Any good clock magazines

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Good evening all,

Can anybody suggest a good magazine on vintage clocks please, I have a new interest, not to make one but to maintain and research histories.

Thanks,

Martin P

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

The classic ones are Horological Journal and Journal of the Antiquarian Horological Society. For both you need to join the respective organisations. All the HJs from 1858 to 2017 are now available on-line to members. I'll declare an interest – I'm an associate of the BHI and wondering about joining the other.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Martin

I agree with John … but I would add that the AHS is probably of wider relevance to your interest.

Both are quite pricey if you treat them simply as magazine subscriptions, but both have nobler motives.

BHI **LINK** … https://bhi.co.uk

AHS **LINK** … https://www.ahsoc.org

.

MichaelG.

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

John and MichaelG,

Thank you for your rapid responses, I have had a quick look at both of your excellent suggestions but feel that they are well out of my league and I'm unlikely to ever use the wealth of information available.

Due to health reasons I've decided to have one more season with my current hobby, I've always been interested in clocks and recently, over the last year I have purchased two, a wall clock of undetermined make and age and a French carriage clock whose make and age I know. On Sunday my wife and I went to a local Antiques fair which we regularly attend and saw a couple who restore, repair and sell Mantel clocks which I took a great interest in and my wife got me to choose one as an early Birthday present so I now own a 1909 Seth Thomas model Kent Mantel clock and I feel I should now learn more about the maintenance and care of this lovely clock and my others past and future, there will be more

Would either of you know of books to assist me in their up keep.

Martin P

Edited By martin perman on 20/02/2020 09:15:02

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Probably more in depth information than you need but I have found Laurie Penman's book The Clock Repairer's Handbook to be very good. It does have a very thorough chapter on dismantling, cleaning, and re-assembling.

Russell

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

As I'm not generally interested in conventional & antique clocks I'm not in a position to recommend any I'm afraid – Michael might be much better qualified. But I would recommend joining the BHI (assuming you are in the UK) – though it's £120 a year you get the HJ free, plus access to all the back issues up to 2017 (and they are catching up), and you can join your local centre where you'll meet friendly people able to share experience and advice.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

There is a mob called ritetimepublishing who advertise in MEW that they carry a variety of books on clockmaking and repair. Their website offers little info other than to contact them to get a catalogue of their publications. Might be worth looking at. Their website: **LINK**

From their site:

 

    RiteTime offer one of the most comprehensive collections of Do-It-Yourself books on the Art of Clockmaking. There are books to suit all levels of competance, from the making of a simple 16th Century style clock, to battery driven electric clocks or the complex Congreve Skeleton clock for the more experienced. For those interested in Long Case clocks and Antiques I have written books which deal with the repair of antique clocks and the construction of Automatic Winding for the Long Case Clock.

 

                                                                    John Wilding  MBE FBHI

Edited By Hopper on 20/02/2020 11:18:58

[Bob StevensonParticipant @bobstevenson13909]

Martin,

There's good advice here so far but I will just mention what is probably the best practical book for 'clockies', namely. 'Practical Clock Repair' by Donald D'Carle. It's an old book now but readily obtainable. It has succinct information from a very practical view point and the last three chapters concern how to actually build a fusee time-piece from scratch…this is the perfect foil to the often crude ramblings of Wilding as it describes vastly better methods. Many members of Epping Forest Horology Club (including me) use this as a go to book despite the large in house library so you can pick up a copy with confidence!

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Hopper on 20/02/2020 11:16:23:

There is a mob called ritetimepublishing who advertise in MEW that they carry a variety of books on clockmaking and repair. Their website offers little info other than to contact them to get a catalogue of their publications. Might be worth looking at. Their website: **LINK**

.

RiteTime Publishing is effectively John Wilding’s outlet

Most of his books are compilations of articles from the magazines

Very useful if you want to build one of his designs (but) …

MichaelG.

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Gentlemen,

Thank you all, Ive ordered a couple of books for bedtime reading.

Martin P

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Gentlemen,

My books arrived over the weekend, Practical Clock repairing is a very good read as it talks about virtually every part.

A project arrived yesterday in the form of a 1890 Seth Thomas Mantel clock in need of a little TLC, the dial needs repairing and the case needs cleaning but it keeps good time.

Martin P

[Author]

Posts