Читать книгу The Modern Clock. A Study of Time Keeping Mechanism; Its Construction, Regulation and Repair онлайн

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The apprentice, when he first gets an opportunity to examine a clock movement, usually considers it a very mysterious machine. Later on, if he handles many clocks of the simple order, he becomes tolerably familiar with the time train; but he seldom becomes confident of his ability regarding the striking part, the alarm and the escapement, chiefly because the employer and the older workmen get tired of telling him the same things repeatedly, or because they were similarly treated in their youth, and consider clocks a nuisance, any how, never having learned clock work thoroughly, and therefore being unable to appreciate it. In consequence of such treatment the boy makes a few spasmodic efforts to learn the portions of the business that puzzle him, and then gives it up, and thereafter does as little as possible to clocks, but begs continually to be put on watch work.

We know of a shop where two and sometimes three workmen (the best in the shop, too) are constantly employed upon clocks which country jewelers have failed to repair. If clock work is dull they will go upon watch work (and they do good work, too), but they enjoy the clocks and will do them in preference to watches, claiming that there is greater variety and more interest in the work than can be found in fitting factory made material into watches, which consist of a time train only. Two of these men have become famous, and are frequently sent for to take care of complicated clocks, with musical and mechanical figure attachments, tower, chimes, etc. The third is much younger, but is rapidly perfecting himself, and is already competent to rebuild minute repeaters and other sorts of the finer kinds of French clocks. He now totally neglects watch work, saying that the clocks give him more money and more fun.