Herschede Restoration

HERSCHEDE

Pronounced (Her - Sha - Dee)

Those who are blessed enough to own a Herschede Tubular Bell Grandfather Clock are aware of the fine quality of these wonderful clocks. What they may not be aware of is the special attention these clock mechanisms must receive in order to work properly. Routine maintenance is of course important but when these fine clocks eventually wear themselves out, where will owners go to be certain their fine clock receives the special attention it deserves? If you are close enough to take advantage of our service, we hope you will give us a chance to show you what we can do for you and your clock.

We are not limited only to the Herschede brand. We repair all other brands of tubular bell grandfather clocks as well, such as Elliott, Winterhalder, Bawo and Dotter, etc.

You now own one of the world’s finest chiming floor clocks. You can be proud of its beauty, its distinction; the authenticity of its styling, the superb craftsmanship it displays. you will enjoy the pleasant, peaceful sound of its chimes, announcing the passing of time. You can trust its accuracy and you can count on its unfailing service for generations to come. it is truly an heirloom possession, made by America’s oldest maker of chiming floor clocks. We have been making gold medal winning clocks since 1885.

  From the back of the Herschede warranty card

Michael Assembling a Restored Herschede Movement

Why trust Master Clock Repair to restore your fine Tubular Bell Clock movement?

First of all, be sure to check the "Qualifications" page for all of Michael's credentials.

Secondly, it is important to understand that there are very few people who can say they have significant experience with these large, complex tubular bell mechanisms. There are many common clocks that pass through the average repair shop over and over again allowing a repairman to gain a great deal of experience over a relatively short period of time. This is not true of tubular bell clocks in general and Herschede clocks specifically. This is due to the fact that these clocks were very expensive and very few people were able to afford them. Consequently, the average repair shop may only see one, every few years.

To give you an idea of how "rare" they are, we repair approximately 1,000 clocks per year, yet only see a dozen or so during that same period. Fortunately, after 44 years in the trade, Michael has had the privilege of repairing, relatively speaking, a very large number of these clocks.

As a result of his experience, he teaches a one to four day class (depending on the venue and class structure) on the finer and often overlooked points of successfully restoring the Herschede movement. The following is a review of Michael’s class from one of the participants.

Recently I attended my first Watchmakers and Clockmakers of Ohio (WAO) convention, and I left wondering why I waited so long to attend.  The highlight for me was Mike Gainey’s “Rebuilding the Herschede Tubular Bell Clock Movement” class, which was thorough and informative.

Mike 's presentation included over 200 slides and a detailed outline of instructions, tips, and hints covering everything starting with the estimate all the way through to delivery of the clock. In addition to the slides and notes, Mike also brought along a partially-assembled Herschede movement for illustration and hands-on demonstrations.  He provided a brief tutorial on the deadbeat escapement used in these clocks, which is essential to getting these clocks working correctly.

Having repaired over 100 Herschede movements in his more than 40 years of working with clocks, Mike has acquired a vast amount of knowledge on this topic.  Below are just a few of the things I learned from his presentation:

which Herschede clocks are the best and why.

how to install a new chime-lifting lever and why.

the proper cable length for a Herschede clock and why it matters.

how much clearance to allow for the chime lift-lever to clear the rack teeth and why.

when to stop the pendulum for adjustment and why.

which component is routinely bent causing the clock to stall because of a design fault.

So much time and effort went into developing this course that it could have easily been made into a two- or even a three-day course.  I found Mike’s course to be very informative.

Steve Shroyer

Cottage Clock Shop LLC

Galion, OHIO 44833

Photos from some of Michael’s Herschede Classes

Michael has taught people from all over the United States the proper methods for rebuilding these fine clocks.

In-home Grandfather Clock Repair by Master Clock Repair Central-Ohio’s most experienced certified clockmaker

Herschede Class of 2021

Herschede Class WAO, Walnut Creek, Ohio

In-home Grandfather Clock Repair by Master Clock Repair Central-Ohio’s most experienced certified clockmaker

Herschede Class WAO, Walnut Creek, Ohio

In-home Grandfather Clock Repair by Master Clock Repair Central-Ohio’s most experienced certified clockmaker

WAO Herschede Class of 2011

In-home Grandfather Clock Repair by Master Clock Repair Central-Ohio’s most experienced certified clockmaker

Herschede Class of 2022

Demonstrating the Full Hour, Westminster Chime on a Herschede Tubular Bell Clock

Turn on your sound!

This clock was repaired for one of our customers who lives in Germany. After trying two or three local German clock shops that were unable to repair his clock, he was able to find master Clock Repair, 4,300 miles away in Columbus, Ohio. This video was made during a Skype call before shipping in which I was able to fully demonstrate for the owner that the clock was completely functional. I also explained the necessary steps he must take to get it set up once it arrived home in Germany. Because the strike tube was not hung during this video you will not hear the hour strike, even though you can see the strike hammer moving.

Full hour chime demonstration of a Herschede Tubular Bell Clock.

We Perform extensive testing on every Herschede Restoration

a proper restoration of a Herschede Tubular Bell Hall Clock can sometimes take a week of work. After the repair is completed, each clock is tested for a minimum of three months of working perfection. We do everything we can to ensure our customers that the clock is working perfectly before local delivery or pick up from hundreds of miles away. We can have as many as 6 Herschedes being tested at any one time.

