Antique Cuckoo Clock Instructions

Hanging the clock: 

Install a # 8 or # 10 wood screw in the wall, angled at a 45 degree slant. It should be 6 to 6.5 feet above the floor. The screw must be long enough to be securely fastened into a stud in the wall. Hang the clock on the screw. Untwist or cut the wire which is holding the chains and remove it. Hang the pendulum on the hanger at the bottom of the clock (near the back). Hang one weight on each hook. Give the pendulum a push and the clock will start ticking. Move the bottom of the clock to the left or right until it is ticking evenly.
Winding: (Pulling up the weights).

Place one of your hands on the clock to steady it and with the other hand, pull down on the free end of one chain, bringing the weight on the other end up to the bottom of the clock gently. Do this for each weight. This needs to be done each day. For best results, wind the clock about the same time each day.
Setting the Hands:

Move the minute hand, pausing at each hour and half-hour for the cuckoo call. Never move the minute hand counterclockwise past 6 or 12. After setting the hands, pull the weights if they are down.
Regulating the time keeping:

The clock can be made to go faster or slower by means of the bob (usually a leaf or a disk) on the pendulum.  On some clocks the bob is a friction fit, on others a nut moves it.  Move the bob up to speed up the clock or down to slow it down. Move it a small amount each time. Typical accuracy is one to two minutes a day.  Move the minute hand to the correct time when it is wrong by more than several minutes.
Night silencing:

Some cuckoo clocks can be silenced at night simply by moving the small wire above the cuckoo door down against the door. This is also something to check when setting up the clock to make sure it cuckoos correctly.
If clock does not run:

Make sure weights are up. Make sure clock is ticking evenly. If not move the bottom of clock to right or left until the ticking is even. Make sure pendulum hanger wire is not rubbing slot on case bottom.If this is the problem, make sure the clock case is flush against the wall, or shim out the top or bottoom of case if necessary.
Moving the clock: 

Remove the weights and pendulum. Obtain a thin wire (bread ties or paper clips) and thread it through each chain where it enters the clock. Twist the ends of the wires together. This will prevent the chains from coming off the sprockets in the clock.
Maintenance:

Your clock, being a precision mechanism, needs periodic maintenance to keep it running reliably and to give it long life. We recommend the following:  Three year oiling and Inspections,

After using the clock for three years, contact your local clocksmith and take it in for oiling and inspection. They will check the condition of the movement and tell you if the clock needs an overhaul or will be ok for several more years.
Why your clock won't run forever:

As dust gets in the mechanism, the oil becomes an abrasive paste which causes wear. The longer the clock runs in this condition, the more repair it may need. Most antique cuckoo clocks have heavy weights which will run the clock for years after the oil has gone bad, causing severe wear to pivots and pivot holes. If your clock stops and you spray it with oil to make it run again, it will continue to wear badly, because it is still dirty.
Copyright 2000 Bill's Clockworks.