Grandaddy of them all

I know it seems very pretty, but nothing on this earth has caused me more stress lately than this grandfather clock. Specifically the moving of said clock. My grandmother had promised the clock to my father, and because he predeceased her she wanted me to have it when she died. But Grandma wanted to enjoy it herself until that day, so it was in her room at my aunt's house. Last Saturday--Valentine's Day--Robb and I went over to pick it up....chocolate cake in hand.

Have you ever moved a grandfather clock before? I didn't think much about the process until I started a little casual online research. Meaning, I googled "how to move a grandfather clock." That's when my stomach began doing flips. The more I learned, the more nervous I got. Moving that clock was like attempting to perform open heart surgery on a loved one at your home on your kitchen table. Blindfolded. So many vital, expensive things could go wrong.

Just in case you ever need to move a great big clock, here's how we did it. Please note that this is not an antique clock--if it had been, I might have had a stroke. Also, details vary from clock to clock, so I would advise consulting a grandfather clock professional or the manufacturer (and praying a lot) before you start. First, these are the supplies we took along with us:

2 pairs of cotton gloves
12 bath towels
1 roll of masking tape
1 roll of clear packing tape
3 cardboard boxes (that copy paper comes in)
1 black marker
1 quilt/comforter
1 roll of paper towels
several large Ziplock bags
1 chocolate cake (for my aunt, uncle & cousins)

1. Remove the bonnet/hood if possible. Ours was not removable, but I think that the top comes off of most antique clocks. (Do I need to mention that you should do this carefully. Truly, every step must be done CAREFULLY. It took us several hours of sweating and worrying to get to the point where we were ready to physically pick up the clock.) Pack the bonnet in cardboard box with lots of cushioning.

2. Remove the weights. Wind the clock about halfway up. Do not touch anything made of brass without gloves on, unless you really like to polish fingerprints off of brass. We wrapped each weight in paper towels and labeled the outside of the wrappings Left, Center, and Right. It is important you hang them back up in the right positions. (The might already be labeled on the bottom of each weight.) By the way, the weights are seriously heavy. The three of them together weigh almost as much as the clock case.

3. Secure the chains, we segregated the pair of chains for each weight by wrapping them in paper towels and securing the top of each bundle tightly with masking tape. The end result looks like three cocoons, but it is meant to prevent them from tangling with their neighbors. (You may also be able to lift out the clock movement, which will bring the chains with it. Ours did not lift out, so I cannot advise how this might go.)

4. Remove the pendulum. Depending on the location of your pendulum, you may have to do this before removing the weights. Ours was firmly behind the weights, so it came off after. Again, gloves on. Be mindful that the neck of the pendulum is very fragile, and you do not want to snap it in two. The pendulum was way longer than we expected. You need to transport it in something that will not flex or bend. We improvised a solution by flattening a large cardboard box on the floor and spreading a bath towel in it. Set the pendulum on that towel and covered it with another towel. Then we folded the sides of the flattened box up and around the pendulum bundle, securing it with packing tape. In the back of the pickup truck bed, we taped the pendulum package down to the floor so that it could not move during transit. There is probably a better method for this, but it worked.

5. Remove any shelves, ornaments, glass panels, wooden panels, etc.--anything that comes off of your clock. Wrap each of these individually and label them, so you will know where they go when you put it back together.

6. Lightly stuff the clock case with towels or blankets. Near the top and around the movement, we used crumpled paper towels so the weight of the packing materials would not damage the movement.

7. Don't forget to take out the door key and the winding key if you have them. Put them somewhere safe. It would suck to get this far and then manage lose the keys.

(Intermission: this is a good time to sit down and cut the cake. Trust me, you will need the blood sugar for the next couple steps.)

8. Now ideally a clock should be transported standing up, but then you risk it falling over and smashing. The next best option is flat on its back. Never face down or on either side, since they usually contain glass. We carried the clock upright to the door and left it standing there for a minute. Spread a thick quilt across the back of the truck. Gently tilt the clock backwards and carry to level to the truck. Set the clock on its back on the quilt. Wrap it up like a mummy. We put it on the truck foot-first, so when we strapped it down, the base of the clock case was against the flat surface at the back of the cab.

9. Tie down the clock. You don't want it to move, shift, or bounce in transit. Robb placed a strap around the top of the clock that would hold the foot tight against the back of the cab. And he also ran several straps across the front of the clock to hold it tight against the floor of the truck bed. Make sure that any ratchet-straps, hooks, and metal pieces of bungee cords are not up against the glass panels or the woodwork on the clock case. Before you take off, give the clock a couple test pushes--if it moves at all in any direction, then it is not secure enough yet.

10. Drive really, really slow. And take a nap once you get to your destination because you've earned it. :) We arrived safely with the clock and no damage. Whew! Now we just have to do it all again in six weeks. Ug!

If my description of the process has scared you off, then skip steps 1 through 10, and call a clock repairman to come move it for you.