Jeffrey M. asked: I have an antique mantle clock that has a loose hour hand. Usually around 2:00 or 3:00, the hour hand will drop down somewhere to the 5 or 6 position. Then when I go to wind the clock, the movement will also cause the hour hand to drop down to the 6 position. If anyone else has had this problem, and knows of a remedy, I would sure appreciate your help. Being an antique, I don’t want to damage the clock, but would like to make the repair if its minor enough. If not, I guess that I can take it to a clock shop in the area.
Mantle Clock Minor Repair
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The hands on your clock are generally held on by friction, or sometimes by a threaded knob on the center shaft. From the way that you described your problem, there is no knob holding them on.Look carefully at the center where the hands are attached and you will see that the minute hand has a larger diameter hole than the hour hand underneath. Gently pull off both hands with your fingers or pliers. You can either gently squeeze the shaft of the hour hand so that it is tighter, or place a drop of super glue on it with a toothpick. Replace the minute hand & push down until it is secure. I’ve done this with one of my clocks and the problem was corrected. Good luck.
The Collector is right. My problem was with a “Regulator” clock that had the hands pressed on, as are most of these older clocks. The hands have fallen off so often that the hole diameter has gotten larger and won’t stay on. A couple of drops of a good glue will correct the problem.
Looking from an investment point of view, I am not in favor of taking off the hands and then gluing them back on. If your clock is truly an antique, I would take it to a professional who is trained to make these repairs. You could accidentally devalue your antique mantle clock by making your own repairs.
I fixed one of my clocks by aligning the hour hand exactly on a number and then by placing the minute hand right on 12. I then put one drop of Super Glue with a toothpick on the hour hand around the shaft. It worked like a charm and haven’t had the problem again.