CNC and clock building

[bill z]

Some more information and observations about the clock. When mounted on a sheetrock wall the sheetrock amplifies the ticking of the clock. I’m thinking of trying a rubber pad between the wall and the clock.

Also, the heaver the weight, the louder the ticking.

These two items can possibly be an advantage on occasions, like when certain family stay the night. Don’t buffer the clock and load it down with weights. The ticking will keep them from a sound sleep (keeps me from a sound sleep).

[cjablonski]

LOL!

[bill z]

Honey Do’s has me not working on my clock. However, I did have some time to piddle some.

A little background. A few years back, I restored a 1948 John Deere Model B tractor to use in parades. While looking at clocks on the internet, I saw where someone had made a Simplicity clock using the current Deere logo.

So, I created a clock face using the Deere logo that was used when my tractor was being manufactured.

I just love this software and machine!

Here it is ready to be mounted.

[cjablonski]

Looks great. Nice way to add a personal touch.

[bill z]

Previously cjablonski wrote: As far as printing the dxf's, I have a way that will make both you and the wife happy . Google Deltacad. It's free initially for 45 days, then it's a small fee (I think 20 bucks) for a copy.
It sounds absolutely absurd from a guy that spent $4K on a CNC machine and another $2K on software to not spend $20 on software to print from DXFs.

However, I did find a free software that will not ask for more money. It even will adjust the scale so each print is exactly right on.

The software is called Bentley View 8.1 It can be Googled and downloaded for free and run for free.

After opening the DXF in Bentley, you will need to select what in the DXF you want to print. To do this, select the box icon that looks similar to the one in Microsoft Paint. Box in the page you want, select print. Now, you will notice a bunch of options, one is scale. My printer reduced the image 1/32. The way I figured this was creating a DXF with squares within squares (1 inch, ¾ inch & ½ inch). Then printed using Bentley View 8.1 and measured the box. I found that I had to set the scale to 1 inch minus 1/32 or .96875

This creates a print file just over 1 to 1 inch so when the printer reduces it by 1/32, it comes out just right.

Hope this helps someone in the future.

[bill z]

Something very interesting about my clock has come up that I had to post.

The clock is starting to stop running after a month. I figure it is because, due to the season, we have turned on the air conditioner and the humidity is less than when I started the clock. I marked the escape wheel when it stops and it always stops on the same escape point. I had to sand it just a very little to get it past that point.

When I started the clock a month ago it was raining and I started it out in the garage where it enjoys the humidity that is just outside. I had it running a week in the garage before moving it inside.

Being the novice at this, I thought drying it would cause it to run better because the wood would shrink ever so little.

These are touchy things. Something you have to love.

[cjablonski]

Absolutely. I had the same issue with my strike. I did the same thing ĺ sanded my 3rd wheel pinion ) and she has run successfully for a month now. It should straighten itself out more and more as the seasons pass, making for less and less tinkering. You still plan to go on to the duodecimus?

[bill z]

I am almost finished building my second Simplicity. I will give it to a very good friend that will soon move to Colorado to retire. He and I have restored old tractors together and I wanted to give him something very special.

After his clock, I'll start on the Epicyclic clock (hopefully this summer). During the summers, my work hours are 4 days of 10 hours, so I get 3 days off to work on the clock and honey dos (honey dos will have to take priority). When momma isn't happy, nobody is happy.

Something I've noticed. The Simplicity clock takes 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8 inch plywood where the Epicyclic requires 3/8 plywood on many parts.

I'm trying to decide whether to buy more plywood or to glue some 1/4 and 1/8 together. Decisions, decisions, decisions...

[cjablonski]

The sentiment to a friend is a great gesture on your part. Hope all goes well in his/her retirement. As to gluing 1/4 and 1/8 together, anything is worth a shot once. Just make sure the faces you glue together are on a cross grain to each other, not parallel. I have been working on a project for some time now that I want to share, but I will need to negotiate whether I can post it or not with the individual I have been collaborating with, as this is originally thier "mind child". If I get permission, I will have a ton of photos of the progress I will post. It's pretty special and unique.

[bill z]

I’m posting this because cjablonski wanted this thread to be about the joys and awareness of possible issues in making wood gear clocks.

Can’t get my second clock to stay running. I feel real certain that one major issue is with the frame.

The front frame piece is notched to fit in the frame. It appears to be just a pencil line too high which causes the center wheel to be too high with the respect to the 3rd wheel pinion. Not sure how this happened because I had the CNC mark the center of where the holes should go on both the back frame and the front frame. I also, in the DXF, I extended the notched lines for the front frame so the CNC would scribe them on the front and back frame to remove any guessing on my part.

With no load and blowing on the escape wheel, things move real easy. But, when you put the load on the center wheel with the energy going down (not weight), this causes the pinion and the center wheel to mesh very near to the top of the pinion gear teeth resulting in a sliding of the gears, causing additional friction. Friction is the enemy.

I’m going to try the easier fix first by making a slightly larger 3rd wheel pinion where the gear teeth mesh in the middle of the center wheel gears and not the top. Just a pencil line width should do it (maybe a tad more)

Other and less desirable options are to toss the frame and build another one. Or, I could re-drill all of the arbor holes but since we are talking of less than 1/8 of an inch, I figure this will not work well.

Then I may have to do some tweaking on the Pallet. My hope is fixing the 3rd wheel pinion will reduce the friction enough so the current pallet will work well.

I did have Pallet issues with the first clock but no issues with the gears.

Each of these clocks are unique even cut from a CNC.