No comments about Practical Picture Restoration.

No comments about Striking and Chiming Clocks: Their Working and Repair.

3 comments about Care and Repair of Classic Cameras for Photographers and Collectors.

1. Perhaps not as all-encompassing as it could be, Joe Lipincott's book still provides a lot of valuable information and belongs in the reference library of any camera collector.



2. Despite the book's all encompassing, comprehensive title, the information contained within is a series of very specialized essays on a number of small topics. Look at the table of contents and/or index to see if the topic you are interested in is covered. If it is not; look elsewhere.
   For the topics covered, the text and illustrations are very good.
   Good for what it covers.



3. Joe Lippincott is a working photojournalist who took up repairing his own mechanical cameras out of necessity and has produced a very nice book on this subject.

   Lippincott covers all the bases of mechanical camera repair that he feels the beginning and intermediate technician or hobbyist is safely capable of, and directs readers to "know when to say when" and send the unit in to professional facilities with fixturing and experience in the particulars involved. He covers repair, tools needed, modifications, and use of these cameras, with detailed assembly descriptions in many cases.

   Previously, the Ed Romney book, "Trade Secrets: Basic Training in Camera Repair", a volume published by Romney via toner process and GBC-bound, was the standard reference for beginners outside the "secret society" of professionals. Romney passed away in 1992, and his books suffered from time as hard use would cause them to disintegrate or the paper would age poorly-they were in essence photocopies.

   Also, many readers objected to Romnney's political and religious views which Romney occasionally digressed upon in his books and extensively on Usenet. Lippincott is strictly focused, makes no statements anyone anywhere could object to, and this book is very professionally offset print and bound.

   Lippincott's book is much more tightly focused than Romney's, which makes it less suitable as a casual primer or background read for the photographer just wanting an overview, but more useful to someone with good mechanical aptitude who wants to start in on a camera with minimal fuss.

   Romney's professional background in electronics-he wrote extensively on Amateur Radio and repair of vintage equipment-puts him ahead of Lippincott, who repeatedly refers to the unit of capacitance as the "ferrung" and shows little inclination for working on electronic cameras,in that department.

   Is Lippincott better than Romney? In some ways, clearly so, and in others I would prefer Romney's book combined with the specific service manual for the camera involved. (Many of which Romney reprinted as well.) The fact is, I like both of them and hopefully someone will eventually publish Romney's work in a proper book, preferably durably shop-manual bound on acid free paper. In the meantime, I recommend this book without reservation for people intent on repairing _mechanical_ cameras.

No comments about Restoring Wood: The Art and Craft of Repairing and Renovating Wood Explained and Illustrated.

No comments about Sotheby's Caring for Antiques: A Guide to Handling, Cleaning, Display and Restoration.

No comments about Miller's Care & Repair of Antiques & Collectibles: A Step-by-Step Guide (Miller's Collector's Guides).

2 comments about Restoration of Motion Picture Film (Butterworth-Heinemann Series in Conservation and Museology).

1. This book covers in detail the film restoration process. It starts out with information about film, its history and development and how we perceive light and motion. It then goes into the technical processes and into the ethical concerns that arise in doing a restoration project. One of the few books to cover the subject. This book is pricy, but thorough. At times it gets rather technical but overall I learned a lot about film as a medium and the considerations that any film-maker (especially the ones producing only digitally) should consider. It is written in a short section bullet-point format. This localizes the concepts and discussions in concise areas which helps the reader - when the going gets too technical you can skip easily to the next bullet. The books has a section on techniques and case studies too, as well as a comprehensive glossary. Overall I found this to be a meticulous work on the subject. I'm giving it a generous 5/5 stars, mainly because it is one of the only books on the subject, and it does it very well.



