HOROLOGICAL ATTRACTIONS OF NOVA SCOTIA

Transcription

1 National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, Ottawa Valley Chapter 111 Bytown Times Volume 30, No. 5, November 28, 2010 NEXT MEETING WHEN: Sunday, November 28, 2010 ISSN HOROLOGICAL ATTRACTIONS OF NOVA SCOTIA Meeting begins at 1:11 PM WHERE: The Ottawa Citizen 1101 Baxter Road, Ottawa MEETING AGENDA: Tips for photographing your collection, presented by a professional photographer Show and Tell INSIDE THIS ISSUE: During a recent trip to Nova Scotia, I was intrigued to find neat clocks and watches linked to Canadian history around almost every corner. A few of my favourite examples are featured here. Horological Attractions of Nova Scotia New Meeting Location Directions & Map 1 & 3 1 & 2 The Naval Dockyard Clock stands at the Halifax waterfront, on the boardwalk, amongst shops, museums, and restaurants. The Dockyard Clock was built in London, England, in 1767 Continued on page 3... Update on Training Activities 2 NEW MEETING LOCATION September 2010 Chapter meeting Magazine Article Reviews 5 List of Local Supply Shops 5 Club Info & Contacts 6 The President s Desk 6 4 As most are now aware, the Qualicum Park Community Centre is being torn-down by the City, so we have had to change our meeting location. The November meeting will take place at the Ottawa Citizen Building (directions below, and map on page 2). Please note that this is a temporary meeting place; the Chapter Executives are still looking for a permanent new meeting place. Membership will be kept updated through s and the Bytown Times. Directions to The Ottawa Citizen building, at 1101 Baxter Road, Ottawa: Take the Pinecrest Rd exit from HWY 417, and go south Turn left (or, if coming westbound, go straight) onto Iris Street Keep to the right, to continue on Iris Street, travelling behind IKEA Turn left at Baxter Road. The destination will be on the right. Information provided by Erin Fox

2 PAGE 2 BYTOWN TIMES VOLUME 30, NO. 5, MAP TO THE OTTAWA CITIZEN 1101 BAXTER ROAD, OTTAWA UPDATE ON TRAINING ACTIVITIES NAWCC F301: Basic Pocket Watch Repair Mark your calendars! May we will be offering the NAWCC F301- BASIC POCKET WATCH REPAIR course in the Ottawa area. This is the first time that this course has been offered in Canada, and it will likely be a long time before it comes around again. There is a maximum number of students that can be accommodated, so it will be on a first come, first served basis, and a $50 deposit will be required (details to follow later) will be required to hold your spot. The cost for this four day course will be $300 US. Please see below for details on the course: If you wish to reserve your spot on this course, please contact Grant Perry via paretime@rogers.com or by phone at More information will be available shortly. NOTE: there will be no workshop at the November 2010 meeting. Training info provided by Grant Perry

3 VOLUME 30, NO. 5, BYTOWN TIMES PAGE 3 by Ayneth (or Aynsworth) Thwaites. The clock stood at the Halifax Naval Dockyard from 1772 through 1993, until it was presented by the Navy to the city of Halifax in The clock remains one of the oldest turret clocks in Canada. NOVA SCOTIA, CONTINUED... Above: Vincent Coleman s watch Above: clock found in the rubble Just down the boardwalk from the Naval Dockyard Clock, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic provides more horological artefacts. A collection of clocks on the top floor are interesting to peruse. However, some of the most interesting timepieces are found with the exhibit depicting the 1917 Halifax explosion. On that fateful December day, the SS Mont Blanc, carrying explosives, caught flame and drifted ashore. The explosion, and subsequent tidal wave, killed thousands of people, and injured thousands more. One heroic train dispatcher, Vincent Coleman, sacrificed himself to help save hundreds of lives and aid in the immediate dispatch of rescue efforts, by using his telegraph key to send a Morse code message to warn of the impending disaster. Above: The Naval Dockyard Clock Left: two Seth Thomas clocks on display at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. The museum s exhibit includes Vincent Coleman s pocket watch, which shows the effects of the blast and the tidal wave. Also on display is a small clock, found in the rubble, which stopped at the exact moment of the explosion. Just down the coast from Halifax is the beautiful town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. The Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic, located on the waterfront in Lunenburg, houses artefacts, including the ship s clock, from the original Bluenose, the famous Canadian fishing and racing schooner. Left: ship s clock from the original Bluenose Article and photos by Erin Fox

4 PAGE 4 B YT OW N TIME S V OL U ME 3 0, NO. 5, SEPTEMBER 2010 MEETING The September 2010 meeting was eventful to say the least. Ray Springer presented the findings from the membership survey. John Ruhland spoke about Dutch clocks, and the English lathe Allen Symons purchased over the summer. The chapter celebrated the its 35th anniversary, along with special guest Meryl Smith, the VP for NAWCC chapter 182 of Canberra, Australia.

