Hello from Western Australia

[Tmuir]

Hi everyone,

I've been interested in Horology for a long time, I'm guessing a big push in that direction was when I was 13 I was given my great grandfathers BTM watchmakers lathe.

My grandfather and great grandfather were both watchmakers, so I guess it was only a matter of time until I caught the bug.

Where I live they stopped running formal training on watch and clock repair over 10 years ago until the Master Clock and Watch Makers of Western Australia started running night classes staffed by volunteers 3 years ago which I've been attending since January this year. I've still got a while to go before I reach the point of being able to service and repair other peoples watches and clocks, but at least I've got a path to my end goal now.

I have all the tools now to carry out basic servicing and repairs on clocks and almost everything I need for basic servicing of watches which was helped along the way by an out of the blue call by my step uncle offering me my grandfathers watch repair toolkit which was even more amazing because at the time he did not know I was studying watch and clock repair.

I also have a workshop set up for model engineering complete with a Chinese lathe, Mill, drill press, cold cut saw etc which will prove it use especially with clock repair.

I still haven't set up a dedicated service area as I've yet to convince the wife I need a space in the house as my workshop is not suitable as its full of a dismantled vintage BSA motorcycle, but I'm sure I will get over that hurdle within the next 6 months.

I stumbled across this forum a few months back and figure now is about the right time to join as I'm hoping over time besides asking for help I may be able to provide some too.

Attached below are a couple of photos of my BTM lathe, for those that dont know it was made in England during WWII for the military as obviously the German lathes were not exactly available.

 

Tony

 

 

[clockboy]

Welcome to the forum Tony. There is a broad band of members, pro,s, tinkerers & collectors. Also a very friendly forum so no question to trivial. Enjoy. PS whats the weather like this time of year.

[Tmuir]

Thanks, at the moment the weather is really variable, it was 30C and sunny 2 days ago and tomorrow its going to be 19C and raining.

I'm currently recovering from some minor surgery so I can't touch my tools for another couple of weeks, so instead I've been surfing the web reading forums and watching videos, which is probably what gave me the push to finally sign up, once I am able to pick up my toolbox again I'll start posting some photos.

Nothing more frustrating than 2 weeks off work and not been capable of doing anything during that time.

[oldhippy]

Hello from me,

Its in the blood as they say. How lucky for you to have the tools handed down like that. If you take up clock making you will need a bigger lathe. How far are you with your night classes? Good luck with the studying, you will always find something new no matter how long you repair/make watches or clocks. I did around 30 years and I always found something new.

[Cad101]

Hello and welcome Tony I'm sure with a gentle push the wife will give in l was lucky a couple of weeks ago the wife said I'm fed up of all your watch stuff all over the house you need a shed up the garden so I'm in the process of looking into fitting yet another shed up the garden which suits me fine it will be my little hide away 

[Pip]

Hi Tony and welcome! I'm a novice and just a tinkerer, but this is a very friendly and helpful place, even when I completely balls things up in a stupid way and ask for help! 

[Tmuir]

HI,

I've got bigger cast iron too, for the bigger stuff as I built myself a workshop around 10 years ago for model engineering.

I've got a larger lathe and a milling machine, photos below showing the milling machine set up with its dividing head for drilling the holes to make a lantern pinion. These photos were taken a awhile ago and my workshop isn't so tidy now.

I'm very lucky that the night classes I go to are only about 20 minutes drive away.

Thanks everyone.

 

 

[vinn3]

welcome  Tony.   i like the looks of those  machinest tools.    with a lathe AND a mill you have it made.  good show,  vinn

[TimFitz]

Welcome, the more the merrier.

[bobm12]

Welcome Tony!

Nice shop and great goal you have set yourself to! I bet it is not only a bug but a rewarding feeling to follow a family tradition. Looking forward to hear about your watchmaking class experiences and all watchmaking in general. In my mind, you shouldn't have waited that long to "surface" in the forum. We really appreciate the reason: sharing both ways...but, really, you are welcome regardless of the "direction" of the sharing. One way or both ways, we are all here to learn and for one another horologically speaking!

