my first fully made clock

[knight_toolworks]

so I bought the dxfs from the guy I get my clock kits from.
it is not had to cut one of these out though I only used baltic birch where my nicer clocks are made from aircraft birch I would like to use it but a 2x4 sheet of 1/4" is 75.00 and shipping. it is extremely nice plywood though. the only hard part was getting all the parts together and all the running around needed.
the face would have been the same color as the frame but the stain was too blotchy. I made the pendulum shaft from two 1/4" thick pieces of stepele glued up then trimmed down to 1/4" thick. if you run the clocks weight string through a fully you can get double the run time bt you need twice the weight. soI made this guy verses two brass tubes that I usually use. just some 1" baltic birch glued up and t holds 12# of fine lead shot that just fits I made this to test the size and maybe the next will be walnut.
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s266/knighttoolworks/posting/IMG_1220_zpsztlk1n6e.jpg (http://s154.photobucket.com/user/knighttoolworks/media/posting/IMG_1220_zpsztlk1n6e.jpg.html)
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s266/knighttoolworks/posting/IMG_1218_zpstwxx3o5n.jpg (http://s154.photobucket.com/user/knighttoolworks/media/posting/IMG_1218_zpstwxx3o5n.jpg.html)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zKA4BAXyew

[dlcw]

Very cool!!

[knight_toolworks]

these things are finicky though. the real trick is to make them as friction free as possible. all the brass shafts are polished and it has to run so easily you can blow on the top gear and run the whole clock. I much rather make them from a kit a lit less hassle but some of his clocks are only plans and gears if You want to buy them. I want to sue aircraft plywood but it would cost way too much for it and I don't need that much.
http://woodentimes.com/

[Keith Larrett]

Very nice! That's on my list of things to do.

[knight_toolworks]

Very nice! That's on my list of things to do.

what I like is the kits don't take a lot of to tools so it is easy to do at home. this one was endless carrying parts home and hunting for material.

[BallardMillworks]

Super cool

[elcar903]

looks great

[Bob Eustace]

Great work Steve. Have you thought about bamboo? It solves the colour problem and the stuff outlasts birch about 10:1. We get great results by finishing with a 2mm end mill. Unbeleivably these are only $1.27 using the ones Gert put us on to.

[knight_toolworks]

I remade the frame out of cocobolo for the frame and the round faces are veneered Baltic birch with some interesting walnut. I thought of bamboo plywood too but I hate the smell of the stuff and it is easily splintered. not sure if it would work well for the gears or not.
http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=29436&stc=1http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=29438&stc=1

[Bob Eustace]

The stuff we get in Australia is fantastic quality but almost twice the price of birch. Zero splintering and extremely hard wearing. The only trouble we have ever had is you cannot do neat pyography on it as it just wont burn. Colours available are great. Sadly it hasnt taken off in the cabinet world and this is why tye price is so high here probably.

[Burkhardt]

.... I thought of bamboo plywood too but I hate the smell of the stuff and it is easily splintered. not sure if it would work well for the gears or not.

Bamboo is in principle excellent for such parts, as long as you get the straw yellow natural material. This is not brittle at all and cuts like a dream. No surface tear-out and smooth cut. I use it a lot and actually the entire frame and gantry of my CNC machine is made from Bamboo plywood.

Do not use the heat treated "Carbonized" amber or brown variety. This is indeed brittle and much weaker.

That said, bamboo plywood usually comes in 3-ply only. If less than 3/4" thick it has a tendency to warp, making it unsuitable for such precision parts.

As for Baltic Birch, you can get aircraft rated sheets, e.g. from Aircraft Spruce (http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/wppages/finnishbirch.php). The 5-ply 1/8" or 12-ply 1/4" should be the ticket for such mechanisms.

[knight_toolworks]

I don't know if the bamboo would polish up like the plywood does. I wanted the aircraft spruce but it is just too expensive. the fellow who makes the kits uses it and it is cheaper to have him cut out the parts then for me to buy the sheets. he charges about 35/00 for all the parts cut one 2x4 sheet of 1/4" is about 100.00 with shipping. plus his cuts don't have toolmarks but for the tabs.