toward the music box to keep it from starting up too soon. Since it keeps playing, there is also a lever on the music box that has a hook on it that drops into a hole on the gear that runs the cylinder with pins on it. That hook is what stops the cylinder from rotating. It should also have a small spring on the tail end of the lever. Perhaps the spring is missing.

[@dperry428]

You might also be interested in this timesavers.com/i-14903848-how-to-adjust-a-cuckoo-clock-music-box-by-william-bilger.html

[@nguyenngo3]

@@dperry428 Thanks!

[@nguyenngo3]

@@dperry428 Thanks !

[@nguyenngo3]

@@dperry428 I found this youtube can be applied in my case. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j56TkoV4bdd2nMk

[@bigmuller1]

What's the difference in movements .of a 30 hour Hubert herr

[@dperry428]

An 8 day clock runs longer because it has an extra gear in the gear trains. That also requires much heavier weights to run the movement. The 8 day will be bigger than the 30 hour as well.

[@franciscole3039]

Where can I get 28mm Hubert Herr hands with the minute bushing? I just bought a clock and the minute hand has a slight crack in it. I’m having trouble finding what I need.

[@dperry428]

frankenmuthclock.com/collections/parts-cuckoo-clock-quartz-cuckoo-miniature/products/white-herr-hands-1 frankenmuthclock.com/collections/parts-cuckoo-clock-quartz-cuckoo-miniature/products/8-day-herr-hand-nut-set www.ebay.com/itm/2pc-New-Hubert-Herr-8-Day-Cuckoo-Clock-Movement-Hand-Nuts-CC-812-/262131500548 www.ebay.com/itm/3pc-New-Hubert-Herr-1-Day-Cuckoo-Clock-Movement-Hand-Nuts-Washer-CC-811-/262131496351 blackforestimports.com/category/Parts-Accessories/Cuckoo-Parts-Accessories/Hands-Hand-nuts-Cuckoo/

[@franciscole3039]

dperry428 thank you! I have about 6 cuckoo clocks. What do I need to do to maintain them? How long will they typically last for? I read a lot of different ideas. Some say oil every 3 years and others say to rebuild in 25 years when they stop. Many of mine are gifts and I would want to repair anything rather than replace.

[@dperry428]

@@franciscole3039 How often you oil or clean a clock depends a lot on the environment in which the clock is located. Hang a clock in an dust-free, conditioned room and the clock can go many years without much attention. Hang a clock in the kitchen, where cooking grease is in the air and you'll quickly have a dirty clock. Hot, dry air speeds the evaporation of oil. Pet hair and dander are another factor. Proper oiling requires removing the movement from the case so that all pivots get oiled, not just those that are accessible from the back. If you have to pay a professional to do it, the cost will be a major factor. Do it yourself and you can afford to do it more often. Use a proper clock oil. 3-in-1 or WD40 are not proper clock oils. Allowing a clock to go unmaintained until it stops is never a good idea if you want to keep the same movement and not replace it. The dirtier it gets, the more damage will take place to not only the pivot holes, but to gear teeth and anchor pallets. Think of the clock mechanism as you would a car engine and treat it the same way.

[@franciscole3039]

Interesting. I have 4 hanging in my finished basement with a dehumidifier for the summer with knotty pine walls and 3 up in another room. None of them look really dusty. How often Would you service this type?

[@dperry428]

@@franciscole3039 Every couple years, take a look at the inside of the clock, look at some of the pivots and look for dirt and for presence of oil around them. If they look dry, take the movement out and oil it. If they look clean, check them again in a year or two. As long as they stay clean and oil is present, there's no need to overdue the maintenance. Oiling when oil is still present will only encourage overfilling the oil sinks and having the oil run down the plates, which will only encourage attraction of dust.

