Rymer's Clock Repair
(559) 797-1147
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Quality vs Quantity

3/6/2016

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Unlike "production" shops, I run a very small business and believe in taking the time needed to produce quality service. I may charge more and take longer, but there is good reason for that. I believe that your clock deserves undivided attention and ultimate care to service it properly! I disassemble clocks and clean them thoroughly by hand, not with a machine. Production shops often do not disassemble but rather put the complete movement in an ultrasonic cleaning machine. They work pretty good but so does a brush-less car wash! I believe that it is better to remove the arbors and clean the holes with them out.

I serve folks with varied needs. If you have a clock that you would like to get running, but don’t really want to put a lot into, I can often get them going for a lower rate by doing only what is necessary,  not full service.
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Tips for Clock Owners

3/6/2016

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Clocks should be lubricated once every three years and cleaned every third oiling. The pivots should be polished when the clock is cleaned, if they haven't been polished for 12 years or more. Pivot polishing reduces wear on the plate holes which makes the clock run longer before it needs new bushings.

To adjust your clock so that it runs faster, turn the nut on the bottom of the pendulum to the right; left to make it run slower. Use care not to raise or bump the pendulum [excessively] so that it doesn't knock it out of beat or worse yet, fall off!

Care should be exercised when pulling or winding weights not to wind them so high that you can't remove them in the event that the clock needs to be moved or serviced.

The pendulum and weights need to be removed before a clock is moved. If a large clock such as a grandfather clock is moved beyond the confines of your home, say across town or out of state, I advise you to contact a clock technician such as myself to prepare it first.

There are basically two things that keep a clock from running. 1. lack of power 2. being out of beat. Lack of power is the result of one or more conditions, but most often it is due to lack of (or contaminated) lubrication. Another cause is worn pivot holes or bushings. Being out of beat is the result of the pendulum being handled too roughly or the clock being moved. You can listen to the "tic-tock" sound to determine if it is in beat. You should hear an even space in time between the two. If it sounds uneven like tic...tock.......tic...tock instead of tic...tock...tic...tock, then it's out of beat. If it's a small clock, sometimes this can be remedied by placing something under one side or the other of the case.

Over-winding a clock is like clenching your fist too tight; it will only go so far! That is a common misconception for why a clock won't run. See the paragraph above for the most common reasons for a clock to stop.


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Tic Toc...

9/28/2015

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​       The tic tock sound is the result of the escape wheel teeth locking on the inside and outside of the anchor pallets, which are linked to the pendulum. 
       When the clock is out of beat, the escape wheel stops too soon on one side of the swing cycle resulting in over swing on the other side but not on the side that the beat center is off to.
       Overswing means that the clock is pushing the pendulum as it is supposed to!
​       When the clock is out of beat it will eventually stop running. 
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Three levels of service

9/28/2015

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There are three levels of service - The first two make it run and the third one makes it last.
Level 1 is lubrication and adjustment only.
Level 2 is disassembly and basic cleaning and lubrication.
Level 3 is premium service, which is basic cleaning and lubrication plus pivot polishing and cleaning the gears and plates in a specialized clock cleaning solution.
I can make it run or I can make it last!
All clocks are tested for proper operation Prior to delivery.
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 Is it worth the cost of repair?

9/27/2015

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People often want to know if they should spend the money to repair / service their clocks. They ask me what the clock might be worth. My answer is usually that people don't have their clocks fixed because they want to sell them, unless the clock is a rare antique; people have them serviced because they love them! They add a lot to the ambience and decor of one's home! Determining the worth of a clock can sometimes be difficult. A lot depends on finding someone who wants it bad enough!
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    Tracy Rymer
    ​Owner - Sole Proprietor

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