In-home Grandfather Clock Repair by Master Clock Repair Central-Ohio’s most experienced certified clockmaker
In-home Grandfather Clock Repair by Master Clock Repair Central-Ohio’s most experienced certified clockmaker

We Can Restore Your Weight Shells

It is not unusual for the brass components on your Herschede clock, after years of mishandling, to become heavily tarnished. Below is a picture of part of the process as well as a before and after photo.

Master Clock Repair of Columbus, Ohio are specialists in Herschede Tubular Bell Clock Restorations

Weight Shells Before REfinishing

Weight Shells After REfinishing

Christian Removing the old lacquer from a tarnished weight shell

Photos of Herschedes We Have Restored

Master Clock Repair of Columbus, Ohio is a company that repairs grandfather clocks. We are house call specialists!

Some of the many components that make up a nine tube Herschede. These parts have been cleaned, buffed and the pivots burnished.

The Beauty of a restored Herschede dial

Master Clock Repair of Columbus, Ohio is a company that repairs grandfather clocks. We are house call specialists!

Two restored Herschedes during testing phase, before dials are installed

Master Clock Repair of Columbus, Ohio is a company that repairs grandfather clocks. We are house call specialists!

Component parts of an unusual two weight, seven tube Herschede

Master Clock Repair of Columbus, Ohio is a company that repairs grandfather clocks. We are house call specialists!

This is a restored Herschede nine tube movement ready for final assembly before installing the front plate.

Restored Herschede Nine Tube Hall Clock Movement

We have repaired herschede Tubular Bell Hall Clocks for owners all over the United States.

We have had customers from Maine, New York, Virginia, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Florida, Texas, Indiana, West Virginia, North Dakota, all over Ohio and even Germany!

Partially Assembled, Restored Herschede Movement

Master Clock Repair of Columbus, Ohio are specialists in Herschede Tubular Bell Clock Restorations
Master Clock Repair of Columbus, Ohio are specialists in Herschede Tubular Bell Clock Restorations

Before and After Photos of Restored Chime

super Structure

Before Restoration

Antique Clock Repair by Master Clock Repair of Columbus, Ohio

Disassembled and Cleaned

Antique Clock Repair by Master Clock Repair of Columbus, Ohio

After Restoration

Videos of Herschede Clocks in Action

Herschede Three Weight nine Tube

Close up of lever action during hour chime and strike. Only one tube was hung on this clock when the video was taken so you will not hear all the chimes.

Two Weight Five Tube Herschede Chiming Floor Clock

Most chime clocks have three weights, not two, making this tubular bell clock unique compared to most. The ingenuity behind the design is pretty amazing.

Close Up of Same Clock Above

This close up shows the unique mechanical characteristics of this movement.

What You Do Not Want!

Now that you have seen examples of how the work looks when done properly, we thought you might be interested to see some photos of Herschedes that have been repaired very poorly. The slide show below shows pictures of two different Herschede tubular bell movements that have been repaired by other shops. both of these movements came to us in the same year, and both show examples of, what is politely called “prick punching”.  for more shameful repairs please visit our “Hall of Shame” page.

Shameful Herschede Repairs

  • Don’t pay for this shameful clock work. Get it done right at Master Clock Repair in Columbus, Ohio.

    Heavy prick punching under the winding arbors.

  • Don’t pay for this shameful clock work. Get it done right at Master Clock Repair in Columbus, Ohio.

    The rectangular black marks are the prick punching.

  • Don’t pay for this shameful clock work. Get it done right at Master Clock Repair in Columbus, Ohio.

    I have never seen such deep and large punch marks. These scars are the result of an amatuer's attempt a repairing a worn bearing hole.

  • Don’t pay for this shameful clock work. Get it done right at Master Clock Repair in Columbus, Ohio.

    This is the same movement as the previous three photos but with all the levers removed. You can see the extent of the damage that was done to this movement.

  • Don’t pay for this shameful clock work. Get it done right at Master Clock Repair in Columbus, Ohio.

    This photo and the next three, are of a different movement. The punch marks on this movement look like they were made with a screw driver blade.

  • Don’t pay for this shameful clock work. Get it done right at Master Clock Repair in Columbus, Ohio.

    This is the front view of the same movement. Look for the black lines next to the round holes.

  • Don’t pay for this shameful clock work. Get it done right at Master Clock Repair in Columbus, Ohio.

    This photo shows a badly damaged eccentric bushing at the top right.

  • Don’t pay for this shameful clock work. Get it done right at Master Clock Repair in Columbus, Ohio.

    The triangular shape in the middle of the photo is more signs of prick punching. The shame is these marks are also on the inside of the plates. This means that someone went to the trouble to take it apart but did not bother to use proper bushings.

Outside of Ohio, but Would Still Like to Have us Restore your Herschede Tubular Bell Clock?

We repair Herschede clocks for people all over the United States. If you are outside of Ohio, we are willing to help, but only if you are able to both deliver and pick up the clock from us. We do not ship clocks. I know it seems crazy, but people drive from a thousand miles away or more to bring us their clocks. It is, however, always preferable to find a qualified person nearby, in case a warranty problem might arise. Unfortunately, for far too many people, there is no good local option.

If you find yourself in this position, please email us before calling as we have a document we can email you that will answer many of your questions, including cost and backlogs. Simply request the “Herschede, Outside of Ohio” document using the email form on our “contact us” page.