envisionlabs wood clocks

of 22#10400 Wooden Clock Kit 2007 EnVisionLabs

Wooden Clock Kit #10400Assembly Instructions


Required materials:Hobby Knife220 grit sandpaperPencilWaxed paperWood Glue

Parts List:Frame Subassembly:

1 Front1 Back2 Pendulum Support2 Rear Support2 Angle Bracket1 Angle Bracket Support2 Inter Plate

Pendulum Subassembly:3 Pendulum Shaft20 Pendulum Bob Wedges2 Pendulum Bob Center

Pulleys Subassembly:4 Disk, 2" dia2 Disk 1 3/4" dia

Escape Lever Subassembly:2 Bracket sides4 Bracket spacers4 Escape Lever2 Escape Lever Crutch4 Disk1/2"OD, 1/4"ID1 Wood screw

Threaded Rods4 Threaded Rod 5.2528 Nuts1/4 - 20

Drilling Fixture6 Disk1/2" OD, 1/16"ID6 Disk 1/2"OD, 1/4"ID

Gear Assembly Fixture:2 Sloted disk3 Rectangular spacers

Nut Covers16 Disk, 5/8" w/ hex hole8 Disk 5/8"

Winch Assembly:6 Disk, 1" w/ notch3 Disk, 1 1/4" w/ 2 holes

Ratchet Assembly:2 Ratchet Gear1 Disk,1/ 2" OD, 1/4" ID1 Disk,1 1/4" OD, 1/4"ID2 Gear, 48 tooth, 1/2"ID8 Ratchet pawls

Pinions:9 Gear, 8 tooth pinion4 Gear,10 tooth pinion7 Gear, 16 tooth pinion

Subassembly, 48 tooth gear1 Gear,48 tooth, 1/4" ID2 Disk,1 1/4"OD, 1/4"ID

Subassembly,40 tooth gear

1 Gear,40 tooth, 1/4"ID2 Disk,3/4" OD, 1/4"ID

Subassembly, 64 tooth gear2 Gear, 64 tooth, 1/4"ID4 Disk,1 1/4"OD, 1/4"ID

Subassembly, Escape wheel1 Escape wheel (30

tooth)2 Disk,1 1/4"OD, 1/4" ID

Subassembly, Hands1 Minute Hand (long)2 Disk, 1/2" OD, 1/4"ID

1 Hour Hand (short)1 Disk, 1/2"OD, 1/4"ID1 Disk, 3/4"OD, 1/4"ID


Beginning Notes:

This kit is for the intermediate to advanced model builder. Patience and attention to detailare assets that will serve you well during the construction of this clock. The generalconstruction of the kit is deceptively straight forward, however, as a mechanical device, itsfunctioning depends upon your attention to mechanical and physical detail. Frictional lossesbetween gears is a major source of difficulty.

The clock uses the gravitational potential energy of the weights to drive the swingingpendulum, which in turn, provides a metering function which regulates how rapidly the gearsturn. The gears are divided into two sections - the drive train, and the dial train. The drivetrain gears up the motion from the winch which holds the weights. As the winch moves atiny bit, the escape wheel moves many rotations. The actual numbers can be found from theratios of the gears in the train. For each complete rotation of the winch, the escape wheelrotates 192 times. To put this in perspective, the gear ratio for 10 gear in an average 10thspeed bicycle is about 8 times. If you had the same ratio on your 10 speed bike as you have


in the clock, you can imagine how much difference riding on smooth pavement would makeas opposed to riding on loose gravel. The point is, try to make all contact surfaces as smoothas possible in the clock. Sand each tooth surface with 400 to 600 grit sand paper (very fineemery boards for manicures work well too). The greatest attention should be paid to thesmoothness of the escape wheel and the escape lever surfaces, as well as the bearing surfacesof the escape lever axle.

To Begin:

Remove the parts from the pre cut sheets.Use a hobby knife to cut parts free from the surrounding sheet or sand the back side of thesheet if necessary to help remove the parts cleanly.

Use a dowel, or pencil to help poke out the center portion of gears and disks

Sand edges of parts to eliminate burrs:Sand both faces and edges of all parts to eliminate burrs and splinters. Sand the faces of eachgear tooth with 400 grit or finer sand paper. Avoid changing the shape of the tooth, butremove any rough surfaces that may cause unwanted drag when it comes in contact with itsmating gear tooth.

