How to Make Adjustments to a Cuckoo Clock
If you just bought a new cuckoo clock or got one passed down to you, congratulations! Cuckoo clocks are a timeless piece of German history that will bring the whole family joy for years to come. Traditional cuckoo clocks that are not operated by battery have a system of mechanical parts inside that tell the time along with the pendulum, chains and weights. These all need to work together in harmony to tell the correct time. Today will help you adjust your clock if it’s running slow or too fast and give you maintenance tips that will help your clock run smoothly.
Related: How Do Cuckoo Clocks Work?
Parts of the Cuckoo Clock That Help Tell Time
As we’ve discussed before on our blog, the main parts of the cuckoo clock are the pendulum, weights, chains, clock hands, mechanical movement box, the cuckoo bird, the music box if it’s a musical clock, the clock housing and the clock face. The cuckoo clock parts that work together to tell the time are the clock hands, weights, chains and pendulums. It will take some time when you first setup of the clock to ensure it’s working correctly and telling the correct time. But once you get it all set up, the maintenance of your cuckoo clock will be easy.
How a Cuckoo Clock Tells Time
The mechanical cuckoo clock is driven by the weights that drop over the day and with the movement of the pendulum. The pendulum moves back and forth and this makes the clock hands move. One of the weights controls the time; the other makes the cuckoo call and helps with its animation. If you have a third weight, this means it’s a musical cuckoo clock and the third weight controls the music box. You’ll need to “wind” the clock either each day or once a week, depending on if you have a 1 day or 8 day cuckoo clock. Winding the clock helps keep the time as well.
Remember to check out our frequently asked questions if you have more queries about your cuckoo clock.
How to Set the Time of a Cuckoo Clock
If you received your clock new be sure to see our guide on how to set up your cuckoo clock or watch our unboxing video. If you’ve received an antique cuckoo clock, you may need to adjust the clock to get the right time or give it a bit of maintenance like oiling the clock.
To set the time of your clock, first, start by winding the minute hand around the clock. The minute hand is the longer of the two hands. You won’t touch the hour hand. When you get to each hour, when the hour hand is pointing up at 12, pause and wait for the cuckoo to call. Do the same at the half-hour mark or when the hour hand is pointing down at 6. Continue this process until you reach the correct time and set the hands at that exact time. So ideally, you want to do this after noon, say at 13:25, so you aren’t winding the clock around for a long time. Or, if your clock has a shut-off switch, turn the sound off so you don’t have to have this annoyance. Now you’ll observe the clock over the next couple of hours to make sure it’s keeping the correct time.
How to Adjust a Fast or Slow Cuckoo Clock
While you observe the clock, if you notice that the time is not correct, you’ll need to adjust where the maple leaf is on the pendulum. If the clock is going too fast, move the leaf down slightly. If the clock is running too slow, you’ll move the maple leaf up the pendulum. Then you’ll need to observe the clock again to see if more adjustments are required.
Remember to Wind Your Cuckoo Clock
Once you got the time set correctly you’ll want to wind the clock. To do this, pull the round ring on the end of the chain downward, which raises the pine cone weight to the clock. We recommend winding your clock at a set time each day or week so it becomes part of your routine. The winding frequency will depend on whether you have an 8 day cuckoo clock or a 1 day cuckoo clock.
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