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Telegraph Key &
Clockmaking Books
By W. R. Smith
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HOW TO RESTORE TELEGRAPH KEYS
MY LATEST BOOK—IN FULL COLOR
(2005)
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After about six months of constant shop work, digital
photography and writing, I have finally completed a
new book, HOW TO RESTORE TELEGRAPH KEYS,
and copies are available for shipment directly from
stock.
Although this book does not deal with clocks, it
contains a wealth of workshop techniques not found
in other clockmaking, clock repair books or machine
shop texts. Thus it is an important source of
workshop techniques and material sources.
The book is 8-1/2” x 11”, 107 pages and contains 254
high quality color photographs illustrating the
various things being discussed. It offers a way to
clean speed keys without doing the harm that results
from washing one in the kitchen sink. Many “how to”
things are offered, such as: how to dissolve broken
steel screws in brass parts (in some cases, this
could be worth many times the price of the book),
make cylindrical and cubical key weights, shorting
levers, bearing screws, rope knurled thumbscrews and
thumbnuts, new dot contact assemblies, paddles,
nickel plate key parts in the home shop, mix varnish
and re-japan key bases, replace broken mainsprings,
make shorting levers and their knobs, wind springs,
heat-blue screws, remove rust from parts, coat parts
to avoid future rust, remove or re-position dot bars
on arbors (trundles), make dash levers, pendulum
assemblies, thumbscrew posts, strip conductors and
their insulators, where to order rubber feet, tools,
materials, etc. The topics are simply too long to
list.
The complete rebuilding of a
couple of basket case telegraph speed keys and the
total restoration of a large number of others are
illustrated. Also
included is a chapter describing the three vertical
speed keys I have recently designed and built.
I have drawn on my 76 years of ham radio, 70 years
of watchmaking/clockmaking and 40 years of
mechanical engineering to offer what I believe will
prove to be the bible of telegraph key work for
owners and collectors for many years to come.
Praise for this book by Dr. Tom Perera, a doyen of key collectors (http://w1tp.com)
"W.R.SMITH, W4PAL does
the finest telegraph key restorations that I have
ever seen. This is not surprising because he is a
famous and world-class clockmaker and has published
widely on the art and technology of building fine
clocks. His new book makes all of his techniques
available to any collector.
"WR's
New Book: WR has published an extraordinary book
that details every important step in the restoration
and repair of telegraph keys. WR's book addresses
the plating or japanning and pin striping of key
bases, the making of needed key parts, the plating
of small parts in the home shop, the replacement of
mainsprings, the winding of coil springs, etc."
The book is available from the author/publisher at
$60 Postpaid by Priority Mail.
W. R. Smith
8049 Camberley Drive
Powell, TN 37849-4218
Phone: 865-947-9671
E-mail:
WRSmith2@AOL.COM
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HOW TO MAKE A GEARLESS
GRAVITY ARM CLOCK
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This is indeed one of the
most interesting clocks you will ever make. People stand
in front of it for an unlimited time trying to decide
how it runs and how it indicates the time it is keeping.
The pivoted vane of the toggle, attached to the pendulum
rod about 9" below the suspension spring, initiates the
pendulum impulse cycle. Normally, the vane passes freely
over the blued trigger of the impulse mechanism. As the
pendulum arc decays, the vane eventually fails to pass
the trigger and lands in the notch at its top. The next
pendulum arc depresses the trigger and unlatches the
gravity impulse arm. Its roller rolls down the incline
plane of the pallet and impulses the pendulum. As the
roller nears the bottom of the incline, silver contacts
on its arm and the magnet armature close. The battery
energizes the electromagnet, which re-latches the arm.
The pendulum then swings freely for about 50 beats until
its arc again decays and the cycle repeats. The time
indicating mechanism is also quite unusual. A similar
one was used by England’s dr. Woodward in his string
clock to both indicate the time and power the pendulum.
These functions are reversed in this clock, so that the
time indicator is powered by the pendulum. This
inversion required several changes of the Woodward
mechanism. The pin wheel gate was abandoned, a pivoted
finger added to the pin wheel pawl and a spring loaded
detent provided. The latter accelerates the pin wheel to
a velocity greater than that imparted by the pendulum.
This forces disengagement of the finger after it indexes
the pin wheel. A pawl attached to the pendulum rod near
the top indexes the ratchet wheel, which makes one
revolution per minute in 1-1/2 second steps. One tooth
of the wheel is cut deeper than the others. Once each
minute the pawl drops into that deep tooth. There it
engages a wire lever that is mounted in a pivoted body
having a second wire lever. This last lever depresses
the pin wheel pawl that has a hinged brass finger at its
end. The finger catches one of the 60 pins on the pin
wheel and indexes it one step and the minute hand one
minute. The clock uses an Aaron Dodd daisy wheel cam
mechanism for the 12 t0 1 hour hand ratio. This
eliminates the usual motion work gear train and allows
the clock to remain gearless. Although i have seen the
clock keep time to less than a second per week, i
consider it a novelty clock because with its open case
dust accumulation on the parts can alter its time
keeping ability.
