• John A. Nelson, "18 Antique Designs for the Woodworker"
  Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1994, $16.95, PB, 222 pages.
  Contains plans for Grandfather, Pillar & Scroll (Eli Terry), Column & Splat, Ogee, Calendar, Steeple, Cottage, Connecticut Shelf, Figure Eight, Banjo, Schoolhouse, Regulator, Gingerbread, Mission Wall, Mission Shelf, Black Mantel, Tambour.  
  One of the best for reproducing an old clock case. Quibble: While most of the plans are of classic designs, the grandfather and steeple plans are of unusual clocks and perhaps not representative of the best of the type.  
  

 

• John A. Nelson, "The Complete Guide to Making Wooden Clocks"
  East Petersburg, PA: Fox Chapel Publishing Co., Inc., $24.95, 2000, PB, 178 Pages. Contains plans for 37 clock cases mainly small using quartz movements but several designed for mechanical movements. Most designs are Nelson’s unlike his "18 Antique Designs" book where the drawings were taken from actual antique clocks. Photos of many of the clocks in his earlier book are included in this book.
  
  

• Tim & Peter Ashby, "Making Wooden Clock Cases, Designs, Plans and Instructions for 20 Clocks"
  Fresno: Linden Publishing, 1992, $24.95, PB, 222 pages. 
  English designs for Granddaughter, Abbot Grandfather, George III Bracket, French Mantel, Balloon, Shepherdess, Lancet, Bracket, Mantel (4), Full case wall, half case wall, Vienna Regulator, Coachman wall, Huntsman, Deacon, Yeoman (2), English Drop Dial (total 23 plans). Heavy use of veneering and plywood, metric & inch measurements. 
  
  

• David Bryant, "Wooden clock Cases", Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1995, $17.95, PB, 158 pages. 
  Daniel Quare, Arch dial, Regency, Lancer (all bracket clocks), Balloon, Mantels, Nine-light Viennese regulator, Black dial, Tavern, English dial, Black Forest wall, Cuckoo, Marquetry longcase, Lancashire longcase, pagoda longcase, Swan neck longcase. One of the best for reproducing some classic, mainly English designs. Metric measurements. Bryant now has a Web site with additional plans available: CRAFT DESIGN PLANS.
  
  

• Raymond Haigh, "Classic Clocks for Woodworkers, Complete Patterns for 21 Clocks", 
  New York, Sterling Publishing, 1994, $16.95, PB, 160 pages. 
  Mainly English small cases using quartz movements. Metric & inch measurements. Quibble: many of the cases are reduced in size to fit quartz movements. Some (e.g. the Eli Terry and Steeple cases) are rather too simplified such that the door is glued on, not hinged and functional. Designs not for the purist. 
  

 

• Norm Abram: "Mostly Shaker from The New Yankee Workshop"
  Boston, Little Brown & Co., $18.95 PB.
  Chapter 4 (Page 71) is devoted to the construction of a Shaker wall Clock closely following the original design by Isaac Youngs in 1840. Design changes involve use of a Quartz movement and elimination of the side windows. 
  
  

• Ejner Handberg: "Shop Drawings of Shaker Furniture & Woodenware", 
  Stockbridge, Massachusetts, Berkshire Traveller Press, 1991 ISBN 0-936399-18-X. Volume 2 (Page 2) has the measured drawings of the Isaac Youngs Shaker Wall Clock. Two pages of Drawings only, no construction details. 
  
  

• Murray Clock Craft Ltd. 
  (1-800-268-3181) is a Canadian firm selling kits, movements and plans very much like the late Mason & Sullivan Company did. 
  
  

• Burl & Bernice Osburne: "Measured Drawings of Early American Furniture" 
  Dover Publications, 1975. Miniature Tall clock (5 feet) by Thomas Claggett on page 63-65.

• V. J. Taylor & H. A. Babb: "Making and Repairing Wooden Clock Cases" London: David & Charles, 1986. ISBN 0-7153-8727-8. Much information found nowhere else on the design of various types of clocks. See especially Chapters 7 on Designing and Chapter 8 on Making Your Own Clock. This book is a necessity for those intending do do their own designs.
  
