Grandmother Clock Kit GMKIT4

Chain Driven, Westminster Clock Kit
This quality grandmother clock kit has a Westminster chime movement that it progressively at the quarter hours. Then it will strike out the hourly count when its done with the chime. It includes a phase of the moon dial, and a chime silence switch.

This is a nice clock kit size that will work with Grandmother or Grandfather clock cases. The clock case would need to be able to except the movements minimum space requirements as indicated on the picture.

The Pendulum Length Options
The length of the pendulum comes in a few options. The Germans measure the pendulum length from the top of the movement and all the way down to the bottom of the pendulums rating nut threads. So this measurement is the pendulum itself from tip to tip off of the clock, the leader it hangs on, and the suspension that the leader hangs on. All three components in centimeters make up that CM length in the drop down menu.

If you want to know how long the actual pendulum is, subtract 15CM from the options with the pendulum length. This will exclude the leader and suspension, and be the actual pendulum length from tip to tip off of the clock. This length can vary as if a larger pendulum bob is selected, the actual length of the pendulum gets longer. Why the CM length matters at all is because if the pendulum length is not near the CM length of the movement, the clock will not keep time. So the gearing in the movement and the pendulum length works together to keep time around the specified CM length.

The bob width Options
The "Bob" is the round disc at the bottom of the pendulum, it can be a variety of widths. To select the width of the bob, you need to first measure how wide the waist of the clock is. The bob size selected should have at least two inches on each side to swing back and forth.

Assistance = 800-381-7458

Grandmother clock kit
  • German Movement
  • Westminster Chime
  • Silent Switch
  • Chain Driven
  • Moon Phase Dial
  • Wood Stick Pendulum
  • 2-year warranty

Listen to Westminster


Components are installed in this order

1. Chimeblock

Chimeblock Description
The chimeblock will mount to the back of the clock case by the included hardware. It has 8 premounted, pretuned chime rods and an overall length of about 27 inches through the block.

Chimeblock Installation
The back of the clock case will only need the four holes drilled to mount this. The bolts have a flat head screw driver slot on the ends, they go through the washer and install from the back of the case to the inside. The washers keep the bolts from going through the wood back and they thread right into the chimeblock. Sometimes it is good to have a spacer block mounted on the inside of the clock case where the chimeblock will mount. Keep in mind that the chime blocks positioning only has to be approximate as the movements hammers are meant to be bent into final position. What this means is it does not have to be dead on, just pretty close to where the movements hammers will be. It should be positioned so the tops of the hammer heads are about 1/2 or 1 inch down from the block that the chimerods come out of. The final adjustment will come later when you bend the hammer wires as to make the head about 1/8 away from the chime rod. This spacing between the head and the rod is so it will not thud or double hit. If you just do each hammer so it sounds good down the line, you will have a nice song at the end.


2. Movement

Movement Description
The chain driven Westminster movement will run 8 days on a single wind up. It comes factory oiled and ready for installation. It includes its chains, mounting screws and washers, the leader, the suspension spring, hand nut and moon dial gear. It has two square shaped outer plates made of brass with the puzzle of gearing between them, and then it has the hammers on the back, 4 on one side for the chime and 4 on the other for the strike.

Movement Installation
The movement will need a seat board to mount on. A seat board can consist of only two parallel board strips that are approximately 2 x 2 square. These two boards run along the bottom of the hood of the case, spaced about 1 inch apart. The front plate of the movement sits on one board while the back plate sits on the other. The chains drop down between the boards to suspend the movement in the air where everything else will dangle from it. The movement is secured from underneath with the included two screws and rectangle washers. The washers are rectangle as it will clamp each seat board while the screw goes up to the movements bottom pillar post's threaded hole.


3. Moon Dial

Dial Description
Includes a standard sized 11 x 15 1/2 dial that can be used in a grandmother or grandfather sized case. The silver and brass tone dial has raised numerals. It has a moving moon phase function that works with the included moon drive gear.

