More Problems
Hi steve! I successfully finished the clock but I am having major problems that I suspect are related to friction. The escapement sometimes stops, not the pallet, as in no power is being transmitted to the escapement. Any ideas about what I should do? Another problem I am having is sometimes the pendulum stops when the escapement still has power. Thanks for all your help. Any clue where and how I should minimize the friction?
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Break down each problem to be as small as possible.
Test each gear pair to see if they rotate smoothly or if there is any binding. Then install the entire gear train without the pallet. The escapement easily should spin with less than 1 pound on the string.
Take out the escapement and test the pendulum free swing time. If it takes less than 5 minutes for the amplitude to degrade from 8 degrees to less than 1 degree, then look for friction in the bearings or the arbor passing through the frame.
Also, double check that the pendulum and pallet are rigidly attached. The clock can lose a lot of energy if one of the shaft collars is loose. A bit of glue to hold the shaft collar firm might help.
Good luck with the debug.
Steve