2. This book covers in detail the film restoration process. It starts out with information about film, its history and how we perceive light and motion. It then goes into the technical processes and into the ethical concerns that arise in doing a restoration project. One of the few books to cover the subject. This book is pricy, but thorough. At times it gets rather technical but overall I learned a lot about film as a medium and the considerations that any film-maker (especially the ones producing only digitally) should consider, in terms of how to preservation. It is written in a short section bullet-point format. This localizes the concepts and discussions in concise areas which helps the reader - when the going gets too technical you can skip easily to the next bullet. The books has a section on techniques and case studies too, as well as a comprehensive glossary. Overall I found this to be a meticulous work on the subject. I'm giving it a generous 5/5 stars, mainly because it is one of the only books on the subject, and it does it very well.

3 comments about Care & Repair of Antiques & Collectables.

1. If you buy antiques whether for resale or home use, you must also own or look at Care & Repair of Antiques & Collectibles: it's packed with over four hundred color illustrations and photos and provides hints from professional restorers and conservators on how to handle antiques, how to repair them, and how to maintain them. From repainting repaired ceramics and stripping and cleaning wooden collectibles from jewelry to furniture to cleaning textiles, this is a 'bible' of preservation for any owner, curator or dealer in antiques of all kinds - and a book many a general public lending library will also find useful.



2. Care and repair books are practical for everyone. Although some of the materials and techniques do become obsolete there is enough lasting information to have this book in anyones library. As a restorer I look for books like this one.



3. I liked the scope of this book and the clear helpful illustrations. I found it very informative. It covers a wide range of antiques and collectibles. Good basic information for the average collector and general repairs.

No comments about Copper and Bronze in Art: Corrosion, Colorants, Conservation.

5 comments about How to Restore Your Collector Bicycle.

1. Well written book for a collector and enthusiast. Loads of helpful information for any restoration project. Great photos and checklists.



2. I am mainly into restoring classic British cars, but my interest in classic bicycles has always been strong. I have found this to be an excellent book for its coverage of the restoration process, for the many helpful technical tips sprinkled throughout, and for the high level historical information covering major categories of most commonly collected bikes.

   Some of best financial advice in the book relates to finding and selecting reasonable project bikes (I have a bad habit of trying to "save" bikes needing major work and/or missing parts). The chapters "Finding and Evaluating a Bicycle" and "Choosing the Right Project" have helped to change my approach. As recently as this morning, after becoming enamoured with a certain 1920s era bicycle needing restoration, I checked page 12 and was tipped off that the expense of the single tube tires might be significant. A quick phone call verified the expense...saved!

   This is a well written book and well worth the investment.




3. a great book love it



4. I can't say enough good things about this book! Of course it has the usual "how to remove a tire" info, but the sections on rebuilding and refinishing a vintage bicycle are plain outstanding! The information is detailed without being overwhelming. And they also make sense to non-gearheads like me. The book also gives lots of sources for obtaining vintage and reproduction parts--with URLs that actually work! One of the things I liked best about the book is that the author places much emphasis on the decision making process involved in cleaning/repairing/restoring an old bike. As we all know, many collectible bikes (and collectibles of any kind!) have been ruined by over-enthusiastic owners wanting to make them "like new." It is obvious that Mr. Love LOVES his hobby, and delights in sharing it with other people. Highly recommended!



5. Of course there is the basic "how to remove a tire" information, but there are also lots of good tips on how to evaluate a purchase, some really clever and easy techniques for brightening up an old bike's appearance, plus many excellent "insider" resources for information and replacement parts...with URLs that actually work! He uses different "experts" to demonstrate how to do a factory finish on the bike, how to get it replated etc., and the information is detailed, specific and fun to read without being overwhelming. The author places much emphasis on deciding whether to restore or not, which is a good thing-- as we all know many wonderful collectible bikes (or collectible anything!) are ruined by owners eager to make them "like new." This book strikes me as a labor of love by a person who really loves his hobby and enjoys sharing it with other people. The mechanical info might be too basic for die-hard gearheads, but even they will benefit from the wonderful body work sections!