NEMES Meeting
7 April 2005
Our speaker for the April meeting was be David Hochstrasser. David and his brother Ross operate the Clock Shop in Hanover Mass. Ross was scheduled to be with us also but an emergency clock packing job came up and he was unable to make it. Their subject was the restoration project of the tower clock on Boston's Custom House. Their web site: www.clock-shop.com contains a number of interesting newspaper articles about the project. It turned out to be one of the most interesting talks we have heard. Look for the complete review in the May 2005 NEMES Gazette.
At the start of every meeting we have a "show and tell:" time.
Since this meeting was the anniversary of our founding ten years ago (thank you
SO much Ron Ginger!) member Henry Szostek was asked to recount a story he had
told at that first meeting. After Henry's retelling of
the tale a show of hands was called for of those present who might have been at
that first meeting in 1995. About 17 hands went up including myself.
There were probably about seventy folks present in the hall.
David brought some samples of the parts they had to make or re-make for the
Custom House Tower project
This wheel shows some repaired teeth (left edge)
Our President Norm Jones hands the microphone to David at the start of the talk
Sadly the rest of these pictures are not the quality I strive for on these
pages. They are photos of the slides that David was showing and didn't
come out very well. Indeed, if a kind soul sitting behind me had not
suggested that I try shooting without the flash there would have been no
pictures at all!
This is a gear box that actually drives the hands of the clock
The main clock mechanism was originally center in the tower. When a
renovation too place it was necessary to move the mechanism to an offset
position and the shafts that connect the main drive to the gear boxes had to be
creatively altered to suit. Now some of the shafts have to run through
walls and a stair well.
The device hanging off the right end of the shaft is a counterbalance which
enables minor adjustments of the hands as necessary.
Again, for much more information about this very informative talk please see the May Gazette when it comes out next month.