Clock Repairing as a Hobby: An Illustrated How-To Guide for the Beginner [Paperback]

Harold C. Kelly (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 17, 2007

All of the precise and delicate gears and levers in a clock can appear dizzying to the amateur, but this guide, with its wonderfully detailed diagrams, can clear things up. It covers the theory behind clock movement and design, including the particulars of escapements, pendulums, balance wheels, and even the sheet music for popular chimes. The American striking clock, the 400-day clock, and the alarm clock receive special attention. The in-depth information, including explanations of clock repairing terminology and details on the tools, materials, and supplies that are needed for success, will benefit even skilled enthusiasts.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Harold C. Kelly was an expert on clock and watch repair, and wrote several books on clock repairing, including Clock Repairing as a Hobby, Watch Repairing for Beginners and the classic book Watch Repair.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing (September 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 160239153X
• ISBN-13: 978-1602391536
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #58,565 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Precious Metals
  • #8 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Clocks & Watches

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WONDERFUL BOOK FOR THE BEGINNIG HOBBYIST, July 15, 2009

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Clock Repairing as a Hobby: An Illustrated How-To Guide for the Beginner (Paperback)

The work being reviewed here is the 1972 Edition. There have been two or three reprints of this work throughout the years but about all that has changed is the cover.

There are a couple of considerations that need to be addressed in reviewing this work. First, this is a work, as stated on the cover and in the preface, "....for the beginner." It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that a complete course in clock repair and building can not be covered in 124 pages, and that is 124 pages of a rather small book. Secondly, this book was first published in 1972 which makes it 37 years old at the time of this review. This is okay though due to the fact that most of the clocks targeted in this book are well over 100 years old and the principles and techniques that worked in 1972 still work just as well today. Hey folks, we are not talking about a book here that teaches you to change batteries in ten dollar digital watches. Good grief, throw the bloody thing away and buy a new one (after you properly dispose of the battery of course, and not just send it to the landfill where it will add to the poison that will haunt your great, great, great grandchildren). Once again...this book is strictly for the beginner and concept and theory has not changed in well over 200 years, much less in thirty. The information here is not outdated. Now that being said:

I love this old book. I have been fascinated with clocks since I was a wee one and was the bane of my father's existence as I would dismantle every clock in the house as fast as he could replace them. The problem came in when it was found that I was unable to put them back together. I love niggle little work, fine work, and he use to take me to his office that he shared with my grandfather. It was a dental office and they use to let me practice making dentures, partials, filling pulled teeth, and repairing such. Again, the problem came when I started taking apart their expensive dental equipment (I wanted to see how it worked), and again,I was not real good at putting in back together.

Over the years I have collected old clocks; you know the kind, the wonderful old windups that you found on your grandmothers mantel. I have only one requirement when I purchase these clocks...they must NOT be in working condition! A working clock is a wonderful thing, it is like magic, but it is even more wonderful and wondrous if you know you are the one to make it so, i.e. work.

This little volume covers basic clock movement, both theory and design, and practical clock repairing. I found that the section addressing the pendulum and the various variations of particular use. The author uses simple and for the most part nontechnical language to explain the complex workings of these machines, and explains them at the level that a beginner can easily understand. Wonderfully simple schematic drawings are provided. In the section devoted to the chimes and chiming mechanisms the author has even provided the sheet music for several popular (Whittington chime as an example) sounds. This, to be quite frank, is rather unique.

I love the section devoted to practical repairing. The author has given us a complete rundown on all of the tools needed for your hobby. We also provided with a very nice explanation as to what each tool us used for and how to use it. The author has even gone into quite a bit of detail as to the work bench which (and trust me here) is quite important. The book does discuss the lathe and grinding wheels, but to be honest with you, if the repair requires machining special parts I am way over my head in this area and I simply take that part of the task to a professional.

Now most of what I have learned has been completely self-taught. The author has stressed the importance of cleaning and maintenance. I learned long, long ago that many fine old clock that do not work and have not worked for years upon years can be purchased from the unwary for the price of a few cups of coffee, taken home and given a good cleaning, which takes very little time, and resold for enough to buy whole bunches of other old "broken" clocks! I know, I am a terrible person, but you know, business is business. If this book has one weak area for the beginner or hobbyist, it is the fact that is does not put enough emphasis on cleaning or cleaning techniques. There are other books out there that cover that and of course there is the thrill of simply learning it yourself.

Is this the only book you will need to pursue this hobby? Heavens no! Will this work turn you into a master craftsman or woman overnight in the field of clock repair? Nope! Is this the best book out there for the beginner? I haven't a clue as I have not read all of them or used all of them. Did this book work for me? Yes. It has given me all the basic I needed and I have found that if I need more information I need to find "clock specific" literature on the particular piece I am working on and in many cases have to go directly to the manufacturer. Or I find that being a complete pest pays off big time. When I get in trouble I simply pester local professionals and wheedle information out of them a bit at a time.

Am I good at this hobby? Hardly, there is so much to know and learn, but I do enjoy learning it and I do enjoy fiddling with the things. It is a good thing though that I do not have to make a living working on clocks...there would be great hunger and poverty in the family if I did. Anyway, this is a good book and I do recommend it.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not the whole story, February 5, 2010

By 

toughcrowd - See all my reviews

This review is from: Clock Repairing as a Hobby: An Illustrated How-To Guide for the Beginner (Paperback)

Part of the way into Goodrich's "The Modern Clock," I realized I needed to start with a text that didn't assume the reader already works in a clock repair shop. There being several options, I decided to check a few out of the library before buying. Kelly's "Clock Repairing as a Hobby" was one of the ones that was available. It is definitely better suited to the beginner than Goodrich. It defines many of the parts and describes the workings, and also gives basic advice on how to proceed in clock repairs. I'd rate it as useful, but uneven and insufficient. Some clock parts are mentioned in the text or appear in a drawing (e.g., "cannon pinion") but are never defined. There are drawings of several escapements or striking mechanisms, but the reader is left to imagine how the parts move relative to each other based on the description in the text. For a beginner's book like this one, a drawing showing several states of the mechanism would be much more appropriate. Several basic concepts, like how the "lift" is distributed between the pallet faces and escape gear teeth, or what is meant by the "run of the lock" are never touched on at all! If I hadn't already seen an Internet-based animation of the deadbeat escapement, I wouldn't have a clue how it worked based on the description in Kelly! So I'm going to keep looking for a better book.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for cuckoo clocks, November 8, 2009

By 

J. Lewis "JT" (Colorado) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Clock Repairing as a Hobby: An Illustrated How-To Guide for the Beginner (Paperback)

Book seems fine unless you are looking for a book to repair cuckoo clocks...which I was. I searched for "cuckoo clock repair" and this came up. Seems like a fine book, but is useless to me.