Help needed in starting a clock

[steamboatbob]

Hi There Guys

I am recently doing my final year at Tafe for a cabinetmaking apprenticeship and due to the set guidelines i Am able to build a Grandfater clock, I have purchased a movement pendulum and clock face whch will be on my doorstep within 2-3 weeks as for this project we have to show full plans and full cut lists for this i am getting a little perplexed by it all.

The guidelines are

-must be built within 160 hours, 20 days of 8 hours
-it must incorporate at least 1 door and 1 drawer
- it must have curved and angled construction.
I willl be given 1.5 sheets of 2400*1200 19mm tassi oak veneer
15 Lineal Meters of 25*150 solid tassi oak
and one sheet of 2400*1200 3mm ply

I really need atm a simple clock design that is around 400mm internal for my pendulum

any help of where to start would be greatly appreciated

[ravlord13]

Hi There Guys

I am recently doing my final year at Tafe for a cabinetmaking apprenticeship and due to the set guidelines i Am able to build a Grandfater clock, I have purchased a movement pendulum and clock face whch will be on my doorstep within 2-3 weeks as for this project we have to show full plans and full cut lists for this i am getting a little perplexed by it all.

The guidelines are

-must be built within 160 hours, 20 days of 8 hours
-it must incorporate at least 1 door and 1 drawer
- it must have curved and angled construction.
I willl be given 1.5 sheets of 2400*1200 19mm tassi oak veneer
15 Lineal Meters of 25*150 solid tassi oak
and one sheet of 2400*1200 3mm ply

I really need atm a simple clock design that is around 400mm internal for my pendulum

any help of where to start would be greatly appreciated

G'Day Mate,
Don't Fret too much, Look at the clock as 3 Large boxes, 1 for the Plinth, 1 for the trunk and 1 for the hood.
If you can build boxes you can build a longcase clock, I have sent the plan you asked for and once you have looked at it you will see what I mean.
If you run into any specific problems give me a yell and I will try and help.
Catch Ya Andrew

[steamboatbob]

OK

I have all the requirements and if its allright by the admins of the forum i will do a build diary of the whole process to show off :) and also to get people to tell me if i have gone wrong somewhere before i run into problems.
I have had to get a plan from timbecon HB 905 which actually suits my movement but i need to alter it to meet my Tafe requirements which is just adding a draw in the base of the unit so i will add 150mm to the total height so the weights get the same length to fall.

here is something I made last semester just to show what i can do
Half round table made from Sheoak
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/PB250073.jpg
Corner unit with butterfly marquetry in the base and glass top section for the wife's good china made from Tasi Oak
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/woodwork/CornerCabinet.jpg

and here are the movements and other mechanical parts for my clock
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/woodwork/PB260002.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/woodwork/PB260004.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/woodwork/PB260001.jpg

I start Tafe on February the 2nd so there wont be many updates till then

[ravlord13]

You are on track, You have done the first step and that is getting your Movement and parts before you start the build.
Modifying your plans should't cause you any probs, I draw mine from scratch and you can always fix anything as you go along,
Have fun with the clock and your table is a a great piece of work.
Keep us posted on the longcase.
Ravlord

[Clockgirl]

When I sell a mechanical movement I supply a sheet that shows the necessary dimensions for building a case to suit. Plus lots of other info.
I also supply information about the completed Kieninger clocks using that movement . This gives my customers a good starting point for designing the clock case . Maybe whoever you purchased your movement from will be able to help you with this.
Cheers
Clock Girl
Lets Make Time Clock Company

[GoGuppy]

Hi steamboatbob
PM sent
Cheers

[TP1]

i would love to see regular updates of your progress. Judging by the high standard of work you have done to date, your new project will be most interesting as well.

[steamboatbob]

Well i start tafe in 2 weeks so the updates will start from then but first week is not really a working day we just go there to fill out insurance forms and such and hopefully do some work. i have a lot of gear done already (redrawing the plansto suit my tafe requirements) but i don't know if it is enough to start on day 1, I have 20 weeks to do it in so the time frame is not going to be a problem i will see if i can do 2 cases and give one to my father and just base it on the movement and face of mine but i will do mine in Jarrah and his in Oak

[steamboatbob]

Well I started back at Tafe today and was bored for the first 3 hours of saftey jargon that i sit through every 6 months

but then it was down to business with a full size setout after my sketches of my modifications to my clock plans were submitted, the lines dont come out that well but you get the idea.
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/02022010023.jpg

After this was done it was really down to business and after finding a jarrah Burl in my dads shed (it had been sitting there for 10 years) i used a wide belt sander to get it nice and flat ready for a bucket of clear resin to fill in the holes. this burl will make the seen bottom of the clock under the pendulum, It will later be sanded flat again and cut to size.

