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“Welcome
to Maine, the way life should be!” Chapter 89 has
eighty-five members, but it’s not always easy for everyone to “get thay-er
frum hear-er”. Maine’s a big
state. Fifty-one members and guests
arrived at the Rockport Boat Club in midcoast Rockport, Maine.
Midcoast is where them city slicker outa-staters settle down when they
can't decide if they want to live up in Portland or Dow'east past Schoodic
Point. There was a five-knot breeze coming from the south across the
incoming tide of Rockport Harbor.
Delightful. We either got a
whiff of the lobsters, filet mignon, clam chowder and corn cooking, or a
snort of the lobstermen at the next landing float cutting bait. All in all, it was a wonderful day,
albeit, hot, humid and hazy.
Cheerful folks, summertime in Maine and a great view surely put
winter behind us. It was good to be
back at the Rockport Boat Club.
Sweet Maine and a Purfick Day!
Newcomers aren’t strangers
for long, for Chapter 89 is known for good hospitality. Everyone enjoyed the “har-bah” view and
“go-en-ons” at Rockport Harbor.
Nearly a dozen members sat near the edge of the quay with flip-ups
flipped down. That’s the way we
like it in Maine!
The 168th meeting
and 37th year of Maine Chapter 89 got underway at 11:00 a.m.
with some NEW faces in the crowd.
During the Welcome Hour, we caught up on the latest news. Fairly soon our youngsters brought
around fruit and veggie appetizers along with Rubber Boot Clam Chowder. President Nan Vance didn’t even get a
chance to ring the cowbell to announce lunch. Maine cows know when it’s milking time. Chapter 89 members know when it’s
lunchtime. After the final finger
licking, we got situated for the rest of the meeting.
The Business Meeting started
around 1:15 PM, led by President Nan Vance. She welcomed members and guests during her opening
introduction and called for self-introductions.
OLD
BUSINESS: Secretary Ern Grover read the Minutes for our May 2006
meeting. The Treasurer’s report
will be read at the next membership meeting. The membership accepted the Secretary’s report.
NEW
BUSINESS:
Special announcement: Member Jim
Lea made an announcement regarding recent legislation in Maine regarding a
ban of the sale of mercury, including mercury barometers. This lead to his
concern about the sale of clocks with mercury pendulums. He advised that he
had contacted the State and had it confirmed that there is no ban on the
sale of antique clocks with mercury pendulums. He left literature on
the subject with the Chapter.
Looking ahead:
On August 26, 2006,
Chapter 89 will feature a clock exhibit and second suitcase workshop at
Willowbrook Museum Village in Newfield, Maine.
September 16, 2006, Rick and Linda Balzer will present "All
You Wanted to Know About Watches, But Were Afraid to Ask” to be held at the
Atrium in Brunswick, Maine.
October 21, 2006, Ben Crosby will host the third suitcase workshop at his home
in Winslow, Maine. November 18, 2006 marks the date of the Chapter 89
Annual Auction and Election of Officers at the Atrium in Brunswick.
Raffle
drawing: Mable Ogilvie picked up the $20 first drawing, and Nan Vance
won the $10 draw.
presentation: While folks continued to pick
corn from between teeth (some from dentures), members brought their
treasures to the podium to share information and stories about their
clocks.
Cal Morgan showed us a dial
painter’s template used to lay out the chapter ring and numerals on a wooden
dial. It consisted of a sheet metal
overlay with hundreds of tiny perforations. By use of a pounce bag charged with lampblack, the dial
painter could follow the telltale black dots in order to hand letter the
dial. Connect the dots. There was one hole marked “hang”. Cal presumed it had been used more than
once to paint a black dot on the dial, but the hole was to hang up the
template.
Cal shared one of the
easiest and safest means of cleaning a wooden dial. By running a piece of masking tape around
the edge of the dial to form a wall and taping the dial holes from the
backside, one could cover the surface of the dial with oatmeal. Swishing it around and letting it rest
for a period of time would achieve the desired results. This is one procedure where you can
“clean your dial and eat breakfast afterwards.”
Ern Grover brought an
unusual electrical device, taking guesses from the audience. It resembled an artillery shell with a
switch handle and power cord.
Actually it was an old Sunbeam baby-bottle warmer he uses in his
shop to heat up hide glue. The one
shot thermostat clicks off at proper temperature and eliminates the need to
remember to shut off the glue pot when done with a job. Next he demonstrated and briefly
described the function of a Barr electric hipp-toggle clock. While the pendulum amplitude decays, a
series of events restores the pendulum amplitude.
Tom Vance
brought an Edwards tall case clock. The name on the dial is clearly Edwards
of Ashby, Massachusetts. But the initial before the name is faded but
believed to be "S" followed by what appears to be the tops of an
“m” and an “l” for Samuel. Samuel
worked in his father’s shop prior to 1808.
His father was Abraham Edwards.
It has an early wooden works, cherry plates and soapstone weights.
It was suggested that the middle finial might have had an eagle on top of
the ball. The case is pine and the style is of a fine country clock.
Paul
Fournier shared two sweeties with us. Both were 9" tall, time & alarm
30-hour Seth Thomas cottage clocks. Although the glasses and tablets
are original, Paul believed the hands not to be correct. The first is listed by Tran Duy Ly as a
'Cottage C', and in the NAWCC article by Owen Burt (Issue 312, p. 5) as a
'Flat Top with OG Base'. It bears the Plymouth Hollow label dating it
to 1862. The second is listed as a
“Cottage A”, or “Octagon Top with Round Base”, and was dated to 1880 by R.
O. Schmitt of Windham, NH. “Good
timekeepers,” Paul said, “and only 17 more to find in the series.”
thank you: A special “Thank you!” goes
to Jim & Barbara Lea for again making it possible for us to meet at the
Rockport Boat Club. Chapter 89
also extends a warm thanks to the many volunteers who set up, served and
cleaned up. You made a difference!
Invitation: Come join us at a future meeting. We’d love to show you some Maine hospitality.
Ern Grover, Chapter 89
Secretary
Lobster “Picnick” Pictures here
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