Customer Reviews

Wooden Clocks: 31 Favorite Projects & Patterns (Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Book)

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

 

 

I was very disappointed when this book arrived. I had assumed, based on the cover, that it would include plans and techniques for building working wooden clocks. By and large it does not.

This is very specifically a book for scroll saw enthusiasts. What this means is that most of the book consists of patterns to cut out of sheets of wood into which existing self-contained clock mechanisms are inserted. The wooden mechanical clock on the cover is not at all representative of the contents.

In fairness, there is one project with plans for building the depicted wooden clock, and it makes for an interesting ten or twelve pages. However, even this is a disappointment; the plans are by and large not dimensioned, simply being templates to be photocopied. I can understand this for some of the more complicated parts, but surely it wouldn't hurt to tell us how long each of the (numerous) axles are? Some of the construction of the body of the clock also seems suspect, with key joints being only supported by glue instead of using any real joinery.

If you are looking for a book of scroll saw patterns, this might be a good one; I don't know, as I'm not really interested in that. If you want to make wooden clockwork as depicted on the cover, be aware that you will be paying for only a dozen or so pages of fairly unimpressive information. There are probably better sources of the information you want.

Perhaps I projected a little to much on what I thought this book was about but I honestly felt a little mislead. I enjoy building wooden mechanical machines, toys, etc. and I saw the cover of this book and thought projects regarding gears, escapement wheels and other mechanical clock parts would be the main focus. I was unhappy to find out that 99% of the projects in the book require no mechanical construction only decorative templates to cut out with a scroll saw and then inserting pre-fab clock faces into or onto them. In their defense, the clock portrayed on the cover is included in the book (representing the 1%) and patterns for the gears and escapements. I'm grateful for the one project but disappointed in the bulk of the book. This would be a fun book if your interest wasn't in the mechanical aspects of clocks and I feel they would better represent their purpose by placing a different clock on the cover.

I was somewhat disappointed with this book. The cover and description gives the impression that the book is devoted to wooden gear clocks. The majority of the book's content utilizes mechanical or electric clock mechanisms mounted in a variety of different wood projects.

I clearly made a mistake selecting this book. I must have been thinking the bad reviews were for a different title. It has magazine quality plans [from a magazine article] for 1 actual clock so it gets 1 star, but nothing about clock movements, escapements, gears just as other reviewers have said. If you want to see examples and plans of pretty pieces of wood with a hole cut in it and a quartz clock stuck there, then this is the book for you. If you want to make a clock, you won't get much from this book except for one pattern.

mostly clock housings, not the ever fun gears and movements. boooh.
what is there seems to be good stuff, however.

Based on the picture on the front, I assumed this would be a book of wooden gear clocks. Unfortunately, most of the designs are for other projects with a purchased clockworks put into it. I was personally disappointed by the book's contents.

This book is for scroll saw patterns that incorporate manufactured clock movements. You will be unhappy if you are looking for wooden gear clock information.

This book is very nice. I like it so much. It has a lot of different patterns. Most of them are wooden boxes. One more thing would like to let everyone know that this is not for beginners. This is very advance book for more advance scroll saw lovers. I been doing this for long time and some of the boxes I would need to sit down and think before I start making it. If you want to make sometihng different this the book you should buy

This book is perfect for the both the hobbyist and experienced wood worker. It contains projects that are quiet simple, but elegant and projects that require alot more advanced techniques to attain a perfect result. With these basic and advanced projects if a beginner was to start with the easy ones by the time they got to the last advanced project I reckon they would be more than happy with their results.