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/02022010022.jpg

and thats all for today as i took ages trying to find rough sawn jarrah in 25* 125 or 25*150 to no avail

[steamboatbob]

Oh well I was a little bored today so i got into a few thing for the clock

firstly just some plans
a sectional view of the draw about 150mm up from the base
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/P2070010.jpg

and secondly another sectional view just above the movement mounting boards
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/P2070009.jpg

and here is that burl with a little resin put on, I went through 1000ml and still have not filled them all up :)
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/06022010043.jpg

[steamboatbob]

Well the burl went off nicely after getting a little more resin yesterday and putting on a little more overnight

Now Today was another story I ended up getting all the side frame pieces cut to size and as the cross peices were small enough I cut them so the grain runs the same direction all the way down the side of the clock

Here are the two sides clamped up and ready to go through the wide belt sander to get them down to a finished thickness (19mm).
The sides are 2140mm tall and with the pediment it will stand at 2240 tall, with the middle of the face just above my eye level, I'm about 6'2 or 185 cms tall to give you an idea
The face side of the side had a 4mm round put on the sharp edges where the glass and panels will go and next week i will be routing out the back of them so the glass can go in. The lower section will get a veneered panel, the middle section will be glass and the top will have a door so access can be gained to the movement.

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/09022010048.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/09022010049.jpg

[steamboatbob]

Ok Back to TAFE today and i started on the front frame, I used a cnc to cut a jig out of 12mm MDF and screwed that to a piece of jarrah precut to size for the top of the front frame. and glued the front frame together.

then i started on some fiddly bits like the side frame ply panels which have been venered in Madronas Burl (Not sure if that is the correct spelling). and routing out the side frames for glass and the recess for the back to go into. also have cut the lamello holes for the side frames to go into the front but i need to work on the draw section first before i can glue it all up and put two subframes and draw runners, basically i need to fitout the bottom section of the clock before it goes together.

here is a piccie of the side frame and of the full case frame just clamped together to give you an idea of the full height of the finished product it will finish 100mm above the top of the frames and I am 185cms tall, total height of the finished unit should be 2240 tall

any hints or suggestions would be grateful guys :2tsup:


http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/16022010064.jpg

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/16022010063.jpg

[Brigalow]

Mate, keep up the good work.
Watching with interest.
Grant.

[munruben]

Very interesting project. Look forward to more pics as it moves along.:2tsup:

[acmegridley]

There is a pretty good video on Charles Neils website he makes a smaller version of a clock in the shaker style,but you might glean some ideas from it,takes it along very slowly over three or four parts each about 30 min ea.:D

[Rattrap]

Coming along nicely Bob, i've always wanted to build 1 of these so i'm enjoying the show. keep them pics coming! :2tsup::2tsup:

[Dills58]

Hi steamboatbob, it's always good to get some advice and tips from others. Based on the examples of your work you are going to produce a quality item, keep the diary going, that in it's self is a task.

Dills. (http://www.woodworkforums.com/members/55278-steamboatbob/)

[steamboatbob]

Thanks for the kind words guys it really makes me proud (or in the wifes view it makes me full of myself :B)

But back down to business today was very interesting i ended up sanding the frames down to a nice finish on the insides of the case, went down to 240 grit, so i would not have to struggle doing it later on when the case was together, but with that done I got into the swing of things by gluing the case front and sides together which is a mission to do by yourself (Helpful hint if you are doing the same size case at home it pays to have a mate around at this point to help move the case around)

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/23022010075.jpg

while this was drying in the clamps i set to making the base of the inside of the case with the burl i have been playing with which turned out a treat and also made up the draw section where the draw will slide into. After this was done i took the clamps off the frame and checked all my pieces that were cut to sixe by test fitting them and glued the draw base and frame base into place and glued the back inplace as well. the back is just a 19 mm thick piece of jarrah veneer on mdf. this is also screwed into the 2 bases as well but only glued into the frames.

