# Anyone interested in clock making?



## tmuir (Aug 17, 2009)

I'm slowly gearing myself up to first try and repair some clocks then have a go at making one, in-between fixing / building all my steam engines.
If anyone here interested enough for me to post my progress about it as I go along.
I've got a few more months of making tools before I will be actually set up, but if anyone is interested I will post my progress.

The next major tool I've got to make is a main spring winder.


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## CrewCab (Aug 17, 2009)

I'd be happy to follow your progress Tony 8)

CC


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## RobWilson (Aug 17, 2009)

Go for it Tony ;D just remember th_wwp .main spring winder ? th_wwp


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## tmuir (Aug 17, 2009)

RobWilson  said:
			
		

> Go for it Tony ;D just remember th_wwp .main spring winder ? th_wwp



I'm happy to take pictures.
The main spring winder is gooing to be a reasonable sized project for me as first I need to make myself a flycutter so I can attempt to cut the ratchet on my mill rather than by sawing and filing.

On large clocks the main spring can be an inch high and up to 1mm thick. A spring that big if let go can take out an eye or slice off fingers so you need to have a tool to safely remove them from the clock barrels for cleaning and to be used to safely put them back.
You can buy main spring winders but at a cost of over $200 I would rather spend a bit of time and make it myself.


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## joe d (Aug 17, 2009)

Tony

Another vote here for posting your clock-making adventures. After all, they are just a spring driven engine that (if all is adjusted as it should be) turns at 1 rpm :big: (You'll win the "how slow can they go" competition!). Is it expensive to get those Aussie clock-faces with the 12 at the bottom? 

Cheers, Joe

PS Just in case Rob forgot to mention it, th_wwp.


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## zeeprogrammer (Aug 17, 2009)

I wanna see too. I wanna see too.
Clocks came before engines. So they're related aren't they?


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## arnoldb (Aug 17, 2009)

Tony, I second... uh third... uhm no fourth... - well, just sign me up as well !
If Rick agrees, that is.
Regards, Arnold


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## CrewCab (Aug 17, 2009)

joe d  said:
			
		

> turns at 1 rpm :big: (You'll win the "how slow can they go" competition!). Is it expensive to get those Aussie clock-faces with the 12 at the bottom?



Well said Joe ;D  :bow: ;D

CC


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## Cliff (Aug 17, 2009)

Hey Tmuir

 Go right ahead I have been interested in and worked on Clocks sense the late 60's and ran a store where along with my wife where we sold and repaired clock's for almost eleven years had to close it a couple of years ago because of health reasons and the passing of my wife. But the love and interest in clocks is still there.  

 Cliff


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## Maryak (Aug 17, 2009)

Tony,

I've had a hankering to build a clock for some time now but due to a total lack of knowing how to begin, let alone finish it's...................................................??????????????????????????????????????????

Will be very interested in a clock build.

Best Regards
Bob


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## dwentz (Aug 17, 2009)

I would be interested also. I have always found mechanical clocks fascinating. I have built many digital clocks, and took apart a few mechanical ones. I have always thought it would be a fine project to build a simple mechanical clock myself.

Dale


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## zeeprogrammer (Aug 17, 2009)

joe d  said:
			
		

> ...engine that ... turns at 1 rpm :big: (You'll win the "how slow can they go" competition!). Is it expensive to get those Aussie clock-faces with the 12 at the bottom?



 Rof} Rof}
That was great. Thanks.


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## vlmarshall (Aug 17, 2009)

I'm VERY interested in this one. Please share if you have time. ;D :hDe:


Edit: didn't realize it was Punday. Adjusted accordingly.


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## RobWilson (Aug 17, 2009)

IT WILL HELP PASS THE TIME ;D :hDe:


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## ChooChooMike (Aug 17, 2009)

I thought about it, but decided I'd didn't have the time......

 :big: :hDe:


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## Noitoen (Aug 17, 2009)

This one should be easy enough [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bTtpXuORq8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bTtpXuORq8[/ame] :hDe:


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## PhiberOptix (Aug 17, 2009)

Yes Please count me in too  

Andy


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## tmuir (Aug 18, 2009)

Whilst your waiting for me to ctually make something interesting. (I'm just finishing off the clock moevement clamps at the moment which I will post pictures of) Have a look at this website.
Rite Time Publishing
http://www.ritetimepublishing.co.uk/

At the moment I'm making a lot of the tools from the book "Tools for the Clock Maker and Repairer' in the repair section and once I'm tooled up and have fixed the two clocks I have to repair I am going to have a go at making the '16th Century Style' clock from the wall clock section.
I decided on this clock for a few reasons. 
No main spring to worry about, only has an hour hand so it simplifies construction and most importantly of all I got this book cheap off ebay. :big:

I'm still getting the 'feel' of my milling machine and every time I use my lathe I learn something new but isn't that part of all the fun?