Cheers,

Bob

 

[Tmuir]

Thanks Bob.

To continue to expand on what my main interests are I would say English clocks and American pocket watches, though I am also interested in 'trench watches' though I only own one real true trench watch, English hallmarked with a Swiss movement which is waiting until I feel my skill is up for trying to service a 100 year old watch. I'm also interested in what I would call 'vintage' or traditional watch making tools, primarily used for servicing pocket watches and currently have a pocket watch bezel cleaner in the post heading over to me to add to my collection.

Next week when I feel up to it I will drag out all my watches and pocket watches to photograph them most of which are currently waiting on me to learn enough to be able service and repair them, but in the mean time I will share the photograph of my great grandfather Myer Jacobs working over his repair bench which I'm guessing was taken by my grandfather when he was young as I found this negative in amongst some of his camera equipment which I was given when he passed away back in 2001.

I only met Myer once when I was thirteen which must of only been a few months before he passed away as I lived in Perth and both my grandfather and great grandfather lived in Sydney.

[Brian3]

Welcome Tony and wish you a speedy recovery.

Look forward to reading your posts.

Brian

[diveboy]

Welcome Tony, 

I'm in Melbourne,  so pretty close,  just down the road. 

So jealous that you guys still have access to courses,  we got nothing over this side.  I've been looking for a retired watch maker that wants to pass on his skills but haven't had any luck yet.

Looking forward to seeing your American pocket watches and tools.

 

Michael 

[Tmuir]

Hi Michael,

I did have to wait for 10 years though before I found out about te course though. I had looked into doing the BHI distance learning course 3 years ago, but decided against it.

The TAFE in Sydney runs the best course and has the most well kitted out classroom, but it is on shaky ground with only 3 or 4 students left and I believe it costs several thousand a year to do the course there, whilst I am only paying $800 a year ($400 a semester going up to $500 a semester next year) as all our lecturers are volunteers.

I think this news article says it all about training on watch and clock repair in Australia

ABC news article

 

Don't get too excited about my pocket watch collection, I only really have 2 of note, all the rest were purchased for me to practice and learn on. One is an English Fusee and the other a Waltham which I used to use every day as when I lived in the Northern Territory in the mid 1990s I developed an allergic reaction to wrist watches due to the heat and humidity that took me nearly 10 years to fully get rid of.

 

Tony

 

[OmarHaltam]

welcome to the group

[Geo]

A belated warm welcome from me Tony.  Your interests and equipment are similar to my own, I'm sure the forum is going to benefit from your presence.

Is that an old C15 you're sitting on in your avatar?  

[Tmuir]

Yes its a BSA C15, its currently in my workshop with the rolling chassis finished and the engine in about 200 parts waiting on me to get back to it. O also have a BSA WM20 sitting in my carport waiting on me to finish the C15.

[bobm12]

1 minute ago, Tmuir said:

its currently in my workshop with the rolling chassis finished and the engine in about 200 parts waiting on me to get back to it. O also have a BSA WM20 sitting in my carport waiting on me to finish the C15.

With watches now they'll probably be waiting a long time!!!

Sorry Tony, I couldn't resist! You have no idea how many watches I have in a waiting queue!

Cheers,

Bob

[Tmuir]

My wife always accuses me of having lots of half finished projects that I never finish, so every now and then I find a project that has been hanging around for a while and finish it just to prove her wrong.

 

Its nearly about that time for the C15 to be the next project to finish once I can pick up heavy items again which is still 4 weeks away,

[Geo]

2 hours ago, Tmuir said:

Yes its a BSA C15, its currently in my workshop with the rolling chassis finished and the engine in about 200 parts waiting on me to get back to it. O also have a BSA WM20 sitting in my carport waiting on me to finish the C15.

A C15 was the second bike I owned, and the one I passed my bike test on back in 1967.

I also co- owned an ex WD M20 with two other pals that we used to thrash it around the local fields.  We had a small hand held can with petrol that we would start it on, and when it was at running temperature we would switch over to the bike petrol tank that was filled with paraffin.