How do I fix my over wound west minster clock .
That's all I know at the moment that is wrong with it.

margaret S. Collins, March 2011

If the clock has done quite a few years service, there may be another factor contributing to the problem.
As the shafts of the wheels turn in their holes in the frame, they gradually wear the holes into an oval shape, and the gears don't mesh properly, increasing the load on the gear train.
A clockmaker would fit inserts to repair the oval holes, and it could run for another fifty years or so.
The overwinding would be remedied during the dismantling for this procedure.

Munro, May 2011

Another idea came to me during the night ... once you have oiled the clock put it into a polyethene bag and then into the deep freeze ... then warm it up over a radiator ... then back to the freeze - repeat this several times. The expension and contraction of the spring might just free the mechanism . . if not sorry - wait for next answer.

Nyge, April 2011

The problem here is that the coils of the spring exert a force on eachother that is large enough to reduce the torsional force that the spring needs to make the clock function.
I can only suggest using some penetrating oil as opposed to common oil to reduce this force between coils. Be sure to keep your fingers well away from the spring.
The other thing I suggest is to rotate the clock backwards and forwards with a twisting motion along the axis of the spring wheel (which should go backwrds and forwards under the action of the escapement wheel) - when you feel you have done this enough and the clock still doesn't work then give up!

Nyge, March 2011