  

• Thomas Moser: How to Build Shaker Furniture" 
  New York: Sterling Publishing, 1977. Pages 192 through 197 have measured drawings of a Shaker tall clock and a wall clock. No construction details but there are chapters on tools and building processes.
  
  

• Edward Deming & Faith Andrews: "Shaker Furniture" 
  New York: Dover Publications, 1964. SBN 486-20679-3. Two plates and short descriptions of a tall clock and a wall clock.
  
  

• V. J. (Victor John) Taylor: "How to Build Period Country Furniture"
  New York, Bonanza Books, 1978, 186 pages. ISBN 0-517-36248-1
  Chapter 7 contains 28 designs, among which is a long case clock design (6 pages) in the Chippendale style. Measurements in inches and metric.
  

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                      Clock Cases Plans: Magazines

• The woodworking magazines sometimes have clock case plans. One example is Woodsmith, P.O. Box 842, Des Moines, IA 50312. 1-800-333-5075. Some back issues are available. Some of the better construction articles are:
  In the October 1998 issue, a bracket-type mantle clock. 
  In the October 1997 issue, a Shaker wall clock 
  

• Today's Woodworker had an Arts & Crafts Stickley-style Grandfather clock in Issue 57, May-June 1998.

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                      Clock Cases Plans: Individual Plans

• E. Carlyle Lynch had a number of wonderful plans for furniture, grandfather clocks and several other clocks which were once available from a number of sources. Designs included the General Lee’s Tall Clock (Benjamin Chandlee, 1752), Nathaniel Milliken Tall Clock (about 1760. In Old Sturbridge Village collection), A Country Tall Clock (Peter Henenberger, about 1820), Simon Willard Banjo Clock, Eli Terry Tall Clock and Eli Terry Shelf Clock (Pillar & Scroll). After Lynch's death in 1989, drawings became unavailable. However, his granddaughter has started selling the drawings again. See the advertisement in Fine Woodworking. The address is Carlyle Lynch Measured Drawings, P.O. Box 13007, Arlington, TX 76094. Ask for the list of Lynch's drawings which costs $2. Phone (817) 861-1619. Drawings are $16.95 each or $14.95 for two or more. The $2 is taken off the first order if the catalog is mentioned. Credit cards accepted. These clock drawings and the 100 other drawings of furniture are classics and well worth the price.
  




• Plans no longer available: 
  Mason & Sullivan had plans for most of their clocks. Woodcraft, which bought M&S (and essentially liquidated the company), has only one plan for the grandfather clock (and no doubt retains the copyright on the others). Woodcraft apparently has no intention of reproducing any other plans so they may effectively be lost. This is a list of the clock case plans from the 1987 Mason & Sullivan catalog showing the tremendous variety of clocks and plans the company had. Unless noted otherwise, plans were for mechanical movements. Steeple, Double Steeple, Massachusetts Shelf, Desk (quartz), Wall with Moving Moon Dial (quartz), Mini Tambour (quartz), Coachman’s Regulator, Tambour, U.S. Lighthouse, Scroll, Railroad Regulator, School, Orleans Crystal Regulator, Williamstown Colonial Tall, Colonial Grandmother, Colonial Grandfather (this is the only one left at WoodCraft), Early American Grandmother, Classic Grandfather, Shaker Tall, Connecticut Cottage, Willard Banjo, Country Wall, Office Long Drop Regulator, Shaker Wall. 18th Century Boston Parlor, American Mantel, No 2 Regulator, Rose Octagon, Crystal Regulator, Eli Terry Pillar & Scroll, Calendar Regulator. Vienna Regulator, Schoolhouse Regulator, English gallery (quartz).
  
  

• Craft Products, St. Charles, IL (apparently out of business). Like Mason & Sullivan but case designs were not quite as good. Had many kits and plans.

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                             Clock Movement Plans: Magazines

• Both the English journals Horological Journal and Clocks Magazine often publish construction articles. A number of other English clockmaking magazines such as "Timecraft" have ceased operation but most of John Wilding's works that were contained in these are available in manual form. Engineering in Miniature, while mainly an English  "live steam" publication, sometimes has clock construction articles. One of the oldest publications is England's Model Engineer. It's a general model machining publication but has an occasional clock-related article. The U.S. based Home Shop Machinist, part of the Live Steam Magazine group (Village Press) originally serialized Bill Smith's Skeleton Wall Clock. They occasionally have a clock related article. The magazine Modeltec was started by the late Bill Fitt after he departed Live Steam Magazine. Again, it is mainly devoted to Live Steam and railroading.
  