[@angiecarolinaromero4371]

Hi, I'm Angie from Colombia, I don't speak English, I had to use a translator to write to you, I fix wall clocks here in Bogotá, I love them but I had some trouble programming a hubert herr cuckoo clock, and I saw all your videos but I don't see how programs That machine, because when I put it together the bird stays out sometimes, the Regula machine I program it perfectly but that Hubert I haven't succeeded, can you teach me? I would greatly appreciate it !! with admiration Angie from Colombia.

[@dperry428]

Set it up the same as with a Regula. The warning pin needs to be at the top edge of the plate when the lever is in the notch on the gathering pallet. The bird will stay out if the rod through the two plates that is in a slot and moves up and down sticks. Make sure the slot and rod are absolutely clean. Watch this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmiygqdmrpatr5Y

[@angiecarolinaromero4371]

@@dperry428 ok I will review the video thank you very much! what a great job you do.

[@usergio3]

Wishing the camera was facing the other way.

[@CarlosMartinez-xu5nl]

hello good day, could someone help me I have a cuckoo of 8 days but I do not have the weights. My question is: how many grams are the weights to use? Thanks in advance

[@dperry428]

It depends on the make and model of the clock, whether it's a Regula, Hubert Herr, Hones, etc., whether it's a 2 weight or 3 weight and how big the clock is. You can set the clock up, put a bag or small container on the time chain, add weight to the container, such as sand, nuts and bolts, etc. until the clock runs reliably. Weight the container and that gives you the weight needed. Both weights will be the same for the time and cuckoo sides. For an 8-day clock that weight will be at least 1000 grams or more. An 8-day Hubert Herr uses 1500 gram weights (3.3 lbs). You can check out these links: frankenmuthclock.com/collections/parts-cuckoo-clock-quartz-cuckoo-miniature/weights and timesavers.com/search.html?q=cuckoo+weight&go=Search

[@CarlosMartinez-xu5nl]

@@dperry428 thanks very useful information

[@dperry428]

A Hubert Herr 8-day is made to run on 1500 grams. If the anchor gets severely worn, it would normally stop running, but it may actually flutter on the escape gear, gaining time, and run on less weight. I'd check for that wear as it may continue to wear and suddenly allow the escape wheel to completely pass by the anchor pallets, causing significant damage. I'd say your clock is working on blind luck.

[@kenz5469]

@@dperry428 I have several 8 day clocks, some of which are Hubert Herr. I have successfully run weights as low as 1100 gms on some movements, whereas I have some that will only operate with 1500 gm weights. It all depends on the individual movement. Is new/old, worn...,etc. You need to try different weight combinations to see what works best for your individual clock.

[@briananthony134]

Hi, I have an Anton Schneider 8 day, no music cuckoo clock. I bought it new in September 2022. At the 2, 3, 4, & 5:00 hours, the clock coo coos one short of the time. So, at 2:00 it coo coos once, at 3:00, twice, and so on. After 5:00 it coo coos the correct number of times until it gets to 2:00 again. Can you offer any reason(s) for this, & how to fix it? After watching your video, I'm thinking it could be a rack/snail issue. Please advise. Thanks!

[@dperry428]

You're correct that it is a rack-and-snail issue. If you look at the snail, the steps for each hour are longer starting at the highest, 1 o'clock, step and get shorter with each advancing hour. What's happening is the rack tail that drops onto a step on the snail to determine how far the rack falls and, thus, how many cuckoos are made, is not making it to the next lower step at 2, 3, 4 and 5 o'clock. Notice in my videos, when I assemble the movement, I stress that, at the hour, the rack tail should be placed in the middle of a snail step. If you check your clock, the rack tail is falling at the beginning of a step, so that the next hour, it is catching on the down-sloping front edge of the same step and not allowing the rack to fall far enough, so it coo-coos the same hour as last hour. At six o'clock on, the tail is falling just enough further down the front edge of the step to allow the rack to fall one more tooth. You'll have to either remove the movement from the case to get to the front of the movement to make the correction, or, you might be able to do it by removing the dial. The hole in the case under the dial might be big enough to get to the rack-and-snail. Either way, the best way to fix this is to remove the c-clip from the intermediate wheel so the piece the snail is on can be disengaged from that wheel and rotated a tooth or two so the rack tail falls further along each step. It should be set so that, at warning (a couple minutes before the hour), the rack tail falls on the middle of a snail step. Then there's no chance of it catching. Don't go beyond half-way or at midnight, where the deepest slot is, the rack tail can catch on the snail as it is being lifted during the midnight strike. Someone at the factory didn't set the rack and snail properly.

