clocks

[herb]

Hi.

I've got a nice piece of elm - cracked during drying. So now bowl or platter. I think I can salvage a piece and turn a clock - maybe 8 inches. Haven't turned a clock before. any tips? Pictures? Plans?

Herb

 

[john lucas]

I mount the blank to a glue block so the backside is out. Then turn a hole for the clock. How deep? Well that's the question. You need to know how deep your clock movement is. Then you need to decide at least a rudimentary design for the front side. Then measure the threaded portion that holds the hands and see how long it is. Plug in all these rough dimensions with your wood blank and you can figure out how deep. Turn this out and center drill it for the thread size of your clock.
To have indications for the numbers I like to drill holes and put dowels in. To get the dowels I like to use plug cutters.
I made a special tool to help me when turning the front. You have to make the front thin enough to hold the threaded portion of the clock. You can see down through the hole but it's difficult to measure to know exactly how thick your clock is. I took a coat hanger and cut off about 2". I bent a very short 90 degree bend in the end. I filed some marks every 1/16" starting from the bottom side of the bend. Now I can stick that tool through the hole. slide it over so the bent part will catch on the hole edge. Pull it up until it touches the backside of the hole and then just count the notches. That tells me exactly how thick it is.
I'll try to post a photo of this tonight when I get home. It's save me a lot of hassle.

 

[Bernie Weishapl]

John pretty much hit the nail on the head. I use a glue block to turn a platter. I turn it about 1/4" or so thick. While on the lathe I drill the hole for the mini quartz movement that mounts behind so the hole is centered. I generally get those movements with a 5/8" long shaft so I can put the rubber washer and hanger on the shaft before inserting into the platter. This was a proto type I did out of a pine 2 X 12. Wife loved it so it still hangs in the house. Don't make them very often but when I do they sell fairly quickly.

 

[herb]

Hi Bernie,

Thanks for your info. So if you turn the clock 1/4 " it must sit against the wall with the quartz movement touching the wall but the actual clock does not. I guess the alternative is to turn it thick enough so the movement is flush with the back of the clock. that makes for a pretty thick and heavy clock

Herb

 

[Bernie Weishapl]

Yes the hanger is mounted to the clock movement and the movement itself is against the wall. If you were to recess the movement I found the platter would have to be at least 5/8" to 3/4" thick depending on the movement used.

 

[john lucas]

Here is my measuring gauge. It's quite simple.

 

[MichaelMouse]

Hi Bernie,

Thanks for your info. So if you turn the clock 1/4 " it must sit against the wall with the quartz movement touching the wall but the actual clock does not. I guess the alternative is to turn it thick enough so the movement is flush with the back of the clock. that makes for a pretty thick and heavy clock

Not really. You can add a ring to a thin plate to push it out from the wall and get the hanger flush to the bottom of the ring. Make it of similar or contrasting (dark) wood so that it vanishes in the shadow.

I know this is a turning forum, but the best way to mount a movement which is not in itself circular is to template rout the recess. Use the center bore to start the bit. Not required for the plate and push pattern clock.

 

[john lucas]

Think of a platter in reverse. In other words what would normally be the up side of the platter, can be flipped over with the bottom up. The upside will now give you enough recess to house the clock movement. You could still make the platter 1/4" thick.
I don't do it that way. I either use thick wood or I use stacked and glued together pieces to make the wood thick enough to accept the clock movement. That's why I start it with glue blocks and turn out the recess for the clock. MY Day has one of the 3" Forestner bits and simply drill out the hole for the clock movement.

 

[john lucas]

I just remembered we had a discussion on clocks a while back. Check out this link.
http://www.aawforum.org/vbforum/showthread.php?t=6864&highlight=clocks