Dial Installation
1. The Moon Gear.
The first thing is to mount the moon gear to the movement. It will be a single loose gear with a big hole in the center, included with your shipment. Note this gear has a small set screw on the side of it, sometimes two of them. This gear will go over the post that the clocks hour hand will go, and then tightened via the set screw. It may take a couple of tries to get the height correct on this post. What it has to do is mesh with the gearing on the back of the clock dial only.
2. The Selector Switch.
Next find the small steel arm that is about 1 1/2 inches in length with a set screw. This will go on the arm coming out of the clock movements right hand side. That is to say, your right as you face the front of the clock movement there is an arm sticking out the movement. The selector arm gets put on by sliding over that larger arm and secured with the set screw. It may or may not already be mounted on the movement, but if it is not, it only needs to be able to come through the slot at 3 o'clock. This will enable the customer to change the chime to silent.
3. The Moon Dial.
Mounting the dial is easy as it has four posts on the back that lock into the movement. Do not touch the dial with your bare hands as you can discolor it. It is best to use gloves or a rag to handle it. Line up the clocks hand shaft to the hole in the center of the dial and then line up the posts with the holes in the movement. At this point the dial is on the clock but it's not secured. There are two ways to secure the dial, one style has locking arms on the back of the front plate of the movement that slide over the end of the dial post to lock it tight. This is if both the dial and the movement are made this way. The other way this is done, there maybe holes in the ends of the dial post feet where an included tapered pin will go through the hole after it's on the movement. Sometimes the dial will be made with the holes in the end of the posts, and sometimes it will just get locked into the movement with the arms.


4. Hour and Minute Hands

Hands Description
Black Serpentine style hour and minute hands sized for the dial diameter.

Hand Installation
The hour hand has a round hole and is only a friction fit onto the post. It will be able to move forward or backward to adjust the time. The minute hand has a 2mm square hole in the rotatable mounting bushing. The minute hand is secured with the included minute hand nut. If the clock ends up chiming at other times than the quarters, do the following. Take the minute hand off of the clock, this is the longer of the two hands. With this minute hand off of the clock, turn it upside down, you will see it has a square hole where it attaches to the clock. Well this square hole is in a bushing that will rotate WITHIN the minute hand itself. So just use needle nose pliers to turn this bushing so the square in the bushing rotates. Then put the hand back on the clock and see if it is pointing to the correct place where it chimed. Then set to time.


6. Pendulum

Pendulum Description
The wood stick pendulum will come unstained so it can be stained like the case on the customers end. It is a simple design that is good for the rustic antique style look.

Pendulum Installation
The wood stick style pendulum will include the bob included separate in the packaging. The bob will need to be mounted to the bottom of the sticks rating nut threads, with the nut on the threads to secure it. This is called the rating assembly and it holds the pendulum bob on and is used to adjust the time keeping of the clock. If you turn the nut at the bottom as to raise the pendulum bob a little, this will speed up time. Reverse for slowing of time.

After the movement is in, its only a matter of hanging the pendulum on its leader. The term leader is that pendulum hanger on the back of the movement that swings back and forth. Be gentle with the pendulum and leader, no violent moves, just hang it on there and then stop the pendulum from wobbling around.


7. Weights

Weights Description
The kit includes three polished brass tone weights that are 47mm in diameter. The weights are shipped complete with fillers already assembled. Please note, these are tricky to ship as upon shifting back and forth sometimes the end caps get slightly damaged or concave. If this is the situation just let us know and we will ship out new end caps free of charge.

Weight Installation
Do not touch the weights with your bare hands as you can discolor them. It is best to use gloves or a rag to handle them. These weights may or may not all weigh the same, usually they do not. If they do not, the heaviest weight goes on your right as you face the clock. Out of the two that are left, if there is one lighter weight, this will go on your left as you face the clock. The reason for the inconsistency of the weight specifications is due to factors such as pendulum bob diameter and also the weights function. To hang the weights on is easy, there are three chains with the clock that loop over there sprockets in the movement. Just hang the weight on the side of the chain that has the hook on it, and then stop it from wobbling around.