[@briananthony134]

@@dperry428 Thanks for the info & quick reply. I'm retired & a pretty handy guy. Is this something I could tackle myself? My only experience with cuckoo clocks is this: my daughter recently acquired a Schmeckenbecher Wood Chopper, 1 day, cuckoo clock, at a garage sale. Pretty much a pile of parts. It had a music box, and is the version without the water wheel. With the help of a few KZbin videos, I cleaned up the movement, tweaked a few things, put the chains back in, adjusted the gong, & put it back together. It's now working. It doesn't coo coo. The bellows need to be replaced. I've ordered those. I also need to make a bellows lifting wire, order a music box, & try to get that working. So far, it's been a fun project. I feel I can fix the Anton clock. I'm just not 100% sure if there's a lot of fine tuning involved that might require more experience, or if the fix is pretty straight forward.

[@dperry428]

You can do it. It's simple. Take the movement out. On the front of the movement, there is the motion works that moves the hands. The gear on the front plate is the intermediate wheel and is held on with a washer and an e-clip. The washer keeps the hour tube with the snail on it and gear from moving forward. If you remove the e-clip and washer, you can pull the snail forward enough to disengage its gear and rotate the snail a tooth or two. Put it back in place and replace the washer and e-clip. You can then test to see where the rack tail is falling on the snail. put on the minute hand and rotate it to make the clock go to the hour and watch where the rack tail is falling on the snail. It should fall onto the middle of a step on the snail. If it is not, move it again until it does. That should solve your cuckoo problem.

[@dperry428]

By the way, here's where you can get cuckoo wire parts and other parts. timesavers.com/search.html?q=cuckoo+wire&go=Search

[@briananthony134]

@@dperry428 Again, thanks for the info & the vote of confidence! If what you say is true, and I certainly believe it is, and the rack tail is catching on the vertical edge of the snail, and not in the middle of the horizontal flat, then is it safe to say I'd want to move a tooth (or two) clockwise, correct. I guess my question is,,,,is the rack tail overshooting the flat, or undershooting the flat? As I'm typing this, it occurs to me that if it coo coos once at 1:00, and once at 1:30, and then once again at 2:00, then the snail isn't moving clockwise enough for it to land on the 2:00 snail flat. Correct?

[@marksams1037]

Do you turn your own bushings?

[@dperry428]

For larger sizes or odd sizes, yes. Otherwise, I use commercially available bushings.

[@marksams1037]

I just got a mini lathe a couple months back and I never really thought of using it for clock work. Maybe it would work? I'm sure there's specialized lathes for clock work

[@dperry428]

Of course a mini-lathe is used for clock work. For many years I used a full-sized 36 inch South Bend lathe. I now use the Sherline lathe I bought a few years back.

[@72east]

Love the video and thank you for the great info on these clocks! I have a Hubert Herr 8 day cuckoo clock that I've had for almost 30 years that I've bought from an old antique store. Its has ran great then became sluggish so I put it away about 15 years ago. I've just recently taken it out and want to hang it again. I've restained the case and the trim as well as repair or replace broken pieces. I've removed the movement, cleaned and oiled with the help of youtube of course. Everything works fine except the swinging of the pendulum. It's doing the same thing it did 15 years ago. It runs ok and has a good even beat but after about I'll say 30 to 50 seconds, it gets sluggish and stops. Any idea why that could be? Worn crutch or something with the escape wheel perhaps?

