Project w/ Pics I have a reputation

[Mike Davis]

for taking on projects that nobody else will touch. Usually it's a loosing proposition, I'll spend way too much time and buy tools or supplies that cost more than the original item being repaired.
But, granddad's memory is worth more than money and my time is what I say it is. so there.

Who else would carve antlers for an old coo-coo clock, especially when the original was plastic.

Yep, waste of time. Yep, I'll lose money on the deal. Knew that going in.
I'm having the time of my life!

 

[ScottM]

It’s not the kill it’s the hunt. It’s not destination but the ride. It’s all about the challenge. Truly I admire and envy your commitment and your drive to do projects like this.

 

[Henry W]

Appreciate the challenge, and that it was accepted.

When I was self-employed, I enjoyed, but did not profit from, fixing or refinishing people's furniture.
Home repairs was much harder work, but it was a need not a want. Therefore home repairs was a much better business to be in - less niche, and way more business.
I look forward to the day when I might take on restoration/repair challenges (because i enjoy a challenge) -without deadlines or trying to make a living at it.

 

[Mike Davis]

I have a friend who remodels houses and repairs cars, however he is very choosy about his projects.
He won't take just any remodel and he won't fix just any car.

Mostly he buys falling in houses, rebuilds them at his leisure and when salvaged materials are available.
He does my remodeling and a few other folks.
He buys certain cars and rebuilds them to sell, buys some just to get the parts, sells when he likes the person who needs a car. Owns several houses but doesn't rent them, might sell one if the situation was right.

I kinda want to be like that.

 

[ChemE75]

Did some back when I had a lot of coworkers and word got out I did woodworking and stained glass. Never charged, most were fun and challenging. My daughter still has my old turntable with an audio technica cartridge a coworker gave me for fixing his stained glass lamp.

 

[LeftyTom]

You're just that kind of guy.

 

[Mike Davis]

I did some glass back in the day… around early 80s. Mostly bars and churches. Funny how that works out.

 

[bainin]

bars and churches...both addressing the same issues...

 

[ChemE75]

I did some glass back in the day… around early 80s. Mostly bars and churches. Funny how that works out.
View attachment 246203

Nice work! As expected from all I’ve seen of your creations. still haven’t unpacked the glass or supplies I’ve been moving since the 80s. I did repack the glass before moving here just to be sure it was not all broken into tiny shards. Nothing broke so that was a pleasant surprise, most all are 8x10” and smaller so easy to pad with used padded envelopes. Added more padding for this last move so hoping it’s still ok for when I finally get some time to dedicate to some small projects.

 

[Mike Davis]

Had a couple more hours to piddle with the antlers.

 

[ChemE75]

Had a couple more hours to piddle with the antlers.
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Nice! Looks great.

 

[Mike Davis]

She looks happy to me.

 

[Gotcha6]

A satisfied customer is what it's all about.

 

[Mike Davis]

A satisfied customer is what it's all about.

When she brought in the clock she had just left a clock repair shop. It was closed so she just came on to pick up the part I repaired. She was asking if I knew another clock repairman. I do but he's in Michigan.
I looked inside the clock and immediately saw the problems. I glued in a part that had come loose, a little bellows that made the whistle sound. I then reconnected all the wires inside and tested the mechanism. I explained how to level the clock on her wall and set the pendulum. She wrote me a message the next day that the clock is ticking away and making all the right sounds on time but running a little slow. I explained how to adjust the pendulum to correct the timing and she is completely happy now.

 

[ChemE75]

When she brought in the clock she had just left a clock repair shop. It was closed so she just came on to pick up the part I repaired. She was asking if I knew another clock repairman. I do but he's in Michigan.
I looked inside the clock and immediately saw the problems. I glued in a part that had come loose, a little bellows that made the whistle sound. I then reconnected all the wires inside and tested the mechanism. I explained how to level the clock on her wall and set the pendulum. She wrote me a message the next day that the clock is ticking away and making all the right sounds on time but running a little slow. I explained how to adjust the pendulum to correct the timing and she is completely happy now.

Good work! From what I recall, the inside stuff can be daunting to troubleshoot. I saw messed up connectors inside one once, torn bellows were the biggest issue - I was younger and not very experienced at much hands on diy anything, plus no internet to look up parts, so decided not to make anything worse.

 

[Gotcha6]

When she brought in the clock she had just left a clock repair shop. It was closed so she just came on to pick up the part I repaired. She was asking if I knew another clock repairman. I do but he's in Michigan.
I looked inside the clock and immediately saw the problems. I glued in a part that had come loose, a little bellows that made the whistle sound. I then reconnected all the wires inside and tested the mechanism. I explained how to level the clock on her wall and set the pendulum. She wrote me a message the next day that the clock is ticking away and making all the right sounds on time but running a little slow. I explained how to adjust the pendulum to correct the timing and she is completely happy now.

Dad picked up one of those at a flea market one time without a weight. It cuckoo-ed but needed that weight. We figured out a C cell battery on a piece of masonry twine adjusted correctly made it work just fine. Dad, like me, was a bit of a tinkerer.
Mom hated it.

 

[Mike Davis]

Mom hated it.

Don't they all?

 

[Gotcha6]

Dad picked up one of those at a flea market one time without a weight. It cuckoo-ed but needed that weight. We figured out a C cell battery on a piece of masonry twine adjusted correctly made it work just fine. Dad, like me, was a bit of a tinkerer.
Mom hated it.

Don't they all?

He took it down and found a battery powered clock with John Deere tractors on the face that would fire up a putt-putt on the hour. It was worse so they took the batteries out of the speaker.

 

[ashley_phil]

that tractor clock sounds hilarious be good to hide in someones house

 

[Gotcha6]

that tractor clock sounds hilarious be good to hide in someones house

I'm sure you could find one in a flea market or yard sale. They probably still advertise them in Progressive Farmer Magazine or the Cooperative Review.