Fixture Assembly:


Assemble the dowel drilling fixture:Select:6 - Disks, 1/2"OD, 1/16"ID.6 - Disks, 1/2" OD, 1/4" ID.

Glue the stack of 6, 1/2 inch disks with the 1/16 inch hole together. While the glue is stillwet, insert the 1/16 inch diameter drill through the hole in the center of the stack. Make surethe stack is square by setting it on the table and bringing a square edge up to its side.Check for square on both the front and sides of the stack. Allow the glue to dry completelybefore handling the stack further.

Glue the stack of 6, 1/2 inch disks with the 1/4 inch hole together. Avoid getting glue on theinner surface of the hole through the stack. While the glue is still wet, insert the 1/4" dowelthrough the hole in the center of the stack. Turn and slide the dowel through the hole to makesure that the glue does not harden between the dowel and the disks. Make sure the stack issquare by setting it on the table and bringing a square edge up to its side. Check forsquare on both the front and sides of the stack. Allow the glue to dry completely beforehandling the stack further. When the glue is dry, remove the dowel.

Assemble the Gear Assembly fixture:Select the two disks with slots and the rectangular spacers. Place one of the disks on a sheetof waxed paper. Apply glue to one end of a rectangular spacer and insert this into one of theslots of the disk. Repeat this for the remaining spacers. Apply glue to the top side of eachspacer, then place the second disk on top of these. Move each spacer so that the ends areseated firmly in the slots of each disk. Press the assembly firmly together and rotate the disksin opposite directions as necessary to insure the spacers are perpendicular to the face of eachdisk. Insert a 1/4 inch diameter dowel through the center of the assembly to insure properalignment. Twist and move the dowel as necessary to make sure the glue will not bind thedowel to the assembly. Set aside until the glue is fully dry. Remove the dowel and sand theouter face of the disks to insure a flat and level surface.

Gear Assembly:

Use the gear assembly fixture as shownto keep the gears and the gear supportdisks square and true relative to theshaft. Apply glue to the contact surfacesof the gear and disks, but avoid gettingglue on the shaft or hole where the shaftresides. Allow the glue to become firm,but not solidly dry before removing thenewly glued assembly from the fixture.


Component Assembly:Cut dowels to length:

Refer to the following table to cut the dowels to the appropriate lengths. Sand the ends ofeach dowel square and flat then drill inch deep holes in each end using the dowel drillingfixture. It is very important that these holes be centered and parallel to the dowel axis.

Qty: Length Ends to drill Used for

1 5.25 1 Center arbor

2 3.125 2 Escape arbor, 2 wheel arbornd

1 2.75 1 Drive gear arbor

1 1.25 2 Pendulum arbor

6 1.25 0 Face posts, Crutch lever pin, Dial train arbor

Assemble The Interplate:Select the two interplate pieces, apply glue tothe back side of one piece and spread it evenlyover the entire surface. Place the secondinterplate in contact with the glued surface.Pass one of the threaded rods through the 1/4inch hole in one end and clamp the two piecestogether by screwing nuts onto the threadedrod from each side. Place a second threadedrod through the other 1/4 inch hole and clampthe two halves together in a similar fashion.Make sure the pieces are held firmly together,then set aside until the glue is completely dry.

Assemble the Escape Lever:Select the 4 escape lever pieces. Glue them into astack and then pass a 1/4 inch dowel through thehole in the stack to align them. Press them togetherand make sure the stack is even and square, bysetting the assembly face down on a flat surface andbringing a square edge up against the side of thestack. Move the pieces as necessary to bring thestack into square. Set this aside until the glue isfully dry.

When the assembled escape lever is completely dry,sand the tips to a tapered point as shown in the illustration. Be careful to keep the pointed


edge as smooth and sharp as possible.Using a jewelers file to finish thesurface may provide a smoother moreeven surface.

