# Clockshop



## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

Well as most of you know me by my woodturning. My main job in life is a supervisor for the Federal Aviation Admin. I take care of all the airports and their electronic equipment the planes use to navigate with and land with. I take care of the western 1/3 of Kansas. I have been a electronic tech for 42 yrs. Anyway I am about to retire in a couple of years to do some things I don't get as much time as I would like to. I am also a ham radio operator and just bought a rig with antenna so I can now get back on the air after being away from it for about 20 yrs. Then my first love is restoring and repairing antique clocks. I can make about any part in them since you can't run down to the hardware store and buy parts anymore. Here are a few pictures of my clockshop for your enjoyment. Picture #1 is my work bench. Picture #3 is my precision jewelers lathe which costs about $3000 with all accessories. In picture #2 is a watchmakers bench that I got here in town at a auction. It is in fact 126 yrs. old. Most times I have from 30 to 70 clocks to repair. So it does keep me busy. Next I will post some pictures of my wood shop when I get some good pictures taken.


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## Joe Lyddon (Sep 11, 2004)

Very good Bernie...

Do you always set all of the clocks to the same time so they can turn you COO COO at the same time?  

73,
Joe


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## challagan (Feb 7, 2006)

Thanks Bernie for posting this, I thought everyone would find this as interesting as I did. Hey, there's a stealth gloat, I knew you were thinking about another ham outfit, congrats. I guess my two way radio won't pick you up... BREAKER BREAKER  

Corey


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

Nice layout Bernie. Do all those clocks chime at the same time?  CooCoo ain't the word for it.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

Very impressive Bernie but I can't determine if you accept clocks for repair or if you are a collector or possibly both. I would love to see some shots of perhaps a gear and a pinion being made, also what sort of timing equipment do you use, as a retired tech. it's of particular interest to me,especially as about 40 years ago I maintained timing machines for an importer.
A week and a half ago we put our clocks forward an hour for daylight saving and I thought I had a hard time with about 20 timepieces to change! 
I'm sure that the workshop shown is well isolated from the woodshop. Thanks again for showing us this other side of Bernie.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Bernie

I'm also very impress Bernie now I see why your turning are always so great.. 
you have the fine eye...for details and the hands to do it 

In one of the pictures you have a tall grandfather clock , I found one just like it at a garage sale and drug it home and did a repair job on the clock, it took me about 60 days to get the clock to stay in time, someone got into it and bent many items out of wack...I have one I'm working on now that's very old just got it to stay in time the case was made by someone that only had a hand jig saw and is very ruff but I think I will keep it in the old case,,,but if a take a snapshot of it maybe you can tell me what you think, keep it or junk it out.....it took me a long time to find the keys to fit it, so I could wind it up, but now I have about 50 or 60 extra keys 



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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

Bernie,

It's great to see someone keep history alive in this modern throw away society!

Thanks for sharing,


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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

Bernie,

What a great picture tour of the other side of your shop  I don't know whre you find the time to keep up with as much as you do. All of your work has always been awesome and your cloks are no exception to the rule.

Thanks for taking the time to share this with us.


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

bobj3 said:


> Hi Bernie
> 
> I'm also very impress Bernie now I see why your turning are always so great..
> you have the fine eye...for details and the hands to do it
> ...


That old clock looks like the case is orginal. It may have been missing a piece and had one made for it. So I would keep it and make it work. The grandfather you can get new movements for those so you could have a nice clock. That is what I did with the one you put a arrow pointing to it. They run about $125 to $175. Sometimes when I run across one that a shade tree mechanic worked on I just replace it because it would be cost prohibitive to fix with all the hours but of course I am in business so I have a different outlook than someone doing it for himself. But that is another alternative. Also when I time out a clock I can time it in about a hour with my computerized timing machine. My big Seth Thomas #18 Jewelers regulator is timed to within 30 seconds a month. I will post a picture of it tonight.


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

Thanks everyone for your kind comments. That is one thing I love to do is to take a 100 to 125 yr. old clock that has been in the attic for 30 plus years and breath life into it just makes me feel good. 

I have worked on clocks that were 160 yrs or so old and the clock movement was made of wood. The plates are wood, the gears are wood and the pivots were generally like finish nail in the wood and cut off to length. 

Anyway thanks again.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Thanks Bernie

I had a hard time with the grandfather ,it took me a long time to get the 3 weights in the place but once I did I marked them.. 

The old clock can you tell from the snapshot what part was missing and someone made a replacement part they all look home made to me 
The 1/4 and the 1/2 hour chime I still can't get that to work right but in time maybe, the 1st time it runs it just keep on running..  until the spring is down to zero. 


thanks


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BernieW said:


> That old clock looks like the case is orginal. It may have been missing a piece and had one made for it. So I would keep it and make it work. The grandfather you can get new movements for those so you could have a nice clock. That is what I did with the one you put a arrow pointing to it. They run about $125 to $175. Sometimes when I run across one that a shade tree mechanic worked on I just replace it because it would be cost prohibitive to fix with all the hours but of course I am in business so I have a different outlook than someone doing it for himself. But that is another alternative. Also when I time out a clock I can time it in about a hour with my computerized timing machine. My big Seth Thomas #18 Jewelers regulator is timed to within 30 seconds a month. I will post a picture of it tonight.


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

Part of our department at work was the clock shop. They repaired time clocks, stop watches, master clocks, wrist watches, etc. I had recieved an antique FK kitchen clock from my Grand parents home, but when I got it, it was in pieces. The case is cultured Onyx.

I took it into work to rebuild it 25 years ago. Used a Sauer resin ceramic cement to put the case back together, and the guys in the clock shop helped me rebuild the movement. Replaced every bearing in it.

We keep it on an antique table that is also from my Grand parents home. I don't wind it anymore, but it sure is a great running and looking time piece. The chime sounds great also.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

Mike, 

That is an AWESOME piece. I love the colors in the case.


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

Mike you did well. I really like how it turned out. Very beautiful color and work.


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

bobj3 said:


> Thanks Bernie
> 
> I had a hard time with the grandfather ,it took me a long time to get the 3 weights in the place but once I did I marked them..
> 
> ...


If you are talking about the old clock it does not have 1/4 hour chimes. It only chimes on the half and the hour. It will strike once on the half and then strike the number of times for whatever hour it is. It is hard to tell from the picture which has been hand made but those clocks didn't have the best finished clock cases in the world. Most were pretty rough which is why it is so hard to tell. That clock was meant to run 7 to 8 days. I have one and I wind it every 7 days.

The grandfather clock the heaviest weight goes on the right side or chime side and the other two weights should be the same or about the same.


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