Schatz ship's bells clock - mechanical

QuestionEdit

QUESTION: I recently bought (on Ebay) a Schatz ship's bells clock for my husband. It keeps good time and chimes. However, it chimes 1 then 1 again on the half hour, ending upwith 4 bells when it should be 8 - there is no 'double' bell sound. On one of the half hours there is no bell. Is there a simple solution to this problem or do I need to find a clock repairer? Will it be possible/straightforward for an expert to repair?

ANSWER: There were two different movements used in these clock so the repair will depend on what one you have. If you are mechanically inclined you should be able to fix it and I'll be happy to help. You will need to take the movement out of the case. It sounds like this clock is "upside down". The clock always drops two hammers regardless if it's the 1/2 hour or the hour. There is a cam and a lever (and sometimes a spring) that grab the hammer so it will not strike when the last hammer drops. This gives you an odd strike on the 1/2 hour. If you want to do this repair I would like to see a photo of the movement after you get it out of the case.

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QUESTION: Hello again, I hope these photos are helpful. The clock is a Schatz Royal Mariner. (2 keyholes on the dial and a bell with an 8 in it). Thanks, Margaret

ANSWER: Margaret, thanks for the photo. Hopefully this is an easy fix. There are two hammers on the back of the movement to strike the bell. It sounds like only one of them is hitting the bell. Check to see if both hammers are lifting and dropping. If they are, you should just need to bend the wire of the hammer that is not hitting the bell so that it will strike the bell. Let me know what you find.

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QUESTION: Hello again, ,

We have delved further and find that the second hammer is sitting permanently on the bell. It isn't lifting.

Margaret

AnswerEdit

You can bend the wire of the hammer that is sitting on the bell so that the hammer is not resting on the bell. See if it will lift. If it will not lift, you will need to follow that wire to the point where the lifting happens to find out why it will not. Let me know what you find.