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## lathe nut (Aug 18, 2009)

Clock repairs have been something that I would love to learn about and have for some time been interested in learning, at 58 my wife tells me that I have enough irons in the fire but I don't think so yet, just need more hours in the day, I wanted to but a fellow out in the small town that we moved from but at the last minute he changed his mind, had some books and old parts but he would not even loan the books, think that he had some videos, did not want to even try two in the same small town, but now I am in a different area would like to try, where does on start looking, learning is there any money to be made in it for the investment, just the fun of working on them and maybe a little spending money, like to learn more about it, share please, thanks, Lathe Nut


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## tmuir (Aug 18, 2009)

Restored old clocks can sell for a lot of money so if you reach the stage of being good enough to repair old clocks or buy broken ones fix them and onsell them you could make some money but I'm not personally interested in doing it to make any money. Great way to ruin a hobby by making it a job.

The British Horological Institute offers long distance learning course as do a few places in the US and probably other countries.
http://www.bhi.co.uk/
I've not signed up for any yet as they are expensive and I would like to have atleast some basic skills before outlaying money for the courses.


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## wmf138 (Aug 18, 2009)

1 rpm if he just has the hour hand that would be ever slower : :

can I have 1 with 25 hrs in a day that would give me 1 hr more here

great idea Im sure we could all learns lots from it 

instead of a spring how about a steam powered watch Rof}

Wayne


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## tmuir (Aug 18, 2009)

wmf138  said:
			
		

> can I have 1 with 25 hrs in a day that would give me 1 hr more here
> 
> Wayne



That will probably be what my first clock does when I finish it. :big:

And yes as mine will only have an hour hand providing I make it right it will be do 0.000694 RPM
I think that will have a chance of winning the slowest RPM contest.


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## Bluechip (Aug 18, 2009)

Hi Tmuir,

Just had a look around the site quoted. If you are thinking of making the Wall Clock, they are very attractive. If I remember right, that one was serialised in ME (20 yrs ago ??). A late friend of mine made one. Seem to remember something called a Wallingford (?) escapement. Bit beyond me, those things. Very nice though. 

Was thinking of of making a pun along the lines of 'not enough patience, too short a fusee, I guess' but I won't. Too many on this thread already ... ;D

Dave

Edit sorry I got it wrong, it was the 'Weight Driven Brass Alarm Clock' he made. Should have looked closer ???


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## joe d (Aug 18, 2009)

wmf138  said:
			
		

> instead of a spring how about a steam powered watch Rof}
> 
> Wayne



Well, don't know if anybody's done a watch, but there's a clock in Vancouver BC....
][[url]http://www.canada-photos.com/gastown-steam-clock-vancouver-british-columbia-806-pictures.htm]http://www.canada-photos.com/gastown-steam-clock-vancouver-british-columbia-806-pictures.htm]][http://www.canada-photos.com/gastown-steam-clock-vancouver-british-columbia-806-pictures.htm[/url]

Joe


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## tmuir (Aug 18, 2009)

I've seen that clock when I visited Canada in 1997, got photos of it somewhere


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## Captain Jerry (Aug 18, 2009)

Tony

Continue, please.  Clocks are fascinating and probably more important to the development of our world than steam engines. I'd love to think that building a clock was within my capabilities, but I doubt it. After all, if an engine runs at all, its an engine, but if a clock doesn't keep accurate time, its not really a clock.

The heart of all clocks, is the escapement and the various methods if ticking off intervals really interesting. The rest of it is just gears and bearings (I think). Keep us posted on your progress.

Jerry


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## Cliff (Aug 18, 2009)

Tell me about taking a hobby and making a job out of it that is what I did ended up working seven days a week trying to make ends meet got burned out take my advice keep it a hobby it is hard to make it if you don't sell a lot of clocks and try to rely on just repairs you end up seeing your self coming and going. Cliff


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## Bernd (Aug 18, 2009)

The Home Shop Machinist had a series on building a skeleton clock by W.R. (Bill) Smith. 

I'll dig through my stack tomorrow to see if I can find what year that was.

Bernd

Edited August 19. The start of the article was in Nov/Dec 1993 Home Shop Machinist and ran for 11 articles.


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## tmuir (Aug 19, 2009)

ME also has plans for a skeleton clock but I'm aiming for something simpler first.
If I get that right then I wil try something harder.
I would actually like to build a fusee clock one day.


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