As Time Goes By . . .
It all began about the time I was age 9. I was in love with taking any and all things apart and one day I found an old wooden works clock at my home in Bucks Co., Pennsylvania. With my dad's permission and a lot of anticipation, I set about disassembling the old clock. One of the first things I learned was that it was usually much easier to take something apart than it is to get it back together. This was indeed the case here and several weeks later a professional clock repairer appeared at the door to reassemble the clock and get it in good working order. He departed with a stern warning to me to "stay away from my clocks!"
So much for my first effort, but I went on to satisfy my mechanical curiosity over the next few years with a variety of other projects, everything from tinkering with engines of all kinds to creating a miniature wagon, which I harnessed to our family cat. She promptly galloped up the stairs and ran under the nearest bed she could find and smashed and wedged my wagon into the bed springs while freeing herself from the contraption.
Years later, as a teenager, I returned to work on the same clock, but this time I was successful and actually created a new wooden gear for it. It ran like a top after that for years.
As an adult, I became a tool and die maker, working in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and then for many years in Vermont. I eventually decided to open my own design and prototype machining business in Vermont and continued that business when we moved to the West Coast.
A chance encounter one day with a beautiful antique wall clock that a friend wondered if I might be able to fix made me start thinking that perhaps it was time for a change. After all I'd always been fascinated with clocks and grew up in a house full of antiques. I decided to give it a try and obtained specialized schooling in the clock repair field.
Since 2006 I've been enjoying my new vocation, one which presents new challenges every day but still remains enjoyable to me. I've found that almost every clock "has a story" and that serves to remind me that what I do matters. In my own small way, I can help those memories continue to live on.
TO CONTACT: CALL 802-431-5416 or email: clockworkwayne@gmail.com
So much for my first effort, but I went on to satisfy my mechanical curiosity over the next few years with a variety of other projects, everything from tinkering with engines of all kinds to creating a miniature wagon, which I harnessed to our family cat. She promptly galloped up the stairs and ran under the nearest bed she could find and smashed and wedged my wagon into the bed springs while freeing herself from the contraption.
Years later, as a teenager, I returned to work on the same clock, but this time I was successful and actually created a new wooden gear for it. It ran like a top after that for years.
As an adult, I became a tool and die maker, working in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and then for many years in Vermont. I eventually decided to open my own design and prototype machining business in Vermont and continued that business when we moved to the West Coast.
A chance encounter one day with a beautiful antique wall clock that a friend wondered if I might be able to fix made me start thinking that perhaps it was time for a change. After all I'd always been fascinated with clocks and grew up in a house full of antiques. I decided to give it a try and obtained specialized schooling in the clock repair field.
Since 2006 I've been enjoying my new vocation, one which presents new challenges every day but still remains enjoyable to me. I've found that almost every clock "has a story" and that serves to remind me that what I do matters. In my own small way, I can help those memories continue to live on.
TO CONTACT: CALL 802-431-5416 or email: clockworkwayne@gmail.com