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/23022010077.jpg

and here is a closeup of the burl in the frame showing a bit more detail as to the looks of it. this photo makes the front bit a little distorted and longer than it really is

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/23022010076.jpg

[steamboatbob]

Hi guys and girls

hmmm I posted here last night but cannot seem to see it so sorry if I double post by accident

Well I ended up starting on the pelmet and lots of sanding and scrapingi just got the good ole orbital sander out to get rid of most of my machining marks to save me the trouble at a later date.

The pelmet was fairly easy i just used the jig I made last week and used an underbench router to carve it out then it was a simple case of routing the ogee moulding on the bottom of the pelmet and mitring it to fit the top of the case

Next week i will be working on the pelmet top section and the base I hope:U

here are the photos
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/02032010080.jpg

This photo shows the blanking piece i have put behind the pelmet to make my finial seem as if it was carved out of the timber rather than just glued in

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/02032010082.jpg

[steamboatbob]

Oh well i gotta brag

I went down to my local timber merchant who i must say is doing a stellar job in helping me with the timber side of things and got a big 70*50*1400 lump of jarrah for my base moulding and i noticed a very dusty 3M length of 90*30 jarrah that had a very nice grain to it damn was i in for a surprise as it was very rough sawn bent and twisted but i grabbed it anyways. he only charged me a fiver for it :2tsup:

i got back to my work and gave it a little plane with my hand planer and a quick lick with a very smooth belt sander and found out it was a beautiful piece of curly jarrah :oo:

I got my bit for the Dial frame now :roll:

and before you ask the bits in the photo's are polish grade atm sanded up to a 240 grit

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/05032010087.jpg

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/05032010086.jpg

[steamboatbob]

Well Guys today started out fairly well i just jumped on the spindle moulder and went through about 50 different sets of cutters trying to find a set that looked decent for my base moulding then it was the just spending time putting the 50*70 mm piece through a few times and it was all done then setting up the saw for my angles found it to be interesting fun to get tre right angle set then cut the base moulding down to size and glued pinned and screwed it on it sits about 10mm lower than the case so it needs a bit of strength in this area but i may have gone overboard the base will be completed later with a 20 mm thick foot at each front corner and a long piece at the back
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/09032010099.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/09032010098.jpg

anyhow after that was all done i turned to the curly jarrah, I have decided to use this in my dial frame so i have cut it into 3 lengths of 600mm and 1 piece at 400mm i then cleaned it up thruough a surface planer and found it tore out very readily so went exceptionaly slow and it came out alright the thicknesser was another story even at its slowest speed it tore chunks out due to the grain so it was down to a number 7 plane for finishing. i then docked 1 of the 600 lengths in half and glued it together to make the dial frame top section and cut this to size after it dried and using a jig I madeused a linishing sander as i believed a rouer would have minced it just like the surface planer did then glued it all up after cutting to size, Just one note though, I have made the dial frame go the full internal width of the case as to make sure it is all parrallell when put together, after this was done that was the end of my day but i took the dial frame home to check it against my dial and sure enough the mesurements given to me by the plans were way off so next week i have to take 4mm off each side internally and 8 mm off the botom to make the face fit. The photo i have of the dial frame is pretty bad so i will fix that up soon

Cheers Guys

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/09032010097.jpg

[steamboatbob]

ok guys after taking my frame to work today and shaving a little bit out of the insides on the panel saw here it is i just need to sand out the burn marks , bring it down to 12mm and put a pencil round on the inside of the frame and recess the dial into the back so it sits flush (no not that much work at all)

just one quick question when working out the hight to put the mechanism mounting board is it wise to have it all connected up to get the measurements ???? (like have the face mounted on to the movement and mounted onto the dial frame ):? and my other question at the moment is when installing the chimes is it best to leave that till last or does it need to be sorted out at a quicker time

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/P3100008.jpg

[steamboatbob]

Well not much got done today guys i spent the first 2 hours of the day doing assignments and a test (well it is an apprenticeship :) )

and the rest of the day i finished off the dial frame by routing the back of it to make the face sit flush in the back of the frame and put a 6mm round on the inside of the frame to give it a nicer appearance and then sent it off to the polishing department.
unfortunately no photos were taken at this stage.

then I decided that instead of 1 complete door for the front I will split it up into 2 pieces at the bottom of the dial frame. So a new piece was slotted into the frame this is only screwed in atm and not glued it will be glued in at a later stage and it also hides my mounting blocks for the movement. Also i glued up a few boards to make the framework up for the mounting board

here are the photos of what has been done so far

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/16032010100.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/16032010101.jpg

[steamboatbob]

Also atm Guys i need a bit of a hand finding a polisher for this job I really want an A1 finish but as an apprentice can't afford that much but if anyone can steer me in the right direction of a very good polisher in Perth (Northern suburbs) just post here as i know the apprentice polishers at Tafe will not be able to do the job I want, I'll Give them the credit that they are learning but something like this I do not want Ruined by a crappy finish. (this is going on past experience)

Cheers Guys

[steamboatbob]

Hi guys

Just wondering if anyone knows where i can get hinges like the ones in the pic but the piece where the rule is needs to be 18-19 mm max and i also need 5 of them in polished brass. the problem with these ones is that they will hit the dial frame.

