From that point, I gathered all the Horological information I could gather. Learning the different makes, styles, designs and materials used. Reading the books, watching clock repair videos one after another, I gathered the basics, the basis and the practical..........but for me, hands on experience is the only sure way to learn the process. I would purchase old clocks that were considered "junk", open them up and practice rebuilding them. Replacing worn pivot holes with new bushings, installing bushings to those pivots that were still usable, whether they needed replacing or not. Learning to hand turn bushings from raw round brass stock, designing the oil well, slightly tapering the the outer bushing wall to enforce a more reliable and snug fit without distorting the bushing by means of pressing the bushing into the plate with great force, many to which I've seen the bushing pounded into the plate with a hammer. Learning to make recoil, semi-recoil, dead beat verges, hardening and polishing the verge pallets, fabricating the saddles and crutch rods. Next was to learn how to turn out winding and gear arbors, re-pivoting the arbors in various fashions according to the needs of each problem, or when to make an entire arbor when re-pivoting was no longer an option. Making new running gears from blank wheels of brass, learning how to hand craft each gear tooth by hand until the day came as to being able to afford a gear cutting machine, but, the milling machine sufficed until that day. Eventually came the time to tackle the process of making new movement plates for the 8 day clock, 30 hour and the 14 day clocks. After repeating this process time and time again, with all different makes of clocks, I then felt comfortable to consider myself, capable of doing clock repair. I would repair clocks as a hobby for friends and customers that would frequent the business I worked for on a full time basis. Basically being self taught, along with the guidance from others in the trade, teaching myself to repair clocks and various other skills such as building a modern PC from a barebones case, adding the motherboard, processor (s), memory, hard drives, etc. Clock repair is a trade that I took to easily and enjoy it as much now and enjoy the daily challenges the trade offers.

   Expanding into this field, I made many acquaintances, mainly those of other skilled clock makers who would offer suggestions, ideas and past experiences. I was fortunate enough to meet up with an elderly gentleman, a Master Clockmaker of many years. He guided me with the more difficult tasks of clock repair, his methods and practices. I had my own "hot-line" phone number to him, in which this was utilized many, many times. Soon I found the phone calls were becoming less frequent as I became more at ease with tackling the complicated repairs. Always being mechanically inclined, I put the intimidation of working on these old timers aside and did what had to be done. 

   I contribute my earlier days of schooling and employment, a benefit to what I find to be a occupation that comes completely natural. My first year of Junior High, I found myself enrolled in metal shop, wood shop, drafting and several art classes. High School offered the same choices, but in addition, auto mechanic classes, advanced drafting classes in Mechanical drafting. My first job was that of working in a furniture repair shop, from which I learned the trade of repairing and restoring home furnishings. This has paid off 10 fold in restoring clock cases. From there I found employment as an auto mechanic, to which I soon settled into engine rebuilding, manual transmission overhaul, differential servicing of the ring and pinion gears, planetary gears etc. Even back then, it was common to find me on the large metal lathe turning out an axle spindle, replacing a transmission primary gear that had thrown a tooth..................today, much of the same environment, just on a much smaller scale.

   Today, my shop is set up to handle about any task that may come along in the clock repair field, an occupation that is one to where I can head to the shop at 6:00am, resurface at 6:00pm that same evening and feel as though no more than a couple of hours have past. Recently I've had many the clock arrive that has a problem to where the customer has been told that the clock cannot be repaired due to that the part (s) needed are no longer available........this being true, but not a certain death of the clock that someone has and holds fond memories of. It does take time and equipment to produce certain parts, some creativity as well in some areas........to step away from the mind set all to commonly found in today's repair shops, if the part isn't available and a modern quartz movement isn't an acceptable means of repair, then the customer walks away very discouraged. I have several electric clocks from the early 50's that customers have brought in with not the greatest hopes of ever seeing the clock run as it once did.........commonly found is that the worm gear that runs the animations has worn, come loose from the arbor or fallen off all together. These worm gears are not being offered from any of today's supply houses, but, to turn one out on the lathe, takes no more than 10 minutes time, 15 cents in material and some time spent pressing and fitting the newly created gear to the movement.............but guaranteed priceless to see the customers face when you hand them the once pronounced "dead" clock once again running and performing the tasks without flaw as it was designed to do. At the present, an average of about 8 clocks per week arrive here at the shop, this has prompted me to keep 2 work stations going at the same time that I attend as I do all my own work and have no employees, also never short cutting one clock for time spent on another, each clock receives the same amount of time and care.........long has passed the early days of watching the parts scatter due to not knowing the trade. Creating and inventing new methods and designs that help save time and expenses, but reaching the same goal of perfection................

   Well.......this is a very short insight to how the clock business got to be. I have serviced many antique and vintage clocks, met many interesting people along the way, made many new friends and each day, this brings forth the opportunity to meet more. The challenge to repair the uncommon problems, to service the clock that someone cherishes, to see their faces or hear their words when the clock is returned to them in working order........it makes the long hours more than worth the effort.