Saturday, 12 November 2011
Little Clock
So far, this clock has taken about seven full days work, not including the theory and design stage. It started off as simply being escapement practice. I was going to make a recoil escapement in a little frame all on its own with a weight hanging on to keep it ticking, for the purpose of seeing easily and being able to explain to non-clockies about how the heart of a timepiece works.
Well, then I couldn't resist it, the thought had to cross my mind of - What is the simplest, easiest gear train to bring me to an hour hand? It could then be a single hander and have a happier purpose in life. To my surprise a very nice gear ratio worked out to actually include a minute arbor along the way, so without motionwork I will have both hands telling the time correctly. The odd thing is (obviously) if I have the minute wheel turning the hour wheel immediately, one of them will be going backwards. So to keep in the 'strictly simple' theme I opted to have the hour wheel AS the hour dial - going in reverse with a fixed pointer.
Well like I say this has taken seven days but those days have been spread over most of the year. I was struggling finding a name for this clock, which started out as The valentine clock because thats the day I started construction. But it has settled on being called Little Clock. Because I have a big clock and this is smaller in lots of ways. It kind of reminds me of the Galileo clock, his first design using a pendulum.
Also as this clock first started as a practise exercise I decided to include other techniques that I am rusty on; I had not before made lantern pinions, I had not made regulator style wheels and I had not made or dealt with chain drive before. I have not thought yet of what base or pedestal it will sit on. I think there will be a phase two after its complete sometime in the future. I may put a deadbeat escapement in (just for practice) I may put on a little brass bell with a passing strike. And for now I'm not going to fit in a ratchet. The weight will have to be lifted off with its hook.
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nice, how did you cut the wheels?
ReplyDeleteHello Anon,
ReplyDeleteI cut the teeth using a PP Thornton cutter mounted on a homemade milling spindle mounted on the lathe.
The dividing was done using a division plate mounted on a boss attached to the the lathe head.
Cool, I asked you cause I thought you used your homemade wheel cutting engine published many post ago...
ReplyDeleteYes I use the lathe now it is so much more sturdy. The cutting engine flapped about a bit.
ReplyDeleteIt is my friends milling spindle that I used. He made it. I need to copy and make one myself. It is solid and runs smoothly on ball bearings.
I'll put a pic up of it in action.
Thanks
Craig.
Hi! me again jaja, your job its pretty amazing, congrats!
ReplyDeleteI cannot stop asking myself... does the grat wheel has a plexyglass disc? thks!
Gabriel
Hi Gabriel,
ReplyDeleteIt is just normal glass. There is another one to go on yet. I chose to have glass because I thought it would look like a mass of wheel crossings if I had kept them normal.
I want it to look simple.
I need to attach a chapter ring/numerals to this glass wheel. Any suggestions?
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ReplyDeletehi Craig, what are the numerals made of?
ReplyDeleteGabriel
I dont know I havent got that far.
ReplyDeleteWell, I guest the best solution would be a cyanocrilate glue or similar, of course you will have to make a mirror copy of the numerals to the other side. But... is just an idea!
ReplyDeleteQUESTION: Are you interested on selling your wheel cutter, I mean the homemade one?
regards gabriel