TRAIN—The center
arbor carries the minute hand and is driven by a fusee/great-wheel
assembly. Fixed to the center arbor is a planet arm
having a counterweight on one end and a planet wheel and
pinion on the other end. A sun wheel is fixed to the
center of the dial and cannot rotate. The planet pinion
engages this wheel and is forced to rotate while being
moved around it by the planet arm. The planet wheel
drives the internal teeth of the ring wheel, which is
free to rotate on the center arbor. The external teeth
of the ring wheel drive the escape wheel pinion. A
conventional recoil escapement drives the pendulum. The
Ferguson Paradox avoids the need for a 12 to 1 gear
train between the hour hand and the minute hand.
The workshop manual for building the clock is now
available at $45 postpaid from the author/publisher: |
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W. R. Smith
8049 Camberley Drive
Powell, TN 37849-4218
Phone: 865-947-9671
E-mail:
WRSmith2@AOL.COM.
Credit cards cannot be accepted but a
personal check, a postal
money order, or cash is OK. Check for shipping cost
outside the U.S.
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HOW TO MAKE AN EPICYCLIC TRAIN STRUTT CLOCK
A gold medal winner in the 2003 NAWCC International
Craft Contest
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A work of art that
will forever be cherished by your heirs. This is one of
the most interesting of all single train skeleton clocks
ever conceived. First made by an Englishman, William
Strutt, about 1830, it has a number of interesting and
extremely unusual features not found in other clocks.
Its 8-day run, spring driven train is epicyclic
(planetary gearing) and involves a ring wheel of 4-1/2"
ID and 5-1/2 OD teeth. The motion work is based on the
Ferguson Mechanical Paradox instead of the normal 12 to
1 gear train. To allow individual setting of the hands,
the collets are of most unusual design. Both beautiful
and unusual in the extreme, this clock is an excellent
time keeper, which any Clockmaker will be proud to have
made.
TRAIN—The center
arbor carries the minute hand and is driven by a fusee/great-wheel
assembly. Fixed to the center arbor is a planet arm
having a counterweight on one end and a planet wheel and
pinion on the other end. A sun wheel is fixed to the
center of the dial and cannot rotate. The planet pinion
engages this wheel and is forced to rotate while being
moved around it by the planet arm. The planet wheel
drives the internal teeth of the ring wheel, which is
free to rotate on the center arbor. The external teeth
of the ring wheel drive the escape wheel pinion. A
conventional recoil escapement drives the pendulum. The
Ferguson Paradox avoids the need for a 12 to 1 gear
train between the hour hand and the minute hand.
The128 page, 378
figure workshop manual for building the clock is now
available at $45 postpaid from the author/publisher, W.
R. Smith.
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W. R. Smith
8049 Camberley Drive
Powell, TN 37849-4218
Phone: 865-947-9671
E-mail:
WRSmith2@AOL.COM.
Credit cards cannot be accepted but a
personal check, a postal
money order, or cash is OK. Check for shipping cost
outside the U.S.
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HOW TO MAKE A SKELETON WALL CLOCK
Silver medal winner in the NAWCC international craft
contest.
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Book
Review By John Losch, Clockmaker.
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 clockmaker. 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. Bill Smith's style of
presentation accomplishes two valuable things. He
gives his reader an understanding of the
capabilities and limitations of tools, and a 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, a subject
inadequately treated in most clock books. Like many
of Bill's other books, this one 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
through Oct. 1995. There are 85 pages of text, and
280 photos and drawings. The format is 8-1/2 by 11"
pages in a comb binder making the book convenient to
use in the workshop. In order that there is no
confusion, I offer the standard disclaimer. I have
no financial involvement with Bill Smith, and this
review is unsolicited by him. 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
The 85 page, 280
figure workshop manual for building the clock is now
available at $45 postpaid from the author/publisher, W.
R. Smith.
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W. R. Smith
8049 Camberley Drive
Powell, TN 37849-4218
Phone: 865-947-9671
E-mail:
WRSmith2@AOL.COM.
Credit cards cannot be accepted but a
personal check, a postal
money order, or cash is OK. Check for shipping cost
outside the U.S.