I dont mind buying stuff online so just a link to an online site or shop would be good I dont mind paying a bit of money for them as the will need to hold my 2 front doors on and the bottom one will hold quite a bit of weight when the glass is in there.

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/18032010103.jpg

[steamboatbob]

well a little luck came in from a deceased estate auction and i got some hinges to suit the doors
But enough of that, Today i definately accompished a lot, I started off where i finished last week and worked on the movement mounting boards and the the doors the mounting boards were quite easy and was just a case of cutting out a decent framework to hold the mechanism. The 2 front doors i made from 1 framework as seen here i just cut the frame at the two rails that are close together

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/23032010109.jpg

the following pic is of all the doors done to a basic completion they still need to be routed and finished off the two side doors are just a solid framework that will be held in by a ball catch

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/23032010110.jpg

and here are the rest of the photos of the work completed today

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/23032010111.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/23032010108.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/23032010107.jpg

[Clockgirl]

Wow.
Things look to be coming together really well.
Thanks for being so generous as to share your work with the forum members.
Its really great!
:)

[GoGuppy]

I agree, great stuff!!
love the shape of the clock as it comes together, particularly also the curly grain face plate. :2tsup:
If the hinges you got are similar to ones shown, they look great and really suit the clock.
Cheers

[steamboatbob]

Hi Guys and thanks for the comments

I must say this will be the last post for two weeks as tafe shuts it's doors for the school holidays but will be back into it on 20th April.

Did not seem to do much today except fiddle about with the doors the two top side doors were fited with a decorative banding (this is mostly to cover up a stuff up by yours truly by cutting the doors too small:doh: ) and routing and fitting the main door on the case the hinges I purchased through ebay were not really up to scratch But my lecturer, Murray had a nice set around so I grabbed some off him.

and the rest of the afternoon i was working on Jigs to make the curved top section of the case and for routing the door of the clock face.

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/P3300019.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/P3300020.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/P3300021.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/P3300022.jpg

[artme]

Don't often drop in here, but when I do I'm always surprised. This is a great Wip and the piece is looking reall tremendous.

Congratulations and keep up the great work>:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

[wheelinround]

WOW a great insight into making the grandfather clock look forward to seeing the completed work. Well done on the wip.

[steamboatbob]

Well for now this has taken me 9 days and if you take away the 30 mins pack up time and setup time every week and a a bit less time off for other tafe stuff you could be up to this stage in 7 days working solid doing 8 hours a day with the right tools

Major Tools I have used in this build

Panel Saw
Rip Saw
Bench Planer
Thicknesser
Table Router
Trimer with various bits
Linishing sander
Wide Belt Sander (makes all the frames nice and flat)
Band Saw
Spindle moulder
Loads of clamps I have used up to 15 at the same time i mostly use sash clamps but F clamps are the other type i use of varying sizes

And the most used Tool I use is a disk sander ( I honestly would love to have a 1/2 sheet festo sander but this one does the trick but i have used the half sheet ones before and will swear by them)

So with a little time and effort you can do wonders.

[steamboatbob]

Well back to school today and boy what a trial that was

went to my timber guys out at hamilton sawmills in landsdale ( I really can't thank these guys enough for their help with odd bits and pieces i require ) and got myself some 50*150*1800 and some 25*200*2000 jarrah all was good got to tafe and started on my top moulding seemed easy enough but i was also forming the lid of my clock as well that was done by thicknessing one layer of 3 ply off to make it a little more flexible I made a former up and glued it all together in a vacume press so it was 9 mm thick after 3 sheets were glued together this was all glued in place and pinned on i will be screwing some glue block later on to give it more strength.

