Why is my new Cuckoo Clock Movement not striking?
Knowledge Base
Cuckoo Clock Not Striking
When the new cuckoo clock movement will not go into striking mode for the hours. The bird will not come out and the clock will not indicate what time it is with the cuckoo call. Here are some guidelines on what to check in this situation.
There is a wire above the cuckoo door that locks it into the closed position. This is for either shipping the clock and also for chime shut off. It is a small wire that stops the door and just gets turned to either in the way or out of the way of the door. Be sure it is out of the way so the door can open and it can cuckoo.
There may be a silence lever if the cuckoo movement has one. This would be located on the side of the cuckoo clock movement and stick outside of the clock case. Push it down for cuckoo on and up for cuckoo shut off usually. Just move it to the opposite direction and see if the clock will strike out the cuckoo calls. If the movement has a silence switch that does not stick outside of the case it may still be on the movement itself. Just look at the back of the clock with the back panel off and you may see the silence switch. You will see a lever on your right as you face the back of the movement on the top side. Not all cuckoos have this feature as the manufacturer will assume you will silence the cuckoo just by locking the bird door.
Be sure nothing is in the way of the chain that drives the striking side of the cuckoo clock. One weight controls the time and the other the strike. If the chain is rubbing anything like the hole in the bottom of the cuckoo case it will be just like not having enough weight to make it run. The chain that holds the weight should be straight from the ratchet wheel and down without rubbing anything. Also the side of the chain that there is no weight attached to cant be caught up on anything also. This is the side that you pull to raise the weight on the other side of the chain loop.
On a new cuckoo clock movement install it is required to bend the lift wires so they do not get caught up on each other. During the travel up to lift the bellows they could be hitting each other and creating resistance. These just get bent this way or that way so they can go up and down with the bellow tops. If the bellow tops is broken or ripped it can cause this to happen also.
The arm that the bird rests on could be bent in a way that it is trying to go forward too much. Therefore it hits the front of the clock case instead of in a position where it just opens the door. The intent is for it to open the cuckoo door only and not hit the front of the clock case. It will only cuckoo if the bird arm is able to be all the way forward with no resistance.
If this wire is too long it will try to open the bird door too much. With the bird door open too much it will not be able to start the cuckoo strike. The solution is to make the door wire shorter or put a bend in it. Putting a bend in this wire so its sort of a hump instead of straight will be the same thing as making it shorter.
If the cuckoo will not go into striking mode is caused by resistance. There is only like 4 or 5 gears that have to spin around to make the clock cuckoo. If there is any resistance for this to happen it will not function. These 4 -5 gears need to spin to have the bellows lift and open the cuckoo door at the same time. There is much action that is dictated by these few gears spinning, any resistance in any part will stop it from working.
The content of this website is copyright by Clockworks and written by James Stoudenmire in year 2020
Last Updated: 2 months ago in
Cuckoo Clock Not Striking
Article sections
New cuckoo clock movement not striking
When the new cuckoo clock movement will not go into striking mode for the hours. The bird will not come out and the clock will not indicate what time it is with the cuckoo call. Here are some guidelines on what to check in this situation.
See if the cuckoo door is latched shut
There is a wire above the cuckoo door that locks it into the closed position. This is for either shipping the clock and also for chime shut off. It is a small wire that stops the door and just gets turned to either in the way or out of the way of the door. Be sure it is out of the way so the door can open and it can cuckoo.
Check the silence lever
There may be a silence lever if the cuckoo movement has one. This would be located on the side of the cuckoo clock movement and stick outside of the clock case. Push it down for cuckoo on and up for cuckoo shut off usually. Just move it to the opposite direction and see if the clock will strike out the cuckoo calls. If the movement has a silence switch that does not stick outside of the case it may still be on the movement itself. Just look at the back of the clock with the back panel off and you may see the silence switch. You will see a lever on your right as you face the back of the movement on the top side. Not all cuckoos have this feature as the manufacturer will assume you will silence the cuckoo just by locking the bird door.
Clock chain resistance
Be sure nothing is in the way of the chain that drives the striking side of the cuckoo clock. One weight controls the time and the other the strike. If the chain is rubbing anything like the hole in the bottom of the cuckoo case it will be just like not having enough weight to make it run. The chain that holds the weight should be straight from the ratchet wheel and down without rubbing anything. Also the side of the chain that there is no weight attached to cant be caught up on anything also. This is the side that you pull to raise the weight on the other side of the chain loop.
Bellow lift wires in the way
On a new cuckoo clock movement install it is required to bend the lift wires so they do not get caught up on each other. During the travel up to lift the bellows they could be hitting each other and creating resistance. These just get bent this way or that way so they can go up and down with the bellow tops. If the bellow tops is broken or ripped it can cause this to happen also.
Bird arm position
The arm that the bird rests on could be bent in a way that it is trying to go forward too much. Therefore it hits the front of the clock case instead of in a position where it just opens the door. The intent is for it to open the cuckoo door only and not hit the front of the clock case. It will only cuckoo if the bird arm is able to be all the way forward with no resistance.
Cuckoo door opening wire
If this wire is too long it will try to open the bird door too much. With the bird door open too much it will not be able to start the cuckoo strike. The solution is to make the door wire shorter or put a bend in it. Putting a bend in this wire so its sort of a hump instead of straight will be the same thing as making it shorter.
Cuckoo Clock Not Striking Conclusion
If the cuckoo will not go into striking mode is caused by resistance. There is only like 4 or 5 gears that have to spin around to make the clock cuckoo. If there is any resistance for this to happen it will not function. These 4 -5 gears need to spin to have the bellows lift and open the cuckoo door at the same time. There is much action that is dictated by these few gears spinning, any resistance in any part will stop it from working.
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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