Customer Reviews

Clock Repair: Basics

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I found this book to be invaluable tool in my endeavor to learn about clock repair. Steven Conover's book covers the basic areas the every person needs to know to repai clocks with good descriptions and many photos and drawings. A must have for anyone entering into the field of clock repair.

This book was given out at a clock repair course I took and I found it to be very helpful and informative to me since I was an absolute beginner in clock repair.

Although it is advertised as being a folder type book, I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't bound like other books for the price. There are approximately 90 pages of information, including diagrams and photos (all black and white). The contents appear to cover everything an amateur would need to know. However, I found it not as basic as I would like. A chapter detailing the various parts that make up the clock mechanism and written in layman's terms would have been of value. The information that the book contains appears to have been taken from a book that is more advanced, then excerpts put under various headings in this book. It also tends to presume that you have experience with various tools such as lathes and bushing tools etc. If you know something already about how clocks work, then this book would be O.K to have in your library. If, like me, you were really looking for the very basics of clock repair and although you want to learn you have no initial knowledge, then this book is still a bit too advanced.

Goes into great detail on what's needed to repair clocks and how to do it. This is probably the best basic book I have seen and has given me the confidence to tackle one.

I bought this book along with several others to learn how to care for my small collection of mechanical clocks. This book was right on the mark for a beginning student of clocks! His discussions are not too deep and contain adequate pictures and diagrams to help explain his points. His first chapter on tools and subsequent chapters on the various repairs does leave the novice frustrated at times suggesting that many of the repair tasks for clocks requires an expanse of expensive specialized tools [bushing machine, jeweler's lathe, milling machine]. More emphasis on basic hand tool use would be helpful in his discussions. His chapter on five starter clocks provided insightful troubleshooting for the type clocks he suggests starting with and working up to. Overall, a great starter book! I plan to buy his "Chime Clock Repair" book and those that are interested in learning more about advanced repairs and lathe use would do well in buying Steve's "Clock Repair Skills". His books have good pictures/illustrations and have clear large print. They are bound with plastic spiral binding, which allows for open book referral while at the work bench.