[@dperry428]

If you have the movement out, look at the train of wheels (gears) that run the time side (as opposed to the strike side). Place your finger on the main wheel (the one that has the chain) and put pressure on the gear to move it forward and backward while watching the pivot in the holes of the other gears, particularly the second wheel. I would bet that the pivot is flopping back and forth in the pivot holes of one or more gears quite a bit. That's the sign of a worn pivot hole that needs rebushing. When you start the clock running, it will run until the slack is taken up in the gear train and then the pivots will moving into the worn part of the pivot hole, which is now oval in shape. This causes binding and the depth of engagement of the gears to change until they lock up. Only rebushing will correct that problem. That means taking it apart, drilling out the worn hole and placing a new brass bushing into place.

[@72east]

@@dperry428 Thank you so much for the quick reply! I did check the gears you had said to check and looks to me that they all need new bushings. From what I've seen on the cost of repairing or getting the tools to do it myself at this time, unfortunately I may be better off getting a new movement. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise! 😀

[@dperry428]

One of the cheapest places to find a replacement movement is at Ronell Clocks ronellclock.com/Cuckoo-Movements_c39.htm;jsessionid=13E000B17A4DFBEB7BA4FBA7B1C32B8D.p3plqscsfapp006 You can also get them from Timesavers timesavers.com/search.html?q=cuckoo+movement&go=Search

[@72east]

@@dperry428 Thank you for that info! I'll check them out.

[@nguyenngo3]

my cuckoo clock ran over 20 years, now the time to clean, I am successfully make the pendulum ticking several days, my issue is the minute and hour arms didn't rotate. Any hint ? thanks

[@dperry428]

Since it's running, then there likely is nothing that is binding in the time train. Then, if the hands are not moving, it is likely that either the minute pipe gear is unmeshed from the intermediate gear or the tension washer that acts as a clutch is either not in place or is not tight enough to pass power to the motion train. Check the front of the movement and assure that all 3 gears on the front (under the dial) are meshing properly. Normally, the tension for the motion train is a 2 or 3 pronged washer under the intermediate wheel that keep tension on the motion train but slips enough to allow the hands to be moved. Check that it is properly tensioned.

[@nguyenngo3]

Thanks for fast response. it is working now ...

[@Josias647]

What paper used?

[@dperry428]

The bellows are not paper. They are thin leather. Bought the leather on eBay. Search for "paper thin leather". The marble paper is just computer printed paper. I did a Google search for "black marble with blue veins", found a picture that matched the original, saved it, printed it.

[@Josias647]

@@dperry428 gracias. Thanks

[@Josias647]

I m aprendice Brasil.

[@Josias647]

Gracias

[@Josias647]

Master. Mestre.

[@dirtroad57chevy49]

Wondering if you would know how to reset time on wooden clock movement it skips hours at 1 oclock?

[@dperry428]

Skips from one time indication to another or strikes the wrong hour at 1 o'clock? If it's a striking problem, an old wooden movement would have a "count-wheel" type of striking mechanism and would likely be a matter of a wire out of adjustment or a piece broken out of the count wheel at the 1 o'clock position that could cause it to strike more than once. Without photographs or actually seeing the movement, I can't do anything but guess,

[@dirtroad57chevy49]

Thank you for the reply I can show a picture of movement but it would be in the case. Do you have email so I can send the picture? Unable to send it here.

[@dperry428]

I won't put my email online, but if you answer this with YOUR email, I hold all comments for approval and can then contact you and remove the comment so it is not seen by the public.

[@qualityxpert]

Where can I buy the brass bellow top weights?

[@dperry428]

I cut discs on my lathe from brass rod stock. The discs normally used in cuckoo bellows are made of lead, which I don't have. You can get lead discs that are used to plug screw holes when installing radiation shielding if you want. Just do a search for lead discs. You could likely also get brass discs that way or you could order brass or lead rod from a metal supplier and cut discs with a hacksaw. Again, a search will provide a number of sources.