Grandfather Clock Moon Dial Setting
If the grandfather clock stops for more than 24 hours the moon dial will also stop and must be reset when the grandfather clock is started again.
Grandfather clock moon dial setting. A one half rotation of the disk occurs every 29 5 days which is one lunar cycle. Sometimes when setting the dial the moon dial will get pushed back in a way that enables the index spring to get wedged between the clock dial and the moon dial itself. The click spring is located just behind the moon dial itself. Rotate the moon dial clockwise 1 lunar day for every day past the full moon.
So you can set your moon dial to the correct phase when you feel it might get off. Sometimes the moon dial on a grandfather clock refuses to turn. The moon dial is now set and will indicate the proper moon phases as long as the grandfather clock operates continuously. When this occurs you will no longer hear the clicking sound as you advance it and you will feel a significant drag or scraping sound.
Many of the older grandfather clocks or english tall case clocks as many people called them had a painting on the dial along side of the moons each dial has 2 moons to keep the calendar accurate. Like mechanical clocks this clock uses the mean lunar phase so will drift slightly over the months and years back and forth the phase setting allows for occasional correction of any unwanted drift. If the last full moon was 3 days ago rotate the moon dial clockwise 3 lunar days so that the moon is centered at lunar day 18 on the lunar arch. The moon dial is adjustable via the options panel to bring it closer in line with the shifting of the moons cycles.
If you have a grandfather clock with moon phase follow these instructions. The moon dial on a grandfather clock also gave the manufacturers of the clocks to add a personal touch to their grandfather clocks. Be well aware that if the clock stops for 24 hours or longer then the moon dial will also stop. The moon dial on your grandfather clock will show the phase of the moon and not the date of the month.
To set moon dial apply slight pressure with your fingers to the front of the moon dial. Find the click spring. Grandfather clock moon dials consist of a round disk displaying two pictures of the moon. It doesn t matter if the full moon falls on the 1st of the month the 10th of the month or the 20th of the month.
The moon dial is now set and will indicate the proper moon phases as long as the clock operates continuously. To fix this problem open the door or panel by the clock face. When the moon is full it is 15 days old. Pull the click spring back about a half inch from the teeth of the moon dial and then allow it to fall back into place.
Now the dial is accurately set and will indicate the proper moon phases as long as the clock operates continuously without interruption.