The Swiss Watch repairer's manual, by Jendritzki (This book is great, but don't pay more than $75. After Fried's book it pulls in all the information nicely.)
Bulova Repair Training Manual
Chicago school of watchmaking (There's no copyright on this course. A guy on EBay has been scaring people for years. He does not own the copyright.)
Bestfit encyclopedia of Watch Parts 1 & 2
The clock and watch makers guide to gear making
George Daniels Watchmaking
I'll be writing my own book in the future. It will be a modern take on the repair of mechanical watches. It will have a lot of pictures. It will be direct, and to the point.
If you are interested in watch repair; I would do it as a hobby. I couldn't imagine making a good living repairing watches.
The bigger watch brands do not want to sell spare parts. That just might change in the future? Right now, it looks dim. Rolex, and the Swatch Group basically want to dictate whom, and where you can elect to get your watch repaired. Most times it the factory, at factory prices.
If you get into watch repair throughly, your appreciation of watches might change. When there's no mystery, there's no magic, I guess?
Hey, it looks like you've been shadowbanned since around september 2016. A skim through shows one or two comments that have been vouched for (as I did with this one), and a lot of 'reasonable' comments that haven't.
I'm not sure what to say, because a fair amount of your comments didn't really seem worthy of a shadowban, so I assume that you cleaned up your behaviour, but alas too late. You might wish to email an appeal to the moderators to sort it out.
"For that matter, how many people even change their own brakes (one of the easiest DIY tasks, IMO)?"
Most poor people, middle class (what's left).
Although rental agreements, and section 8 leases prohibit working on any vechicle on said properties.
The average person should know how to repace at least the front disc brake pads. (Jack, torx, or 12-13 mm socket, c-champ to push fluid back into reservoir, and pads. 2 hour job.)
Yes, a manual clutch is another story, but if you have access to a garage, or lot, it's a weekend job.
Still it's two jacks, socket set, 3/8 torq wrench (most shops don't bother torque), flashlight, jack stands, clutch pack set, with includes plastic clutch alignment tool. It's a long weekend job. It goes quicker if you have a friend who's done one before, or a strong young person who's been under a vechicle at least a few times.
So yes, there are so many of us who just don't have the funds to hire people to do things.
I am one of those people. Hell, I still cut my hair with a vacuume cleaner?
Poor people are in a bind when trying to fix their jalopy because rental housing is so restrictive. (In other parts of the country, I imagine it's not so bad, but in the Bay Area landlords usually have 42 pages of cant's.)
My point is so many Americans just don't have the luxury of having someone else do the work anymore.
In my world, the repairability of a product is of utmost importance.
Then again, I am stumped over anyone spending $1000 for a dumb phone. Giving money to a company who builds their products overseas, and can't figure out what to do with their profits.
I do give them props for security though. I guess if I was important enough, iron clad security would be worth a lot more than a grand?
I will use my three Apple products until they die.
I will then rely on the surplus of perfecly good products discarded by the wealthy, or people whom think things will will always be ok.
Sorry about the rant. There's so many products that are unfeasible, or impossible to fix. It's like the government forgot The Sherman Anti-trust Act? I feel weird about bringing up the Act? Why? Because we are talking about a phone. A dumb phone? It's not so dumb when you can't get schematics on on the electronics in your boiler, or can't get repair codes off your vechicle.
"Nowadays you can get good robotized gearboxes that have almost none of the disadvantages, except for a slightly higher price."
1. These automatic transmissions are still the weak spot on most vechicles.
2. They still use clutch bands that wear. The trannies are anything but simple. Most mechanics farm out rebuilding a tranny. I would recon that a malfunctioning automatic transmission us the number one cause of junked vechicles, besides wrecked vechicles.
3. It's straight forward weekend job to replace a clutch.
4. We all know modern engines can put close to 300,000 miles on them. Manufacturers know it. There's a reason they only give 70-100k on the tranny.
5. A modern automatic transmission is not a simple fix. Even AMCO guys are learning on your dime (notice they won't just give a price for a complete rebuild over the phone? AMCO in San Rafael, CA. Yea, I remember you slick.)
