Customer Reviews

The Clock Repairer's Handbook

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

 

 

I have read the Penman book twice - cover to cover. I refer to it now and then when I want to look up something. This is a great book for the beginning, amateur, or hobbist clock maker/worker like myself. It has lots of tips you just don't see in other books. Down to earth stuff. I especially liked the last chapter on tools. Great to read to find out what kind of tools you might want to buy or make. All in all I highly recommend this book.

As a beginner in clock repair I found this book to be invaluable. Although there is alot of technical information, which isn't necessary to an amateur, I have been able to repair 7 mantel clocks which could not have been fixed by 'trial and error'. This book really gives on insight to the internal workings of mechanical clocks and should be in any amatuers library.

I have to say I was impressed with this book. The opening chapter describes how to find clock faults; this might seem trivial until you come across a clock that has no obvious fault. Laurie takes you though some great practises for isolating a problem. Whilst (yes I'm a fellow Englishman) not a particularly entertaining book it covers many topics of clock theory in great depth. I would recommend this book for the enthusiastic novice thru to the hardened collector. For the casual clock novice, unless you have a sleeping problem, I would suggest finding some easier reading.

I hope this helps you in your decision ...

While this book is chock-full of valuable information, the presentation leaves much to be desired.

Claiming to be a book that is suitable for the novice, it never once defines the terms used within the text. Fortunately, the terms are defined in the glossary at the back of the book. To be fair, it should also be noted that some of the terms used are "Brit Speak". However, contrary to other reviews listed here on Amazon, the difficultly one finds in reading this book is not due to the language differences, it is simply poorly written.

The style of writing is more or less friendly and conversational which, in itself, is fine. But this seems to have lured the author into writing text which is difficult to follow and provides incomplete, disjointed descriptions of the components or actions discussed. I found myself having to re-read sentences just to get an understanding of the thought that the author was trying to communicate.

I will also add my voice to those reviewers who find that the "over three hundred line drawings" found in the book are inadequate at best. Perhaps fine for a first edition (1985), they are certainly not what I would expect for the second copyright edition (2010). In fact, it would be interesting to know if there were any changes made to the 2010 edition other the repackaging. The use of some drawings is fine and appropriate, but there are obvious places in the book where photographs would have proven significantly more useful.

Another example of where the author has obviously lost the direction or purpose of the book is where in the introduction he states, "it is not necessary to invest in a workshop ... , good work can be done at the kitchen table with simple, good household tools." Oh, really! Why then, in the first chapter, does he talk about repairing worn pivots and pivot holes, resurfacing pallets, repairing lantern pinions, and making new gears? Also in the first chapter we find the formula you need for cutting new gears, OD=(N+f)X Mod. And that is supposed to help the novice, how? Most old clocks have been neglected and are quite dirty, I don't believe I would even want to clean an antique clock in the kitchen let alone resurface its pallets, I know my wife wouldn't appreciate it.

All in all, it seems the author tried to be all things to all people and suceeded in neither. Instead, what results is a good first cut at an Advanced Clock Repair book, a great deal of information, but poorly presented. Attempting to write a book for two such disparate audiences was a mistake. Either pick one audience, split the book into increasingly more advanced sections, or write two books. And then, don't publish the first draft, send it to an editor.

A very concise and detailed book, with many simple graphics but no photographs and certainly not of use to the novice who just wants to clean up and maintain a collection of old clocks.

Excellent book!! Very detailed. It will require study, but is easily understood. And it's ALL in there- ftom nubie to expert. I've purchased 5 books, and this is the last one. I'll never need another.

The Clock Repairer's Handbook by Laurie Penman If you own a goo clock (especially a grandfather clock or other keepsake one) this book is a MUST for you, since clock-repairers are a rare breed in today's world. With the invention of cheap clocks and watches that are easier to throw away than to repair, few people became clock makers, formerly one of the most important crafts in the world. Now, if your heirloom clock ceases to work there is no one to repair it. With this excellent, illustrated, step-by-step guide book, even a novice or beginner can build or repair a clock using the most basic tools which you probably already have in your home. Penman has been repairing clocks for over thirty years and has authored three other books on the subject . The worod is very fortunate that he has shared his expertise in a form that every home can keep, just in case! EXCELLENT!

this book is very nice but too advanced and detailed for me. it is nice reading, but not much i can use. i want symptoms and remedies not all theory and technicals.

I HAVE RECENTLY ACQUIRED A COUPLE OF OLD WIND UP CLOCKS AND WANTED TO BE BETTER INFORMED ABOUT HOW THEY WORK. iT IS WRITEN BY AN ENGLISHMAN SO IT IS A LITTLE HARD TO UNDERSTAND AT TIMES, BUT HE DOES KNOW HIS CLOCKS

I bought this book along with several others to learn about basic clock repair to maintain and repair my small collection of mechanical clocks. The organization of topics is very logical, first starting with clock troubleshooting. His first chapter does assume a working knowledge of clock part terminology that,at times, leaves the novice lost. More pictures of his discussion points would have been helpful here. However,follow-on chapters on the various components of the clock movement and their repair is excellent. I would suggest anyone just starting to learn clock repair read Steven G. Conover's "Clock Repair Basics" prior to reading this handbook. This will provide much needed basic terminology with pictures/diagrams to help learn the parts breakdown.Laurie Penman's handbook is a good buy to add knowledge and repair processes. His repair techniques involve more hand tool useage than many repairers do, allowing the novice to obtain basic repair tools to address many of the minor adjustments and repairs to clock movements. His chapter on tools clearly outlines the uses for the more expensive and elaborate tools: lathe; depthening tool and bushing tool; thus giving the novice a better understanding of repair limitations without additional tool investment.