  For those of you with access to old copies of Model Engineer, see the series "A Vienna Regulator Clock" by Geo. Gentry beginning in the August 1937 issue.

                  Clock Movement Plans: Books on Brass Movements

• The major writers are England's John Wilding and Alan Timmins, especially the former. In the U.S. it's Bill Smith. Both Wilding and Smith produce comb bound manuals of their clocks and both are available from the British Horological Institute. Both Smith and John Wilding have ceased distributing their own manuals and turned over the task to others.
  
  

• W. R. Smith,  BSME, FBHI, FNAWCC, CMC, CMW.
  
  

  • W. R. (Bill) Smith
    8049 Camberley Drive
    Powell, TN 37849
    Phone: 865-947-9671
    (email WRSmith2@aol.com) 
    
    Bill Smith's books are available from Jerry Kenny's Website
    The Hands of Time
    
    How to Make a Skeleton Wall Clock
    This is an unusual lyre shaped skeleton clock because it is weight driven and made to be wall-mounted. Uses the anchor escapement.
    
    Clockmaking & Modelmaking Tools and Techniques
    How to Make a Grasshopper Skeleton Clock
    This is a spring driven fusee movement with a compound pendulum and Bill Smith's version of John Harrison's grasshopper escapement. For the experienced clockmaker, this is a real showpiece.
    
    How to Make a Lyre Skeleton Clock
    This is Bill Smith's contribution to lyre-shaped skeleton clocks. This is a typical English design for a spring wound fusee movement.
    
    Clockmaking & Modelmaking Tools and Techniques
    A collection of Bill Smith's articles on care and use of the graver, super glue arbors, fusee grooving attachment, use of piercing and fret saws, pinion head depthing tool, filing buttons, sheet metal drills and more.
    
    How to Make a Gearless Gravity Arm Clock
    Bill Smith's most recent construction manual
    
    

  • John Wilding FBHI
    
    John Wilding's manuals are available from
    RiteTimePublishing
    
    8-Day Weight Driven Wall Clock (Original,)
    Wildings first! A time-only weight-driven movement build on the Myford ML7 lathe.
    
    8-Day Weight Driven Wall Clock (Update)
    An update of the original movement with optional Henry Ward striking (off the pendulum power without a separate train), simple datework or the Rev. Ludlum's perpetual datework. Made on the Myford.
    
    How to Make a Replica of an 18th Century 30 Hour, Weight Driven Alarm Clock
    This is Wilding's third book and covers the construction of a "birdcage" type movement with the trains from front to back as opposed to modern practice of side-by-side trains. As befits the actual time one of these clocks would have been made, there is no minute hand. Made on the Myford.
    
    The Construction of a Congreve Rolling Ball Clock
    The Congreve clock's timekeeping mechanism was a ball rolling down a tilting square table. Wilding has revised the design to make it somewhat more accurate and increased the power by skeletonizing the table.
    
    How to make a Battery Driven Electric Clock
    Wilding has developed a clock based on the design of a battery powered domestic clock of the early 1900's where the short pendulum swung back to front instead of side to side.The pendulum is impulsed by the Scotts "notched tooth." Made on the Myford.
    
    Simple 16th Century Style Clock
    The first of Wildings movements built on the Unimat, this is a foliot weight-driven timepiece representative of something found in the 16th Century. 
    
    Castle Clock
    A weight-driven partially skeletonized frame movement with the frames in the form of a castle with other elements following the castle design. Has a passing strike. Made on the Unimat.
    
    Scissors Clock & Fusee Grooving Tool
    A copy of an old design using the Unimat lathe. The contra oscillating compound pendulums are brought forward to the front of the movement. Uses the crossbeat escapement. Royer-Collard's book "Skeleton Clocks" shows an 1820 French scissors clock using the Dutertre's escapement. These may be the same.
    
    Tavern or Act of Parliament Clock, Inluding case
    A version of a 1760 timepiece which would have been in a tavern or other public place. An extra wheel is added to the train to minimize the fall and reduce the case size. This is an imposing wall clock. Made on the Myford.
    
