Clock Tips

Every child in high school learns that a pendulum’s rate of swing (period) is proportional to its length. This is the only factor that affects the period. Galileo discovered this in 1582.

Today’s grandfather clocks are the descendents of William Clement’s clock from 1670. He had discovered that a longer pendulum meant more accurate timekeeping. The long pendulum had to be enclosed to prevent children (and adults) playing with it. Hence the long-case clock was invented. The name Grandfather Clock comes from Henry Work’s 1875 song, “My Grandfather’s Clock.”

If your parents or grandparents had a grandfather clock you are certain to remember it well. Its sounding of every hour with a tremendously resonant goooooonnnngg, the way it kept you awake all night until you were used to it, the daily winding ritual, its sheer presence. Memories of these fantastic historical clocks are held precious by more than one generation.

Modern homes are often too small to accommodate a grandfather clock easily, but it is worth the effort necessary to fit one in. It makes a much more attractive feature than a 45 inch television, and homes were never designed to accommodate one of those either.

Some people buy one to remind them of their youth, or perhaps, to give their children similar fantastic memories of the sight, sound and presence of this amazing timepiece.

You can build your own grandfather, or long case, clock from plans or kits. The kits come in a variety of finishes, from blond pine to darkest rosewood. The plans will include cutting lists for timber that is required.

The one thing you absolutely must do before you buy a clock, or kit is to listen to its chimes. If you cannot find a clock made from the kit you have chosen, then choose another kit. Clocks made from kits and plans will vary in tone, because of differences in resonance qualities caused by differing woods and construction skill levels.

You are going to live with this for a many years; you have to like the sound of your clock.

About the Author:

Ciara McGrath has four teenage daughters. For more articles click here. For more home info visit Grandfather clocks and Interior Designer.

Written By: Ciara McGrath

In some places, one might be able to find old men bent over tables with all of the knowledge, expertise and inventory of parts that are necessary to fix a broken or malfunctioning cuckoo clock. For those of us who don’t have the time or desire to seek out such eccentric craftsmen, the Internet has become a haven for locating and purchasing any of the hundreds of individual minute pieces that make up a Black Forest cuckoo clock. You may find, however, that purchasing small replacement parts and having them shipped to your house is more expensive than the total cost of replacing your worn cuckoo clock with a new one. For those who have become attached to their old clocks, however, and also for those interested in creating their own working cuckoo clocks, the Internet holds a wealth information regarding parts, suppliers and the construction of the inner workings of cuckoo clocks, from the simplest to the most elaborate.

One key site for these types of purchases, clockworks.com, is a well-known supplier of clock parts to the repair industry. There you can find books on the history of almost any timepiece, manuals detailing the intricacies of their construction and almost all of the necessary parts to keep your cuckoo clock running perfectly for a long, long time. Working from pictures of the individual parts, clockworks.com makes it simple and easy to find the exact part you need, be it what actually imitates the sound of the cuckoo bird or what keeps accurate time. From bushings to bellows, from hands, to numerals, to special cuckoo epoxy, everything can be found and ordered directly from this site. Should you have any questions, clockworks.com will quickly respond to your emails or phone calls with precise, accurate information regarding your request.

Short of getting on a plane from wherever you may be located and flying for hours into the Black Forest of Germany, renting a car, and traveling to one of the small towns dotted throughout the area to find the manufacturer of your particular cuckoo clock, the internet is the single best resource to find the parts necessary to keep your cuckoo clock running perfectly.

About the Author

Cuckoo Clocks Info provides detailed information on Black Forest, antique, and quartz cuckoo clocks, as well as parts, repair, movement, kits, manufacturer reviews, and advice on where to purchase discount clocks. Cuckoo Clocks Info is the sister site of Grandfather Clocks Web.

Written By: Kristy Annely

Since the beginning of civilization, humans have searched for a reliable way to keep track of the time. In the earliest days, months, seasons and years were tracked by careful monitoring of the phases of the moon. Later, the sun and stars were also used to help early people track the passing of time.

The Sumerians used the sundial to divide days into two-hour segments. The Egyptians created a device called Cleopatras needle to divide their days into two-hour segments while the ancient Romans devised a way of dividing time into night and day.

A pressing need for more precise measurements led to the invention of the water clock and then the hourglass. These inventions were limited as they relied on water and sand, respectively, to function. The search continued to search for a way of tracking time independent of the seasons or nature.

In 1582, Galileo discovered that a pendulum could be used to track time. He drew the first designs for a grandfather clock, though he did not build it. Finally, in 1656, Christiaan Huygens built the first known grandfather clock, putting Galileos discovery to use. Though the clock did not keep accurate time, it was a major breakthrough in timekeeping technology. Through the years, various inventors tried to improve on the design, but with little luck.

Finally, in 1670, William Clement discovered that the clocks worked better with a longer pendulum. Of course, this required a taller clock. Clement named his newly designed clocks long-case clocks. This was the predecessor of the grandfather clocks that we know today.

In 1875, Henry Work wrote the song My Grandfathers Clock and the name stuck and finally, after many years in the making, grandfather clocks were born.

Todays grandfather clocks rely on a pendulum attached to an anchor. The swinging pendulum causes the anchor to turn a gear, which in turn causes the clock to tick. A pair of weights further helps power the clock and keeps it from losing time. Although the technology has evolved over the years, the grandfather clocks of today still reflect the ingenuity of humans earliest ancestors.

About the Author

Grandfather Clocks Info provides detailed information on antique, contemporary, discount, English, and German grandfather clocks, as well as kits and repair information. Grandfather Clocks Info is the sister site of Cuckoo Clocks Web.

Written By: Kristy Annely