6. When checking a used vechicle, check that tranny fluid. It should be pink as a baby's butt. (Even then--there's no guarantee. The seller could have just changed the fluid. It shouldn't be black, brown, or smell burnt.
7. Sorry about my tirate on automatic transmissions. I've been to Automotive school, and worked as a mechanic for two years. The Automatic Transmission always intimided me.
If anyone could come up with clutch bands that don't wear, well let's say, you could dine with the 1 percenters? Tyat that be hell though?
I think you might be getting downvoted for using an abbreviation for 'transmission' that also happens to be a homonym for a slur against transgender people. You've written a good, informative comment drawing on your specialist expertise, so it seems a shame to have it lose visibility. You might consider editing to change the word that could be upsetting some people.
To be upset you would have to take it out of the context its presented in, at which point its out of context. Seems like people are trying to be upset, shame on them.
In electronics/electrician-speak, "tranny" is also commonly used to refer to transformers, but I'd never confuse that meaning with the automotive one nor the gender one given the context.
I don't think older automatics are hard to work on (50s-70s era), but I agree that the modern electronic ones are horribly complex.
I don't think it matters to those that can afford the service?
Amazon captured peoples trust, and those with funds buy their counterfeit, overpriced goods. Along with that Prime scam. (I have kept track of their portable AM radios for ten years. Every year the price slowely ticket up.).
I fell for the Prime scam, until I realized I payed $130 in shipping for two items----along with the movies I never watched. (Amazon prime now sends you a reminder when your membership is due. Two months ago, the customer had the ability to cancel the upcoming month in advance. I don't know if they think we don't notice, or don't care?)
Anyhoo, I don't see any competition. Sad? All that VC money being poured into apps that will fail, and no one takes on the beast? Alibaba is not competition for those of us in the states.
I've wanted a app that I can take a digital picture of my 12' x 8' wall of uncatorgized books, and the program will tell he roughly where the book looking for is physically.
For instance, the "Book you are requesting is located top right, second shelf from the top."
I've thought about building one, but I don't see a market. Maybe, Librarians, and what's left of book stores? For instance, "Hay the computer says we have that book, but someone probably put it in the wrong section? Go use that app?"
App: take picture, hard part (would pull titles on spines of books, and put into database. Don't have a clue if that's even possible, without huge financial resources? Yes-it would be OCR, but what open source program could I fool with?)
(I'm also considering getting rid of most of my books. It's kinda tough. I've spend a lifetime collecting reference books, and 1st editions. To get a idea of the used book market, I have had over 100 pretty current computer/programming books on CL for $500, and one person was interested, and that was a scam.)
I really think most Psychiatrists know how addictive Benzodiazepines are, but Americans are very stressed out.
In my case, I busted a gasket in my twenties. I went from the most capable person in the room, to the trembling guy who could barely leave his room. I can honestly say it ruined my life.
I was given a benzo with a long half life. It worked a bit, but I never fully recovered. I think we all know the drug. 40 hour half life.
I tried all kinds of medications over the years, and nothing worked except benzodiazepines , and alcohol. Yes--alcohol hits so many different parts of the brain, but is horrid on the body. I really tried to avoid alcohol, but some days the anxiety susptoms we just unbearable.
I've been on the long half life benzodiazepine for decades. I take the same dose low dose, and try not to drink.
I've never even asked my doctor, but he knows my low dose isn't going to cause physical problems. They are better than alcohol, if you're self-medicating. I belive his thinking is I need the drug. I've been on it forever. Why put him through a misserable detox, at this stage of the game?
There are a few big studies done on patients whom were on opiates, and benzodiazepines for long periods of time. They didn't necessarily need to increase their dosages. I believe the studies were done on rest home geriatric patients.
I feel at my age, what's the point of a long withdrawal. It's easy to say for myself because my doctor has reasonable rates. He is getting close to retirement, and that has me very worried. The last thing I want is a long misserable detox.
I don't like the way this drug problem is playing out. I don't like blaming doctors. All their patients are very different.
