NAWCC Field Suitcase Workshop
Overview

What is the Field Suitcase Program?

In the November 1997 Mart, the Ad Hoc Education Committee asked members to express their degree of interest in technical repair and restoration of Horological artifacts.  Sixty-nine percent of respondents to the survey supported a National program for organized field workshops for clock/watch repair and restoration at Chapter, Regional and National functions.

 The Field Suitcase Workshop (FSW) program was developed by the NAWCC AD Hoc Education Committee and approved by Council:

·         To provide technical repair and restoration training to those collectors who do not need or have access to the School of Horology at Columbia.

·         To encourage member’s efforts in maintaining and upgrade their collection by offering technical repair and restoration training at an affordable cost, and within a reasonable distance from their homes.

The full standing Education Committee now administers the Field Suitcase Program and the Practical Repair and Restoration articles published regularly in the NAWCC Bulletin.

The FSW currently offers clock repair, lathe and pocket watch courses and is seeking ideas for other courses and also for individual volunteers to assist or develop new courses for this program.

Available Clock Repair Courses

F101 - Introduction to Basic Time & Strike...The American Kitchen Clock

This course covers the eight-day, time and strike clock movement with open mainsprings, typically found in "American Kitchen" clocks. (More Info)

Four days.

F102 - Time & Strike Clocks with Spring Barrels

Prerequisite F101

This course will cover time and strike clocks with two spring barrels and rack/snail strike mechanism. (More Info)

Four days.

F103 - Introduction to Chime Clocks

Prerequisite F102

This course introduces the student to chiming clocks, with spring powered or with simple weight driven wall and floor clock movements.  (More Info)

Four days.

F104 - Introduction to Weight and Fusee Driven Clocks

Prerequisite F103

This four-day clock repair course will focus on one, two, and three weight regulators, grandfather and Fusee clocks including tubular and bell chime. (More Info)

Four days.

F105 - 400-Day Torsion Pendulum Clocks

Prerequisite F101

This four-day course is designed for the clock repairperson or collector who is already proficient in basic clock service and repair techniques. (More Info)

Four days.

F110 - Clock Camp III

Prerequisites F101 thru F104

This four-day course is for students that have completed F101 through F104 FSW classes and want a refresher course of that material. The course gives the student an opportunity to expand their basic knowledge learned previously and become more proficient with a variety of clocks. This is their chance to get help with that troublesome movement that defied their repair skills in the past. (More info)

Four days

F200 - Fundamental Skills for Clock Repair & Lathe Preparation Course

This four-day basic course offers instruction to the student in basic clock repair shills and prepares them for fundamental Lathe operation. (More Info)

Four days.

F201 - Lathe I Skills for Clock Repair Course

Prerequisite F200

This four-day course was designed to instruect the student in the fundamental skills of Lathe operation and maintenance for clock repair. (More Info)

Four days

F202 - Lathe II for Clock Repair Course

Prerequisites F200 and F201

The student will take what he or she has learned in the F200 and the F201 classes and further the skills needed to make selected clock parts and tools using a cross-slide (More Info)

Four days

F301 – Introduction to Basic Pocket Watch Repair…The American Pocket Watch

No prerequisites

This is a pocket watch course for entry-level students wanting to learn the fundamentals of watch repair. (More Info)

Four days

F 401 - Reverse Glass Painting

No prerequisites

This four day course covers an introduction to Reverse Glass Painting. (More Info)

 Four days

F402 - Dial Painting

No prerequisites

This four-day course covers an introduction to Dial Painting. (More Info)

Four days

F501 - The Repair & Replacement of an American Strip Recoil Escapement Course

Prerequisite F101

This two-day course will instruct the student on how to repair and replace the recoil strip escapement generally used in an American open spring clock. (More info)

Two days

F510 - Clock Camp I

Prerequisites F101 and F102

This two-day course is for students that have completed F101 and F102 FSW classes and want a refresher course of that material. This course gives the student an opportunity to expand their basic knowledge learned previously and become more proficient with a variety of clocks. This is their chance to get help with that troublesome movement that defied their repair skills in the past. (More info)

Two days

F511 - Clock Camp II

Prerequisites F103 and F104

This two-day course is for students that have completed F103 and F104 FSW Classes and want a refresher course of that material. This course gives the student an opportunity to expand their basic knowledge learned previously and become more proficient with a variety of clocks. This is their change to get help with that troublesome movement that defied their repair skills in the past. (More info)

Two days

Field Suitcase Workshop Course Cost

All four-day clock and watch courses are $275 with the exception being the F201 and F202 which cost $300. Two-day courses have a tuition of $190. Non-NAWCC members will be charged a $65 supplemental fee per class.

The participants or sponsoring chapter are responsible for any classroom rental cost. Many schools, churches or civic organizations may provide free or low cost classrooms.

There are scholarships available for this program. For more information or an application, please contact Bill Keller at (815) 459-3712 or by email at w.f.keller@worldnet.att.net

The program was developed to operate on a break-even basis.  The NAWCC education committee uses revenue from the courses to purchase tools and supplies, to pay the instructor’s travel expenses, and for training and certification of instructors.

Field Course Instructors

The NAWCC has invested in training and certification of each Field Suitcase Workshop instructor.  They have years of repair experience and training related to these field courses and all teach from the same course material.   

Instructors travel with a tool kit containing common class tools such as an Ultrasonic Cleaner, a lathe, bushing tool, spring winder, depthing tool, and many other tools not required of the student, but are available for the student to use under the supervision of the instructor

The Field Suitcase instructors are:

How Field Classes are Organized

The local NAWCC chapters generally organize Field Suitcase Workshop classes, but anyone willing to organize a class can become a Class Coordinator. The Coordinator enrolls the students, collects the tuition, locates an appropriate classroom, pays the classroom rental, and schedules the class with the Field Suitcase Workshop Administrator. The Administrator confirms the date and assigns an instructor. The instructor travels to the class site and conducts the course.

 The NAWCC trains and certifies every instructor, and each has years of repair experience. Instructors travel with a tool kit containing larger tools such as an ultrasonic cleaner, a lathe, a bushing tool, a spring winder, and a depthing tool. Students are responsible for their own tuition, personal tools, and clock movement if required. There is a class size requirement of seven to nine students for each class. F105 requires eight to twelve students. The F301 Basic Pocket Watch Repair Course has a minimum of 7 students and a maximum of 8 students

The Coordinator Incentive Program allows Class Coordinators to receive free tuition. A Coordinator who enrolls eight students in a class may take that class free as the ninth student if they have met the course prerequisites.

The Responsibilities of a FSW Class Coordinator

For More Information About This Program or To Schedule a Workshop

Contact the NAWCC Field Suitcase Workshop Administrator

Administrator:

Pam Tischler 
4516 Barwyn Court 
Plano, Texas 75093 
Phone: 972-612-0712
FSWProgram@verizon.net