The top moulding was fairly easy i just made up a jig for the curve off the clock and used that to mark lines so i could bandsaw the scrap off and finished it off with a linishing sander. the section i have taken out was done with a radial arm saw and a very sharp chisel. it is 5mm thick in the rebated section to give the finial a solid back rather than hanging in the air like most clocks do and here is the result the top moulding is not stuck on in this picture as i still have to mitre it to size (take off around 30 mm either side), and the brass finial will be placed on a 20mm Tapered block to give it a little more height. if you wish me to post a particular view of the clock or part of in higher detail just let me know and i will get it done the next week i do envisage that the clock will be complete in 3 week without any unforseen things happening.

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/20042010142.jpg

[steamboatbob]

Hi all

And another day in the life of an Apprentice

Not much happened today except finishing off the top pelmet and putting some beading on the front of the case to cover the join from the front frame and the side frames, also i made a jig up using a band saw, linishing sander and bobbin sander for the dial door which will be routed out next week, the rest of the day i spent sanding and scraping the case ready to be polished i must admit though the scraper makes a better finish of the jarrah than the 240 grit paper i was using, I think all up i spent 4 hours on cleaning up the case of a whole heap of marks.

But all that is left to do at the moment is make the Draw and finish the dial door and make some templates up for all the glass to go in and a lot more sanding.

but here it is at the moment

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/27042010174.jpg

[Rattrap]

Coming along really nicely there Bob, the end of the road is in sight! :2tsup:

[steamboatbob]

Hi Guys

Getting down to the buisness end of things now.:2tsup: Well all I did today was make the draw and the top door and hang all the hinges and catches as well as a load of sanding, and still more sanding to do next week but this will be minor things to make it pretty.

The top door was fairly easy as i had the jig made up for it so all i did was Jigsaw out the offcuts from the inside and put it on a small table router to make it nice and neat. then rebated and routed the edges and sanded the surfaces to come up nice. i used the same bit as the lower door a 5mm round which on the outer edge i stepped the round down to give a 2 mm lip and just a plain round on the inside of the door. the backs of the doors had a 10mm by 10mm square taken out of them to allow for glass and the hinges.
The other thing i made today was a little stand to place my finial on i just used a 40mm thick piece of jarrah and put a 19mm round on either side and cut it down to a 20*40 block, The finial was a great find as i really did not like the standard round finials you find in the clock websites so i found a website that sells Bedside Lamp toppers and they had a massive range of all different motifs available that fitted onto a M6 Thread.

Here is the top section fully completed for polishing

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/04052010184.jpg

I also made the draw today nothing really too drastic about it as it is a standard dovetailed draw with a drawfront that matches the two doors the only different thing on this was a bookleaf veneered bottom to the draw wich my wife thinks it looks like the devil :doh:
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/04052010185.jpg

And Here it is ready for the polish shop i realised at this stage i still had not rebated the lower door for the glass so that will have to be done next week as well as a few bits of light sanding

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/04052010182.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/04052010183.jpg

[Rattrap]

wow that's an awesome looking project Bob, bet u must be feeling pretty proud now you are so close to finished. More power to ya! :2tsup::2tsup:

[steamboatbob]

Totally proud mate i just cant wait to get it polished and get it home so i can install the movement in it:D

[Pete L]

Congratulations Bob. It is a very nice clock and you have put together an informative WIP. Clock making is addictive. I am sure that you will now make more. Have you thought more of polishing it yourself? In an earlier post you were planning to have it done elsewhere. You should give it a try. To go this far and not complete it yourself may be something that you will regret later.

Peter

[steamboatbob]

In all honesty Pete L i would love to be able to polish this myself but ot home im hampered by the fact i have only a 3m*3m shed that is full of gardening and model boat gear and my work is not keen on letting me go for it so im kind of between a rock and a hard place there.

But if anyone wants a mature age apprentice in Perth who is about to finish his tafe and just wants to work with Solid Timber Furniture. give me a holler :rolleyes:

But i have 8 weeks of tafe left so im going to try another project that i have in mind

[GoGuppy]

SBBob

Great job...many your clock be in beat for at least the next century.:2tsup:

Cheers

[steamboatbob]

Thanks Guppy

I have put the clock in for polishing today opting for the dial frame (curly jarrah) and the burl in the base to be done in high gloss polish and the rest in a satin finish.

So i shall post a picture of it when it arrives at home which will not be for around 2 weeks

Cheers guys

Bob

[Nanigai]

Hi Bob, hope you get an A+ for this assignment, it is a credit to you. :2tsup:

Looking forward to seeing the finished article.