    English Dial Clock with Datework, Including Case
    Construction of a time-only spring driven fusee movement. English dial clocks were the almost universal means of telling time during the Victorian era in England due to their relatively small size, clear dial markings and accuracy. Built on the Myford.
    
    Modern Tower Clock Installation with Striking
    An electromechanical clock employing the "waiting train" principle. The movement has electric striking.
    
    Small weight Driven Tower Clock Movement
    This clock is a movement suitable for use in a tower and is said to be able to drive hands for a dial up to two ft. in diameter. Made on the Myford.
    
    Large Wheel Skeleton Clock
    This has large wheels with many teeth, the largest being over 8 1/2 in. diameter with 290 teeth. Many French clocks of the late 18th Century were in this style. Made on the Myford lathe as a large swing is required. 
    
    Using the Small Lathe
    A valuable resource for making tools and attachments required in clockmaking: filing rest, Jacot attachment, screwhead   holder, etc. Additional information on overhauling a 30 hour movement.
    
    Making a "Marriage" & the Re-housing of Discarded Movements
    This book replaces Volume 2 of "Hints & Tips" (out of print) while adding new material. One item is the construction of a skeleton clock from a discarded English Dial.
    
    Horological Miscellanies
    A collection of Wilding's articles on Rev. Ludlum's perpetual datework, modifications to a Congreve, automatic winding for a 30-hour, etc.
    
    Large Balance Wheel Electric Clock
    Based on the Murday-Reason battery electric clock manufactured in the beginning of the 19th century. Operates on the Hipp toggle principle as does Wilding's  3/4 pendulum electric clock. Made on the Myford.
    
    Elegant Scroll Frame Skeleton Clock
    This is a revised version of his second clock and the most popular of his designs. Revisions were mainly to remove references to the 8-day book and add information to allow this second book to be a complete stand-alone manual. Similar to the 1835 clock shown on page 24 of Roter-Collard's book, this is a passing strike fusee movement. Made on the Myford.
    
    Some Notes on Tower Clocks - Their Maintenance & Repair
    Maintenance and repair of tower clocks with an examples of a typical 19th century tower movement as well as a "potts flatbed" movement.
    
    English Regulator Clock and Case
    Wilding's Graham deadbeat regulator based on a design of F. Dent from the early 1900's. Hour, minute and second hands are not concentric but have their own arbors and are shown on separate parts of the dial. Made on the Cowells lathe.
    
    English Regulator Clock and Case now with month going included
    Wilding's Graham deadbeat regulator based on a design of F. Dent from the early 1900's. Hour, minute and second hands are not concentric but have their own arbors and are shown on separate parts of the dial. Made on the Cowells lathe.
    
    Crystal Wheel Skeleton Clock
    A copy of an 1830 design by James Edwards where the wheel teeth and collets are brass but the rest is glass (Edwards) or clear plastic (Wilding). 
    
    
    Tools for the Clockmaker and Repairer
    Details the making of special tools for clockmakers and clock repairers.
    
    How to Repair Antique Clocks, VOLUME 1
    Contains the repair of f]pivots, overhauling a 30-hour clodk, replacing wheels, rebushing a pulley, wheelcutting on the lathe, cutting a dead-beat escape wheel, silvering. 19 chapters in all.
    
    How to Repair Antique Clocks, VOLUME 2
    Making a Jacot tool for the Unimat, overhauling an 8-day movement, keys, seconds hands and more, 20 chapters.
    
    How to Repair Antique Clocks, VOLUME 3
    Reconstructing a skeleton clock, a problematic longcase, replacing wheels, cutting wheels in the lathe, 31 articles.
    
    Hints and Tips for Clockmakers & Repairers Vol. 1
    Hints and Tips for Clockmakers & Repairers Vol. 2
    Routine overhauls for a variety of clocks is covered in these two volumes as well as making parts.
    
    The Construction of the M.E. Jubilee Electric Clock
    An original design by Edgar T. Westbury in "Model Engineer" is revised. This clock is a "master" type of battery clock using the Scotts nothed tooth principle of impulsing the pendulum in contrast to weights or springs in a traditional clock or the Hipp toggle principle in other electromechanical clocks. Seconds pendulum.
    