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HOW TO MAKE A LYRE SKELETON CLOCK
Gold medal winner in the NAWCC international craft
contest
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This workshop manual is a must
for the clock repairer, and clockmaker. Detailed
drawings and step by step photographs, supported by a
carefully worded text illustrate the fabrication of
every part of the clock. Even those who have no desire
to build the clock will find the tooling and techniques
of great help in their shop work. The text contains
information for: Turning pivots by hand; extensive
machining operations; wheel cutting; lantern pinion
making; use of the fret saw; pouring lead pendulum bobs;
the use of super glue for mounting small parts during
machining operations; the use of Loctite 609 as a
permanent bonding agent; making and using fly cutters;
polishing brass and steel surfaces; blueing small steel
parts; spoking wheels; making a wheel spoking template;
using a dividing plate; extensive use of the
watchmaker's lathe; spinning metal; silver brazing;
threading small holes, knurling; using sheet metal
drills; making a dust cover from 1/8" Plexiglas; bonding
and polishing Plexiglas; broaching a square hole in a
clock key; the use of stub arbors; super glue wheel
cutting arbors; wheel train calculations; using the
burnisher; using the adjusting rod; lacquering; cutting
oil sinks; making a signet key; handmade reamers; a
U.S., BA, and Metric small screw equivalent chart; using
file buttons; and a full scale tear-out template for the
sawing the clock plates. This clock, based on the
pleasing lines of the Lyre, was designed and built by
the author for entry in the annual Craft Contest of the
National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC)
and won a gold in international competition for handmade
clocks at the National Convention in Orlando, Florida.
The clock is of English pattern, with spring and fusee
drive, maintaining power, a one piece hand pierced
skeleton dial, and unusual sun and planet pinion motion
work. It is wound from the front, has an 8-day run, and
stands 16" above its black walnut base. The pendulum is
rear mounted and has a heavy, brass shell bob poured
with lead for high Q. A 1/8" thick plastic cover
protects it from dust. The escapement is an original
design by the author and is of the spring pallet type.
To enhance animation, it has been enlarged and brought
forward of the front plate for ease of viewing. Its
action is lively, positive, quiet, and endlessly
fascinating. The escapement is an unusual spring pallet
design by the author.
The 86-page, approximately
30,000-word, 256-photograph workshop manual for building the clock is now
available at $45 postpaid from the author/publisher, W.
R. Smith.
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W. R. Smith
8049 Camberley Drive
Powell, TN 37849-4218
Phone: 865-947-9671
E-mail:
WRSmith2@AOL.COM.
Credit cards cannot be accepted but a
personal check, a postal
money order, or cash is OK. Check for shipping cost
outside the U.S.
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HOW TO MAKE A GRASSHOPPER
SKELETON CLOCK
Gold
medal winner in the NAWCC international craft
contest
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This workshop manual is a must
for the clock repairer and clockmaker. Detailed
drawings, and step by step photographs supported by a
carefully worded text, illustrate the fabrication of
every part of the clock. Even those who have no desire
to build the clock will find the tooling and techniques
employed of great help in their shop work. The text
contains information for: Turning pivots by hand;
extensive machining operations; wheel cutting; lantern
pinion making; use of the fret saw; the use of super
glue for mounting small parts during machining; the use
of Loctite 609 as a permanent bonding agent; making and
using fly cutters; a depthing tool for determining wheel
to pinion center distance; polishing brass and steel
surfaces; blueing small steel parts; spoking wheels;
using a dimpling tool; using a dividing plate; extensive
use of the watchmaker's lathe; spinning metal; silver
brazing; threading small holes, knurling; using sheet
metal drills; making a dust cover from 1/8" Plexiglas;
bonding and polishing Plexiglas; broaching a square hole
in a clock key; the use of stub arbors; super glue wheel
cutting arbors; wheel train calculations; using the
burnisher; using the adjusting rod; lacquering; cutting
oil sinks; making a signet key; handmade reamers; an
in-barrel mainspring length gauge; a U.S., BA, and
Metric small screw equivalent chart. The clock won a
gold medal in international competition for handmade
clocks at the National Convention in Philadelphia. The
text then appeared in serial form in England's Model
Engineer. However, due to a publication failure, no
complete text has ever before been available to the
builder. These problems have all been corrected and the
text is now complete and fully updated. As the name
implies, the clock makes use of a grasshopper
escapement. It is of English pattern, with spring and
fusee drive, maintaining power, and a one piece hand
pierced skeleton dial. It stands 16-1/2" above its black
walnut base, is spring and fusee driven, has an 8-day
run, and maintaining power. A compound pendulum is used
to keep it tabletop size. The escapement has been
brought forward for ease of viewing. It is fascinating
to watch the pallets pick their way around the escape
wheel while imitating the kick of a grasshopper with
each passing tooth. This manual is likely the most
complete text ever written on how to build a single
clock. It contains 99 pages, over 35,000 words, 348
photographs and drawings. Information for building a
number of special tools is also included. The double
wheel grasshopper escapement was designed by the author.
