What are Grandfather Clock Weights?
Knowledge Base
Grandfather Clock Weights Description
The Grandfather Clock Weights Description on this web page will cover what is meant by weights and their parts. Any part of the weight is available on its own. We also offer complete weights. If needing a complete clock weight, we need to determine what the appropriate weight is for the clock. This requires getting the information off of the back plate of the brass movement itself. This information will not be on any of the paperwork or clock case. Once the movement number is known, cross reference that with the weight chart. The other piece of information that you need is the diameter of the bob. The bob is the round disk at the bottom of the pendulum.
Before using the chart, it is needed to know who made the clock movement. This can be deceiving because the movement can have any name on it, but it may not be the true maker. For example, a Hermle unit may have the name Sligh, Ridgeway, Howard Miller and so on. The numbers on the movement is what will lead to getting the correct manufacturer of the movement not the names on the movement. The stamp with these numbers are right on the back plate. Use the movement identification page to find out who made it. Once the manufacturer is known and the starting numbers of the movement, use the chart to see the weight specifications for the Grandfather clock weights.
There is also another way to go about this task, which may be easier. If the movement was made in Germany, post WW2, we can safely make the following assumptions. If the movement is square and chain driven, it will require [[email protected]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection) lbs and [[email protected]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection) lbs. These are available in either 47mm or 43mm diameters.
If the pendulum bob is 8 1/2 inches or more, change that rule to [[email protected]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection) lbs and [[email protected]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection) in 47mm or 43mm. A movement that is rectangle in either chain or cable will use [[email protected]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection) and [[email protected]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection) LBS in 60mm diameter. This changes to [[email protected]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection) and [[email protected]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection) in 60mm diameter if the pendulum bob is 8 1/2 inches or wider. These specifications do not apply if your clock has 5 or 9 big tubes on the back. Also this rule is not for all Grandfather clock weights but the vast majority of the post WW2 German units.
The weight specs list it as 4.7 or 6.6, however this is really being too picky. If you get it close to those numbers that is fine. In fact if you order a 4.7 lb weight, it may come 5.3 or whatever, but that is just fine. There has to be some sort of reference for the factory to label the Grandfather clock weights so it is what it is. Just know if it is a pound over that is fine. If it's a little under, that is fine also. They do not have to be exact.
In fact, there is a lot of clocks in the world sold new with the wrong Clock Weights on them from the start. Clockworks will do a repair and they will say the clock ran for 30 years straight and come to find out they had Grandfather clock weights that were a pound or two too heavy. If the weights are a little too heavy it is fine. A lighter weight may or may not be fine because it may not trigger the movement to work as designed.
Grandfather clock Weights are not cheap mainly because they are so heavy to keep, ship, store, move from here to there. Sure one weight set of three is less than 30 lbs but that adds up quickly in a stack of weight sets. With that said, we don't want to ship these back and forth. It is best to get the right weights the first time. To return these is not an inexpensive or easy task. For example, suppose we charge $30 to ship these. They are wrong for some reason it's now $40 to get it back and another $30 to reship. UPS charges a fee to send a call tag for them to come back. That is $110 to UPS for no reason. So if there are questions, please ask.
The content of this website is copyright by Clockworks and written by James Stoudenmire in year 2020
Last Updated: 2 months ago in
Grandfather Clock Weights Description
Article sections
Grandfather Clock Weights Description
The Grandfather Clock Weights Description on this web page will cover what is meant by weights and their parts. Any part of the weight is available on its own. We also offer complete weights. If needing a complete clock weight, we need to determine what the appropriate weight is for the clock. This requires getting the information off of the back plate of the brass movement itself. This information will not be on any of the paperwork or clock case. Once the movement number is known, cross reference that with the weight chart. The other piece of information that you need is the diameter of the bob. The bob is the round disk at the bottom of the pendulum.
The weight chart
Before using the chart, it is needed to know who made the clock movement. This can be deceiving because the movement can have any name on it, but it may not be the true maker. For example, a Hermle unit may have the name Sligh, Ridgeway, Howard Miller and so on. The numbers on the movement is what will lead to getting the correct manufacturer of the movement not the names on the movement. The stamp with these numbers are right on the back plate. Use the movement identification page to find out who made it. Once the manufacturer is known and the starting numbers of the movement, use the chart to see the weight specifications for the Grandfather clock weights.
Avoiding the weight chart
There is also another way to go about this task, which may be easier. If the movement was made in Germany, post WW2, we can safely make the following assumptions. If the movement is square and chain driven, it will require [[email protected]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection) lbs and [[email protected]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection) lbs. These are available in either 47mm or 43mm diameters.
If the pendulum bob is 8 1/2 inches or more, change that rule to [[email protected]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection) lbs and [[email protected]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection) in 47mm or 43mm. A movement that is rectangle in either chain or cable will use [[email protected]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection) and [[email protected]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection) LBS in 60mm diameter. This changes to [[email protected]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection) and [[email protected]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection) in 60mm diameter if the pendulum bob is 8 1/2 inches or wider. These specifications do not apply if your clock has 5 or 9 big tubes on the back. Also this rule is not for all Grandfather clock weights but the vast majority of the post WW2 German units.
Close enough is good enough
The weight specs list it as 4.7 or 6.6, however this is really being too picky. If you get it close to those numbers that is fine. In fact if you order a 4.7 lb weight, it may come 5.3 or whatever, but that is just fine. There has to be some sort of reference for the factory to label the Grandfather clock weights so it is what it is. Just know if it is a pound over that is fine. If it's a little under, that is fine also. They do not have to be exact.
Often wrong from the start
In fact, there is a lot of clocks in the world sold new with the wrong Clock Weights on them from the start. Clockworks will do a repair and they will say the clock ran for 30 years straight and come to find out they had Grandfather clock weights that were a pound or two too heavy. If the weights are a little too heavy it is fine. A lighter weight may or may not be fine because it may not trigger the movement to work as designed.
Grandfather Clock Weights Description - Conclusion
Grandfather clock Weights are not cheap mainly because they are so heavy to keep, ship, store, move from here to there. Sure one weight set of three is less than 30 lbs but that adds up quickly in a stack of weight sets. With that said, we don't want to ship these back and forth. It is best to get the right weights the first time. To return these is not an inexpensive or easy task. For example, suppose we charge $30 to ship these. They are wrong for some reason it's now $40 to get it back and another $30 to reship. UPS charges a fee to send a call tag for them to come back. That is $110 to UPS for no reason. So if there are questions, please ask.
The content of this website is copyright by Clockworks and written by James Stoudenmire in year 2020
Last Updated: 2 months ago in
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Updated on: 05/08/2022
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