    Construction of a Weight Driven Brass Alarm Clock
    Another weight-driven foliot design typical of about the 16th century, this clock features the "Strob" escapement of Richard of Wallingford. Made on the Toyo ML-210 lathe.
    
    The construction of a Drum Water Clock
    A clock where the timekeeping mechanism is a drum upon which water falls. Not an accurate timekeeper. Made on the Myford.
    
    How to Make Galileo's Escapement 
    This is a copy of a movement in the London Science Museum which was made from Galileo's original drawings of about 1641. It is not a complete clock but shows the escapement and pendulum.
    
    Construction of a 3/4 Second Electric Clock.
    As of 2002, this is Wilding's latest manual (1999) and deals with making a battery electric clock using the Hipp toggle principle. Made on the Peatol lathe.
    
    

• Books by other authors (available from RiteTimePublishing)
  
  John Tyler, How to Make an English Style Bracket Clock
  Construction of an English-style bracket movement by John Tyler of California. This is a double fusee striking movement with additional information on construction of a case and determining the exact shape of an appropriate fusee.
  
  John G. Wright, How to make Joseph Merlin's Band Clock
  This clock has rotating bands instead of the usual dial. A full description of the clock and making of special jigs and related tools is included. Not for the beginner.
  
  

• Books by other authors 
  

Alan Timmins, Making an Eight Day Longcase Clock (Tee Publishing), available through the BHI. Construction of a traditional English eight day movement.

Peter Heimann, Regulator Clock Construction (Special Interest Model Books, Ltd., 2007. Construction manual for two wall regulators: an eight-day and a month going clock complete with case instructions.

Laurie Penman, Clock Design & Construction Including Dial Making. London: Alphabooks, A&C Black, 1989. Designing of a clock movement from a technical standpoint. Not a construction manual for a specific clock movement.

Laurie Penman, Making Clocks. Called the "Master Book: the Penman Timepiece and Penman Escapement." This appears to be a classroom training book for beginning clockmakers using the author's own designs. 

Claude B. Reeve: Clockmaking for the Amateur. Various publishers, most recently Tee Publishing. See Booksellers.
Making a chiming, striking bracket movement. Not a design for the beginner.

Donald DeCarle F.B.H.I.:Practical Clock Repairing
London: N.A.G. Press, 1952
A classic in the field. Includes chapters on making a fusee timepiece pendulum movement but is not a construction manual like Wildings. The subject material is somewhat dated but still valuable.

J. M. Huckabee, How to Build a Regulator Clock. Shop drawings with construction notes on building a shop regulator clock. Not a traditional design. Available from the AWI.

Steven G. Conover, Building an American Clock Movement. 
This is a construction manual on building a time-only reproduction of a 16850-1930 Waterbury movement. Available from:
Clockmakers Newsletter
Published since 1987, Clockmakers Newsletter is an eight page monthly newsletter for clock repairers and clockmakers.
Steven G. Conover, Editor
203 John Glenn Ave.
Reading, PA 19607

• Individual Plans
  Colin Thorne, LBHI Clock Movement Plans
  Sold in the U.S. &  Canada by Guy Lautard
  Guy Lautard
  2570 Rosebery Avenue
  West Vancouver, B.C.
  Canada V7V 2Z9
  
  SKELETON TIMEPIECE
  BENJAMIN FRANKLIN CLOCK
  SALOMON COSTER CLOCK
  JAMES FERGUSON CLOCK
  HOODED WALL CASE
  FROMANTEEL TIMEPIECE
  DOUBLE FUSEE SKELETON CLOCK
  NICHOLAS KRATZER’S POLYHEDRAL SUNDIAL
  MONTH GOING SKELETON TIMEPIECE
  RING SUNDIAL
  Plans also available for clock tools. There is the original source for these plans in England as well but no Web site is available.
   

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Clock Movement Plans: Books on Wooden Movements

• John Wilding: The Construction of a Wood Clock
  Available from BHI. A manual on building a clock made from 3/8 marine plywood using mainly a jigsaw. Not based on any historical clock but a revised version of plans accompanying the Burgess band saw. 
  
