Thread: New clock design ....Be part of it.

Rusel, I will ask my 11 year old son for feedback. Main reason for this is that he is watching me scroll saw one, and would love to do one as well, but can't use the scroll saw quite accurately enough yet. He would love a kit of parts though. I guess that would be my first feedback then - something simple for an older kid to put together (perhaps with some little help) would be great for me/us. The CNC stuff certainly lends itself to that.

Hey count ,me in..would love to be part of the trial....As far as spoke shapes ...love the curved stuff; as far as the number per wheel 5 is more stable than a 4 spoke wheel. I would like to see how things would look if the face was slightly bigger. Your alot brave and smarter than me to do your own design from scratch. Well done Russell! What may I ask inspired this venture into the clock design.? Ps does this one have a yoke?

Dean.

petersemple
You have hit a good point with the young fella and what I have in mind as a finish product he should have no problems putting together I guess we will find out.
Dean
I will cad some 5 spoke gear and post them and we can see how they look.
Yes you are right about the face, by making it in segments it can be simply made bigger. We can try it on the next design post along with your spokes.
Why you ask, because we can I say. What other reason do you need.
No yoke, as this then lets you revolve the clock to any angle you want and move the pendulum from front to back if you want.

Keep the comments and ideas coming......

Russell

Russell,

If your still needing testers you can count me in. Would be interesting task.
I can remember helping a guy in Singapore with his origami book. He would give me his instructions and ask me to test them and make recommendations for clearer instruction. Apparently he was one of the only masters outside Japan at the time. I even remember his name from 15 years ago, Ronald Koh.
Maybe you'll need to write a book??..

Peter

Hi Rusel

I'm interested in being involved. I'm just experimenting at the moment using perspex because it is a fairly stable material. But, I'm having some issues with my CNC at the moment. I was planning to start a perspex version of the Brian Laws clock 11 real soon but it's not happening for me yet.

I'd like to do my first clock from a kit though, so I'd be happy to pay for that privilege and help along the way too if I can.

I've got some ideas for some different gears, so I'll try and draw them up and send to you.

Cheers
Geoff

Peter
You are correct there has to be instruction and while I am not to bad at mechanical design,... the wrote bit I does not do good at ... So I may well take you up on that side of things. Thanks, I hope you can follow you own instructions.

Geoff
What thickness of acrylic are you thinking of? Why I ask is I helped my son make one using 3mm and you have to have every thing just right as it can flex and the gears will slip past each other.
The idea is to get kit clocks up to a salable product and the I will make a run for forum members on the cheap.
Yes please, post your gear designs let us see them.

Russell

I do like the idea of being able to put the pendulum at the fron/back and any angle. Makes for a more versatile design.

There was a crooked man who had a crooked stick and a crooked clock as well by the looks.
I like the idea that I can put it any orientation on the wall and just turn the face for a proper position for reading it.

Hi Rusel

I'm using 6mm and 10mm perspex and I also have some 14mm if I need it. As I said, I'm only experimenting at the moment, so nothing decided.

I'm not sure how to post the gear spoke drawings so I did screenshots and put them in a word doc and attached that. Hope you can open them. They're nothing special, just ideas that I play around with.

Cheers

Originally Posted by _fly_

I like the idea that I can put it any orientation on the wall and just turn the face for a proper position for reading it.

Yes that correct but there lie another bit to be designed to be done, How to mount the clock face so that it can be at any angle. I would like this to be a tight fit so glue would not be needed till final mount onto the wall, maybe no glue at all!
I have made clips with ply wood, see attach for clip test I did some time back, maybe system something like that, might have to be smaller.That my first thought...

Any ideas out there.............

Have to have same on 60 second face also...


Geoff
Thanks for the time to put your spoke design into the mix.
What do people think is Geoff design in the ball park?... could be the one...

I will draw up something similar and see how it scales and post it in the next design update for viewing.
Put your design up before it to late...

This does bring up a question about the look of the clock...should all the gears have the same spoke design?...just scaled to fit each gear....

Russell

Originally Posted by rusel

How to mount the clock face so that it can be at any angle. I would like this to be a tight fit so glue would not be needed till final mount onto the wall, maybe no glue at all!
I have made clips with ply wood, see attach for clip test I did some time back, maybe system something like that, might have to be smaller.That my first thought...

Any ideas out there.............

Russell

Maybe a face with spokes in one place and a separate ring around it.
If the spoke section has a slot front and back. The ring with numbers can go on the outside of that. And 4 pieces with your clip either side that then slides over.
But then again, I'd have no problem with having to glue the whole spoke face in place once happy with location/orientation.
Peter

As to the spokes, I think they all should be the same just to present a visually joined appearance. The exception may be the smallest ones, which may need to be solid in order to be strong enough. I quite like the swirls in the original because to me they match the swoops of the pendulaum and the main frames.

Having had another close look at your original design, I think I agree with Peter that your spoke design would be more in keeping with the style of the clock. My designs would be a bit too busy.

Don't get me wrong Geoff, I really like both your designs too, but I would put them in a slightly more formal design of clock. Hah, maybe we can get two clock designs up and running here.