Cheers, Ian

[steamboatbob]

All is good atm i have her home polished and im putting in the hardware but due to a computer meltdown over the week i really cannot post much but i will as soon as i canCheers Guys Bob

[steamboatbob]

Well finally Im back and here are a few pictures of what i have done

the mechanism still is not fully installed due to a few bits missing out of the box (weight screws and 2 grommets off the hammers) but all will be good in time :doh:


http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/01062010205.jpg

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/01062010211.jpg

[Rattrap]

Very nice job Bob, you've created a fine piece of furniture. :2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

[steamboatbob]

Finally i got it all working and now I can sit back and enjoy my work


Except that the pendulum wil not adjust properly :doh: why this is i have no idea but i believe it to be where the pendulum rods attatch to the upper brass piece as it looks as if it doesnt seat properly can someone post a picture of their lyre type pendulum showing how the rods attach through the bracket as i think this is the place i am going wrong and also i would like a little clarification, In the instructions it tells me to place the heavier weight on the right hand side but in all the diagrams it is on the left can someone please correct me on this


Cheers Guys

[GoGuppy]

Finally i got it all working and now I can sit back and enjoy my work
Except that the pendulum wil not adjust properly :doh: why this is i have no idea but i believe it to be where the pendulum rods attatch to the upper brass piece as it looks as if it doesnt seat properly can someone post a picture of their lyre type pendulum showing how the rods attach through the bracket as i think this is the place i am going wrong and also i would like a little clarification, In the instructions it tells me to place the heavier weight on the right hand side but in all the diagrams it is on the left can someone please correct me on this

Cheers Guys

Pretty frustrating, hey. Sorry I can't help you with the fixing of the pendulum, but a dumb question, are you able to contact the supplier of the mechanism? Or send an email to the maker (in Germany I believe)? Just occasionally, you can really be pleasently surprised with the assistance they will provide.

Anyway, don't rush and I am sure you will get it sorted out in time and be able to really sit back to enjoy your artwork. Cheers

[Pete L]

Hi Bob

I can't categorically answer your question about the pendulum because I have not built a grandfather clock. I have made several Regulators including large weight driven ones using Hermle movements and there is separate piece called a crutch lever or pendulum extension which attaches to the top fulcrum first. Do you have that on? You then attach the actual clock drive lever or anchor lever to that with a twisting motion in the centre slot as you join the two together. Easy when you know how! The actual pendulum hangs on to the bottom of all of the above. When the clock is working you have to set the beat by pushing the anchor lever against the resistance from one side or the other, until the beat is even. In your situation with a wide case you may even get away with giving the pendulum an extra good swing and let it set itself in beat. The Hermle movement will do this. You regulate the time by moving the weight bob up to quicken or down to slow the movement. You should be able to set it to within a minute per week.

Again I am not sure about Hermle triple weights however, the heavier weight is for the quarter hours. On my old Enfield grandfather clock that is the right weight when looking at the clock. I have a Keininger grandfather movement purchased in the UK in 1987 and which regretfully I have still done nothing with. The heavier weight on that is also on the right when facing the clock. Your clock will run regardless of where you hang the weights. It will just not keep time properly if the wrong weight is on. Try hanging the heaviest weight on the right facing you first and see how it goes.

If you can't sort it out call Clock Movement Importers (importers of Hermle) in Queensland on 07 3271 2555 and ask them.

Hope this helps. You have made two very nice clocks.

Peter

[steamboatbob]

the pendulum is now fixed and adjusted so i only loose a few seconds in a fortnight so i am very happy it is always drawing comments at our house now with guests which is something i love to talk about.

Best thing i found out though as i did it as my Tafe project for my final year is that i got to claim it all even the mechanism as an education expense :o:o:U:U:U:U:U:U:U

so i had a little bonus

cheers

BOB

[GoGuppy]

Congratulations and well done Bob! :2tsup::2tsup:

[steamboatbob]

just a quick update this is how she looks now all well adjusted

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee84/steamboatbob/Grandfather%20Clock/P8040149.jpg

[Birdie]

Bob
Is the pillow there so you can lie down and look at it.
I would, you have constructed a lovely time piece for ever, I been looking at doing one of them for a long time but as yet only talked about it.
A job very well done you should be proud, we all are.:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

[steamboatbob]

:rolleyes: the pillow is there as i forgot to clean up after my lovely little 4YO Daughter

but thanks for the comments

and i look at the burl in the base alot too :D