How to transport 300 year old grandfather clock?

[spitfire]

Stick it to the Man and his petit bourgeois 'rules'.

I suppose if you grab a tug* off an artic then it could save a few quid hiring a van.


*ooh matron etc.

 

[WouldBe]

Long case clocks get to be 300 years old because they are surprisingly resilient.

Ours is a mere 170 years old.

And don't tend to get moved much.

 

[spitfire]

And don't tend to get moved much.

That's because skateboards were only invented relatively recently.

 

[Aladdin]

Don't even think about dismantling it yourself and reassembling it if it's valuable.

I'd be inclined to get a specialist firm in to shift it and reassemble it afterwards.

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The dismantling isnt literally taking every bit of it apart...but you do need to remove the weights and pendulum.
Sometimes the top part of the case can be removed from the neck and base. My da has moved quite a few long case clocks. Always dismantling them to this extent and wrapping everything in felt blankets or old woolen ones. Plus tying them in the back of truck. Never had any issues and that's on some dodgy Irish roads.

 

[WouldBe]

Anyway aren't they supposed to stop, never to go again when the owner dies?

 

[Elpenor]

Anyway aren't they supposed to stop, never to go again when the owner dies?

Till they strike 13 at the witching hour

100% get someone professional to move it - and then potentially consider servicing it - especially if it has sentimental value.

I was given a grandfather clock once, my mums friend had inherited it and didn’t want it.

unfortunately it later stopped working and now it stands unused in my dads garage. I don’t have room for it now and tbh wouldn’t want it even if I did. If anyone wants it and can collect from south Kent I can probably sort it out for you

 

[trabuquera]

Obviously you need a professional. But the idea of constructing a mini pontoon on wheels for it by wiring 3 shopping trolleys together side by side is appealing.

 

[A380]

This guy has experience of moving grandfather clocks...

(you could say he's a master...)

 

[pug]

when I moved one the pendulum and weights came off easily then the top with the clock mechanism inside it came off, the whole thing went in an estate car no problems they got a professional to service it when they got it in place.

 

[tim]

Long case clocks get to be 300 years old because they are surprisingly resilient.

Ours is a mere 170 years old.

To transport it from Leeds to Worcester I disconnected the pendulum and the weights, stood the clock up in the Luton van I'd hired, and made damn sure it was securely strapped upright.

George Formby Senior was convinced of their resilience.

 

[pinkmonkey]

When we cleared out El Jugs dads house, him and his brother followed a youtube video to dismantle and pack it. It went in the hired van. His brother paid for a local clock shop to put it together at his house and there was nothing wrong with it.

 

[Red Cat]

what's the story with the clock if you don't mind me asking. my ancestors were clock makers and my dad has a clock made by one of them. I've developed an interest as a result.

I'll find out, its my partners family, its his dad's, all i know is its a John Knibbs.

 

[friedaweed]

Reminds me of waking up one morning to find that I'd bought an AGA for £50 on ebay. 5 minutes on you tube and I found a video entitled "2 fat lads move an aga". That's when I realised I needed my brothers help.

 

[Steel Icarus]

Just look for advice on TikTok.

 

[Elpenor]

There was a memorable thread involving the logistics of transporting an enormous aga or similar into someone’s basement flat

 

[savoloysam]

300 years old?

Surely it's at least a great great great grandfather's clock?

 

[pinkmonkey]

Reminds me of waking up one morning to find that I'd bought an AGA for £50 on ebay. 5 minutes on you tube and I found a video entitled "2 fat lads move an aga". That's when I realised I needed my brothers help.

You can fix/sort anything by following YouTube tutorials. I showed my mum and she started off by looking up how to get stains out of the carpet. BUT I was alarmed when she announced she'd fixed the central heating boiler. No mum, not like that!

 

[High Voltage]

Just letting you know, the ticking will drive you nuts . . . probably better to junk the old clockwork motion and bung in a nice quiet, and accurate, quartz one . . . just remember to weigh in the weights, you might get a few bob if they're lead

 

[WouldBe]

Just letting you know, the ticking will drive you nuts . . . probably better to junk the old clockwork motion and bung in a nice quiet, and accurate, quartz one . . . just remember to weigh in the weights, you might get a few bob if they're lead

You could keep one for self defence.

 

[lazythursday]

I would think hard about whether you really want one of these contraptions in your home. They make loads of noise. They need endless careful winding. The failure of yourself to wind the bloody thing could be a major factor in the breakdown of your relationship. In my experience.

 

[High Voltage]

I would think hard about whether you really want one of these contraptions in your home. They make loads of noise. They need endless careful winding. The failure of yourself to wind the bloody thing could be a major factor in the breakdown of your relationship. In my experience.

Hence the suggestion of the quartz motion

 

[StoneRoad]

For something important like that, a specialist removal business is the way to go.

Once it's up & running you'll probably find the sound remarkably soothing.
There's enough human hum in Brum for a clock ticking to fade into the background for most of the day.

 

[ChrisD]

We are looking after a neighbours clock at the moment...I was surprised at how light it was ( except for one v large weight). She and her sister carried it across the road in bits and reassembled it...but didn’t actually start it ticking etc as she thought it would annoy us.

 

[moochedit]

My grandad had one and when he died my brother had it but it didn't quite survive being moved from London to the midlands as the chimes sound a bit "off" so something got a bit damaged in transit.

I don't think it's that valuable or old though.

 

[a_chap]

Can I please say to all these people with unwanted long case clocks: send them to me.

I'd be happy to house them in Chap Towers....