My wish is we let, especially Psychiatrists, make these hard calls concerning what's best for their patients. That's what they went to school for.
I don't know why we are even discussing it here.
I don't want to live in a world where doctors send their patients home a mess because they are afaird of being accused of some sinister reason for keeping a patient on a addictive drug.
In all reality, so many doctors just don't prescribe certain drugs. Probally, one of the main reasons why former patients go to the streets, or liquor stores.
(I would further like to see a governmental bill that would allow patients, whom have been on addictive drugs for years, the ability to authorize their own scripts. The Same dose, and any increase would require a doctor's visit. At this point my office visits are pointless. There is a bill that is in congress now I believe, but it's for drugs that aren't addictive. I doubt the AMA will ever let it pass though.)
It’s your life, and your call, but one compelling reason to ween off these drugs is simply that you’ll feel better (most likely) when you’re off of them. I felt like I got my old brain back when I got off Lorazepam. While we take these drugs to initially treat acute anxiety, they have a tendency to create chronic anxiety in the user. This of course requires more of the drug to combat, and you have a positive feedback cycle that makes them so difficult to get off of. But, at least in my experience, there was light at the end of the tunnel. And, FWIW, my doctor was extremely fallible despite his years of education, as you noted.
I'm about to give up, and let history repeat itself.
Yes--if an child inherits a house, they can inherit the property tax their parents paid, if they fill out the paperwork within 120 days-- I believe. Multiple children usually inherit the family home, with the eventual angry sale. The home goes back on the market, and full property taxes are paid.
Most kids aren't inheriting mansions. The're usually track houses in need of repairs. Most of the kids had blue collar parents, and never thought their bungalow would be worth a million dollars.
It's really getting old. If the younger set had any idea how politicians wasted that Prop 13 money; we wouldn't be blaming our current problems on Prop 13.
Blame your boss who who just has to live in the best neighborhood, with the best climate.
I guarantee if Prop 13 was repealed REITS, rich foreigners, and Zuckerburg types would swoop in and buy up most of the stock, and rent it back to employees.
Person who didn't see their dad crying at the dinner table, "But at least we would have more tax money?". Look at how your county spends your property taxes now; Not so good?
It will be the ultimate Wealthy Boy ride/experience.
It's too bad the average scientist, especially astronomers, astrophysicists won't be able to afford to ride the ride?
(I'm not suspose to bring up the wealth divide in America, but it's been just so---what's the word--obvious. I'm at the point where I'm thinking about the future. A future where companies will just cater to the small percentage of the population with the biggest wad? Yea--I'm envious. )
At first this will be true, as with many new products. But as hardware and development costs are amortized over time and competitors enter the market, we can expect prices to drop to marginal cost. That could easily be in reach of ordinary people, somewhere in the 5 digits. (I don't believe the $10 million estimate quoted elsewhere below for a second — and the 'analyst' who made it offhand in a quote to a news organization doesn't seem to have backed it up anywhere.)
The watch repair manual, by Fried
Practical watch repairing, by De Carle
The Swiss Watch repairer's manual, by Jendritzki (This book is great, but don't pay more than $75. After Fried's book it pulls in all the information nicely.)
Bulova Repair Training Manual
Chicago school of watchmaking (There's no copyright on this course. A guy on EBay has been scaring people for years. He does not own the copyright.)
Bestfit encyclopedia of Watch Parts 1 & 2
The clock and watch makers guide to gear making
George Daniels Watchmaking
I'll be writing my own book in the future. It will be a modern take on the repair of mechanical watches. It will have a lot of pictures. It will be direct, and to the point.
If you are interested in watch repair; I would do it as a hobby. I couldn't imagine making a good living repairing watches.
The bigger watch brands do not want to sell spare parts. That just might change in the future? Right now, it looks dim. Rolex, and the Swatch Group basically want to dictate whom, and where you can elect to get your watch repaired. Most times it the factory, at factory prices.
If you get into watch repair throughly, your appreciation of watches might change. When there's no mystery, there's no magic, I guess?