Before starting: take photographs. Label each weight with its position (left, centre or right, seen from the front), because weights often differ and hanging them wrong stops the clock or its chime. If the clock is valuable or fragile, or the movement is loose in the case, use a specialist clock mover.
1. Stop the clock and remove the pendulum. Open the case door, gently stop the pendulum, and lift it off its suspension hook. Do not pull downwards. Lift it slightly up, then out. The thin suspension spring is easily bent or broken.
2. Remove the weights. Lift each weight up and off its hook, supporting the cable or chain. On cable-driven clocks, keep the cables taut as the weights come off. Wedge rolled paper or foam around the cable drums, or use cable retainers, so the cables do not jump off the pulleys and tangle.
3. Secure the chimes and the movement. Tie or pad the chime rods or tubes so they cannot swing and hit each other. Tubular chimes should be taken down and wrapped individually. If the movement sits loose on the seatboard, or the hood slides off, remove the hood before moving. If you are unsure, have a clockmaker take the movement out.
4. Pack and carry. Wrap the pendulum, weights and hood separately in blankets. Move the case upright where possible. If it must be tipped, lay it on its back on padding, never on its face. Always have at least two people.
5. Setting up again. Place the case on a firm floor and make it level and steady, using shims if needed. A wobbling case stops the clock. Hang the weights in their labelled positions, rehang the pendulum carefully, and start it swinging. Listen for an even 'tick-tock'. An uneven beat means the clock needs setting in beat, which is often done by slightly adjusting the crutch or the case level.
After a long-distance move or a period in storage, it is sensible to have a clockmaker check the clock before running it regularly.