5 VOLUME 30, NO. 5, BYTOWN TIMES PAGE 5 MAGAZINE ARTICLE REVIEWS April 2010 Clocks Magazine- there is a good article by Ian Beilby on how to repair the broken end of a dial pillar without replacing the pillar. Model Engineers' Workshop - tips on how to accurately locate center or scribed lines on flat and round surfaces by Michel Christiaens. July 2010 Model Engineers' Workshop- Beginner's guide to the lathe; part 1- lathe attributes. August 2010 Model Engineers' Workshop- Beginner's guide to the lathe; part 2 - high speed steel tooling. September 2010 Model Engineers' Workshop-Making a simple threading holder to tap small threads by Chris Dunn. The holder ensures that the tap is true to the job. Clocks Magazine- an article on ropes and pulleys. Fall 2010 Introduction to Clock Repair Course Class October 2010 Model Engineers' Workshop- small boring tools. Also part 3 of a beginner's guide to the lathe which looks at work holding methods. Reviews by Dan Hudon THANK YOU The last four years, as Secretary and Newsletter Editor, has been nothing less than a privilege to me. I ve very much enjoyed the chance to document our club s activities, and be an active member of the Chapter s Executive. Though I plan to continue to be a part of the Executive, and be part of the program planning committee, I will be stepping down from my Secretary and Editor roles. In fact, this will be my last issue. I would very much like to thank all those who have helped over the years. Though I can t list all the names of all those who have contributed to the Newsletter over the years, I would like to give special thanks to those who have helped with each, or almost each, issue: Charles Beddoe, Dan Hudon, Ben Roberts, and Wally Clemens. Nonetheless, to each person who has ever contributed to the Bytown Times, thank you very much: I couldn t have done it without you. Erin LIST OF LOCAL SUPPLY SHOPS Metal Supermarkets: 2900 Old Sheffield Rd., Unit 1, Ottawa, , [All metal, sheets, rod plates, in small amounts] Dowd Supply Co.: 36 Rosemount Ave., Ottawa, , [Jeweler s Tools, and Equipment (Grobet USA)] Lee Valley Tools: 900 Morrison Drive, Ottawa, , [Tools and round Brass Stock] Fastenal: 6 Bexley Place, Unit 102, Ottawa, , [Some Metal] Busy Bee Tools: 1400 Agnes Drive, Ottawa, , Legere Industrial Supplies Ltd.: 1120 Morrison Drive, Ottawa, , [Machine mechanical supplies] Ottawa Fastener Supply Ltd.: 175 Robertson Road, Ottawa (Bells Corners), , [All metric and standard fasteners, Tools] Dynamic Hobbies: 21 Concourse Gate, Unit 6, Ottawa, , [small brass rods and small diameter piano wire]

6 Club Information This club acts as a meeting place for antique clock and watch enthusiasts. Members are interested in a wide array of topics: some collect, some do research, some do repairs. Formal club meetings take place five times each year, on the fourth Sunday of every second month, with a break in the summer. Meetings are held in January, March, May, September, and November. Doors open at 1:00 PM. Club members also enjoy two annual social events: a Wine and Cheese party each November, and a Picnic BBQ each July. Courses on clock and watch repair are held throughout the year. The Bytown Times is published five times each year. Annual Dues for club membership is $16. Club members should also have memberships to the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC). NAWCC Dues are U.S. $65. Club Officers & Contacts President & Librarian: Wally Clemens Box 311, 4970 Opeongo Road, RR#3 Woodlawn, ON, K0A 3M0 (613) Vice President: Auditor: Georges Royer Jean Paul Tourigny Membership Chair: Veronica West Secretary & Bytown Times Writer & Editor: Erin Fox Treasurer & Show and Display Coordinator: Grant Perry Immediate Past President: Maynard Dokken Program & Social Director: Tim Bryans Education & Workshop Chairman: Dan Hudon Notes from the President s Desk The following list, in no particular order, highlights the requirements for our meeting place. 1. Easy Access off the Queensway 2. Free parking with enough space for our vehicles. 3. Ease of access from our car to hall, (no stairs and short distance). 4. Meeting room to hold 60 to 80 members. 5. Located in downtown core 6. Location to provide chairs and tables 7. Kitchen facilities 8. Washroom 9. Viewing Screen 10. Well lit either by window or electric lights but controllable. 11. Cost 12. Sunday After checking a number of locations Ottawa Citizen was accepted. It does not meet all of our requirements but seemed the most suitable. Finding a location in the Downtown Core proved difficult to do, due to lack of free parking, difficulties accessing the hall from the car (i.e.: ability to drive to the door to unload), and cost. Our club used to meet at the Citizen in the early to mid eighties, but due to repeated, last-minute, cancellations of the room reservation by the Citizen, we moved on. This concern was mentioned to the Citizen, and we were told that was not the case today. The Citizen ensured us that if there needed to be a cancellation we would be given early notice. During our upcoming meeting we should discuss cancellation issues, and possibly a second backup meeting day. Hope to see you on the 28th.