Quote:
Originally Posted by Nickthedentist
You then need to let down the mainspring. This is not difficult but needs practice to do safely and can end in tears if it goes wrong. Hold the movement firmly on the bench, insert the winding key fully, turn it a fraction clockwise to release the click, then use the thumb of your left hand to hold the click out of the way of the ratchet and allow the key to turn half a turn anticlockwise. Ensure the click is holding the ratchet again, then let go, give your hands a break for a few seconds, then repeat until the spring is unwound. DON'T LET GO WHILE THE CLICK IS DISENGAGED! Then, remove the ratchet from the winding arbor to ensure that any residual energy in the spring can't do any damage.
Nick.
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Your advice Nick comes at an appropriate time for me. I've done gramophone springs but never clock springs. I have a Westminster chime clock with 3 springs to let down and was thinking of making a crank handled device out of a comms. receiver knob to smoothly rotate it all the way down but your method wouldn't take too long and save me a job. Many thanks.
Jim