  

• E. J. Tyler (UK), Wooden Wheeled Clock, Construction of a Terry-type striking movement with gear teeth cut radially by gear cutter. Available from BHI
  
  

• George Bruno Plans  Are now being sold by the American Clock & Watch Museum in Bristol Connecticut. Drawings range from $12 to $45 and include wooden cases and movements as well as brass movements.
  Craftplans, Rogers, Minnesota 55374 (Apparently out of business). Eli Terry Clock, Plan # 325. A wooden wheeled movement and case for the Eli Terry Pillar & Scroll. 15th Century Wooden Wheel Clock, Plan #372.
  

• The Wooden Clockworks
  P.O. Box 1052                                         
  Layton, UT  84041-1052                                                     
  Telephone  (801)544-3779
  Email:  timepiece@wooden-clockworks.com
  Mark Tovar's Web site with plans for wooden works clocks for the scroll saw.
  

• Craft Designs
  David Bryant's Web site 
  Has a wooden skeleton clock: #335 ALL-WOOD SKELETON CLOCK
  

• Clock Mechanics
  Woodworking clock plans and kits, especially the "Thomas Clock." No catalog.
  The Clock Mechanics
  4924 Walnut Drive
  Des Moines, Iowa 50327-7158
  
  Rob Oxley's Homepage
  Plans for a wooden wheel clock of his design
  
  

• Wooden-Gear-Clocks.com
  Jeff and Marcie Schierenbeck in Altoona, WI
  Clocks, kits and do-it-yourself patterns since 2003
  
   

Books: General Information

The newer books differ from the older "classics" in the excellent color photographs of recently published works. In addition, recent authors show actual movements instead of just cases and dials. The books published by the Antiquarian Horological Society are examples of the high quality of many recent publications. 

Skeleton Clocks

• F. B. Royer-Collard, Skeleton Clocks
  London: N.A.G. Press, 1977. 170 Pages, ISBN 7198 0110 9
  The first and still classic work devoted completely to skeleton clocks. Some shown here inspired several of John Wilding's own designs and resulting construction manuals. Photos in black and white.

•  
  Derek Roberts, Skeleton Clocks, Britain 1800-1914
  Suffolk, England: Antique Collectors' Club, 1987. Study of English skeleton clocks with chapters on 18th and 19th century clocks, makers, wheelwork, escapements and complex clocks. Many illustrations with 45 color plates and a number of drawings showing escapements used. 
  

• Derek Roberts, Continental and American Skeleton Clocks
  Westchester, PA, Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., 1989. A continuation of Roberts' earlier book dealing with French, Austrian, Belgian, Holland, Spain and the U.S. Additional chapter on modern skeleton clocks including some examples from John Wilding's designs and clocks from W. R. Smith.
   

• W. F. J. Hana, English Lantern Clocks 
  Poole (England), Blandford Press, 1977
  Translated from the Dutch by E. J. Tyler, this book examines one of the earliest types of clock developed - the lantern clock. So called because the square shape resembles a lantern, these clocks were some of the earliest "portable" clocks. Trains were back to back and the plates were on top and bottom as opposed to modern movements.
  

Mantle & Wall Clocks

• Ronald E. Rose, English Dial Clocks
  London, Antique Collectors' Club, 1978, 255 Pages, ISBN 1 85149 060 0.
  The standard work on dial clocks from Tavern to English dial. Includes chapters on manufacturers, retailers, manufacturers and manufacturing, rare and unusual clocks. Both cases and movements are shown in color and black & white. 
  

• Andrew Nicholls, English Bracket and Mantel Clocks
  Poole (England), Blandford Press, 1981, ISBN 0 7137 1009 8
  Bracket clocks are so called because, at least originally, they were able to be carried from place to place and possibly hung on brackets. Nicholls examines cases, dials, movements and makers of bracket clocks. Brackets were some of the most ornate clocks 
  the clockmakers England produced.

Longcase Clocks

• Stuart Models
  

  Stuart Models
  Stuart Turner models. Castings of model steam engines, machined kits, ready to run
  STUART MODELS, Grove Works. West Road, Bridport, Dorset, DT6 5JT
  Tel: 01308 456859  -  Fax: 01308 458295  -  Email: sales@stuartmodels.com.
  See several photos of casting kits and machined models in the collections pages.

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