The manual is now
available at $45 postpaid from the author/publisher, W.
R. Smith.
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W. R. Smith
8049 Camberley Drive
Powell, TN 37849-4218
Phone: 865-947-9671
E-mail:
WRSmith2@AOL.COM.
Credit cards cannot be accepted but a
personal check, a postal
money order, or cash is OK. Check for shipping cost
outside the U.S.
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WORKSHOP
TECHNIQUES FOR CLOCKMAKERS & MODELMAKERS
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This manual contains all of the
articles (except serials) written by W. R. Smith and
published in The Home Shop Machinist, Projects
In Metal, and England's The Clockmaker during
past years. It is 8-1/2 x 11, with 108 pages and is comb
bound to lie flat.
Examples of the information
offered are:
▪ How an inexpensive Sherline
spindle can be adapted for use on bench lathes for
milling, drilling, gear cutting, etc. Details for making
a fly wheel to smooth the cut, a filing rest, a saw
table, a T-rest, and cross slide and vertical slide
locks, all for the Sherline lathe.
▪ How to make indexing plates
without the aid of other index plates or dividing heads.
▪ How a Sherline lathe can be
used to configure itself for gear and pinion cutting and
lantern pinion making without the need for a milling
machine. ▪
How to make a macro mill/drill
spindle from junk watchmaker's heavy duty mainsprings on
the bench lathe. ▪
Details for adapting the
Myford and other bench lathes for use with 10 mm
collets. ▪
A
tip over T-rest for use on the bench lathe.
▪ The
cutting of a 6" diameter, 200 tooth gear on a
standard Sherline lathe (lathe only).
▪ Details for making my T-rest design, which is now
being produced by Sherline for their lathes—part #
2110. Hand turning is very fast—example, one can
turn a 1/16" diameter pivot, 3/16" long on 1/8"
diameter hardened and tempered music wire or blue
pivot steel (un-annealed), chamfer the shoulder and
round the end of the pivot in less than one minute.
▪ Information for configuring a Sherline lathe for
cutting gears, pinions and making lantern pinions
without the need of a milling machine.
Because many of the things
offered are very unusual and are demonstrated on
Sherline equipment, this manual is a must for Sherline
users. However, the techniques are basic and are equally
useful on other and larger lathes.
This book is
available from stock by the author/publisher, W. R.
Smith, at $45.00 postpaid in the US and Canada.
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W. R. Smith
8049 Camberley Drive
Powell, TN 37849-4218
Phone: 865-947-9671
E-mail:
WRSmith2@AOL.COM.
Credit cards cannot be accepted but a
personal check, a postal
money order, or cash is OK. Check for shipping cost
outside the U.S.
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Clockmaking &
Modelmaking Tools and Techniques
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Book Review by Guy Lautard
Bill Smith is a
master clockmaker, and his orientation is basically and
undeniably clocks, BUT...Clockmaking & Modelmaking
Tools and Techniques is most definitely not just
for clockmakers. In this new 8-1/2 X 11" soft cover,
112-page, comb bound book, he has revised the best of
his previously published articles in the British
Horological Journal, Timecraft, Model
Engineer, and Horological Journal. He has
expanded and updated them as required, and put them
together in book form. Any aspiring clockmaker will find
a host of ideas worth many many times the price of the
book. Included is an interesting idea for a method of
winding coil springs in the bench vise, as well as
considerable info on the workshop use of Super Glue Also
included is a good section on the use of piercing saws
for skeletonizing sheet brass, etc. He also shows how to
hand-sharpen a twist drill so it will produce truly
circular holes in sheet metal with ease and precision,
and delves into button centers for filing circles in
metal. A camera tripod accessory for workshop
photography is detailed. Bill has used the prototype in
making thousands of photos in his own shop in recent
years.
I have by no
means listed all the subjects dealt with in this book -
such as the numerous good "shorties," i.e., resurfacing
bench oilstones, a hint for safety in metal spinning,
and so on. The book's contents are general enough that I
believe any home shop machinist reader or clockmaker
will find it a worthwhile addition to his bookshelf. The
text is well written, in clear and easy style.
Beautifully illustrated with well over 200 photos and
dimensioned line drawings, this book is the distillation
of shop methods of a master clockmaker's lifelong
experiences. Get a copy!
The
book is available from stock by the author/publisher, W.
R. Smith, at $45 postpaid in the US
and Canada.
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W. R. Smith
8049 Camberley Drive
Powell, TN 37849-4218
Phone: 865-947-9671
E-mail:
WRSmith2@AOL.COM.
Credit cards cannot be accepted but a
personal check, a postal
money order, or cash is OK. Check for shipping cost
outside the U.S.
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