Bill Smith's How To Make A Skeleton Wall Clock
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Skeleton Wall Clock Book Review By John Losch I have just finished reading Bill Smith's latest book, "How to Make a Skeleton Wall Clock." As a life long clockmaker and machinist I am tempted to sometimes think I have seen it all, even if I know better. This book reminded me there are still things to learn, and I learned several from reading it. I can say without reservation that this is a "must read" book for every neophyte clockmaker, as well as for the more experienced who may be working without all the tools they would like to include in their workshops. Bill writes with the same objective used by Donald DeCarle when he wrote "Practical Clock Repairing" 45 years ago. Each author showed step by step procedure for making a clock movement and in the process has shown the reader the steps required to accomplish competent fabrication of replacement parts needed in the repair shop. This means that by making either of these clocks the serious practitioner will have the satisfaction of making a clock from "scratch." Equally important, he will have expanded and improved his repair skills. There are differences between Smith and DeCarle. DeCarle's instructions are about as traditional as it is practical to be in the twentieth century, and Bill's book takes full advantage of the affordable technology available as the century closes. Bill's book includes wheel cutting in detail. DeCarle, writing in an era when specialty shops were still common, simply advised his reader to "send out to the wheel cutter." Bill Smith's style of presentation accomplishes two valuable things. It removes the sometimes-threatening mystery of machine tools, and the text emphasizes craftsmanship throughout. For the reader attentive to the easily read instructions, fear of machinery is quickly replaced by respect. Description of processes emphasizes the goals of the procedure rather than allowing the reader to go through meaningless motions. Bill gives his reader an understanding of the capabilities and limita- tions of tools, and real understanding of why a procedure is necessary. Sources are recommended for both the materials and cutters needed to make the train wheels. There is a section on making fly cutters for both the winding ratchet and the escape wheel. Cutters are expensive, and to minimize costs, this clock is designed to use lantern pinions. Added to the economy of this design is the advantage to the reader of learning a technique for making lantern pinions. This subject is inadequately treated in most clock books, although an abundance of very collectible American clocks were made with them. If I have one constant criticism of many technical instruc- tional books, it is that they are written with the assumption that everything goes along exactly as described. There are no warnings to the reader, which will prevent trouble before it begins. Not so in this book. Here is an example I found just by flipping the book open: "One thing some hobbyists are not accus- tomed to is the need for polishing their cutting tools. If the cutting surfaces of the lathe bit and the graver are polished on a hard Arkansas stone after sharpening, they will cut a polished surface and much work with the emery paper can be avoided." Those who follow Bill Smith's writings will notice a certain amount of repetition from one book or article to another. Bad economics, perhaps, but a gift to the reader. Each book stands independent of the others, and any workman operating from this, or another of Bills books, does not have to have a copy of something else in hand to complete a project. This, like many of Bill's other books, is a complete manual covering every aspect of the subject project. "How to Make a Skeleton Wall Clock" is comprised of twelve chapters which originally appeared in serial form in the "Home Shop Machinist" from Nov. 1993-Oct. 1995. There are 85 pages of text, and 280 photos and drawings. The format is 8 and 1/2 by 11" pages in a spiral binder making the book convenient to use in the workshop. For those who do not know it, Bill Smith usually does every part of his books himself. He writes, draws, photographs, prepares the master page mats, makes the offset press plates, prints, collates the copies, and distributes his books himself. He once described to me all the procedures involved from concep- tion to completion of a book, and it is a herculean task. Apologetically, Bill told me that for this book he was short of time so he had the negatives and the printing done outside. Either way, the result is instruction for a clock project offer- ing great reward to anyone who successfully embarks on this project. In order that there is no confusion, I offer the standard disclaimer. I have no financial involvement with Gateway Books, or Bill Smith, and this review is unsolicited by Bill Smith. I just want to call attention to a project for the "hands on" clock crowd about which I am very enthusiastic. Jcl John C. Losch