Assemble the escape lever bracket:Select the 4 escape bracket spacersand 2 escape bracket sides. Glue thespacers into a stack with the 1/16 inchdiameter holes in alignment. Next,apply glue to one side of the stackand then press the bracket side ontothe glued surface . Repeat this withthe opposite bracket side. Insert theshank of the 1/16 inch drill throughthe 1/16 inch hole to align the pieces.Insert a 1/4 inch diameter dowel through the 1/4 inch holes in the bracket sides to bring theminto alignment. As before, insure that the stack is square by resting it on a flat surface andbringing a square edge up to the side of the stack. Check for square along the sides and endsof the stack. The drill and the dowel should be perpendicular to the flat surface the bracket isresting on.

Assemble 40 tooth GearSelect the 40 tooth gear (with 3 spokes) and two 3/4 inch disks with 1/4 inch holes. Place a1/4 inch dowel into the gear assembly fixture and then slide the gear onto the dowel. Bringthe dowel into firm contact with the assembly fixture. Apply glue to the back of on of the3/4 inch disks leaving the best side exposed. Slide the glued disk onto the dowel and pressthis onto the gear. Allow the glue to dry before removing the assembly from the fixture. Turnthe gear over and place it back onto the assembly fixture. Apply glue to the second 3/4 inchdisk and slide this onto the dowel, pressing it firmly against the gear. Allow this to dry beforeremoving the gear assembly from the fixture.

Assemble 48 tooth, 64 tooth gears, and Escape wheel:Select the two 64 tooth gears, one 48 tooth gear with 1/4 inch hole, and the escape wheel.Select 8, 1 1/4 inch disks with 1/4 inch hole. For each of the gears, follow this procedure:Place the gear onto the dowel in the gear assembly fixture. Apply glue to the back side of a1 1/4 inch disk leaving the best side exposed. Slide the disk onto the dowel and press firmlyonto the gear while keeping the gear in firm contact with the face of the assembly fixture.When the glue is dry, remove the gear, turn it over and place it back onto the assemblyfixture. Apply glue to the second disk, slide it onto the dowel and press it firmly onto thegear while keeping the gear assembly in firm contact with the face of the assembly fixture.When the glue is fully dry, remove the gear assembly from the fixture. Repeat this for theremaining gears.


Assemble pulleysSelect two, 2 inch diameter disks, and one, 1 3/4 inch diameter disk. Slide one of the 2 inchdisks onto the dowel of the gear assembly fixture. Apply glue to both sides of a 1 3/4 inchdisk. Avoid getting glue near the center hole of the disk. Slide the glued disk onto the doweland press it firmly against the 2 inch disk already on the dowel. Slide the remaining 2 inchdisk onto the dowel. Press the three disks together to insure a good glue contact betweenthem. Slide the assembly along the length of the dowel to make sure it will stick to the dowelwhen the glue dries. Press the assembly firmly against the face of the assembly fixture andallow the glue to dry before removing the pulley from the assembly fixture. Repeat thisprocedure for the remaining pulley.

Assemble the winchesSlide one of the 1.75 inch diameter disks onto the 1/4 inch dowel as you had done whenassembling the pulley. Coat both sides of a 1.5 inch diameter disk with glue, again keepingthe glue away from the center hole, and slide this onto the dowel bringing it into contact withthe first disk. Coat one side of the next 1.5 inch diameter disk with glue and slide it onto thedowel with the glued side facing outward, and bring this into contact with the disks alreadyon the dowel. Coat one side of the remaining 1.5 inch diameter disk with glue and slide itonto the dowel with the glued side facing outward as you had previously done. Finally, slidethe last 1.75 inch diameter disk onto the dowel and slide it up to disks already on the dowel.Press the assembly together and slide it along the length of the dowel to make sure it wontstick to the dowel when the glue dries.

Assemble the 8 tooth pinion gears.Select 6, 8 tooth gears. Slide one onto the dowel. Apply glue to one side of one of the 8 toothgears being sure to keep glue away from the center hole. Slide this gear onto the dowel withthe glue facing the gear already on the dowel. Bring the two gears into contact and spin oneof them until the teeth are in alignment. Repeat this with the last gear making a stack of 6gears. Press them together gently to make sure you have good glue contact between thegears, then slide the assembly along the dowel to make sure it wontstick to the dowel when the glue dries. Select 6 more 8 tooth gearsand repeat this procedure to create two pinion gear assemblies.

Assemble the Ratchet:Select the two ratchet disks. Slide one onto the dowel. Determine theproper side of the remaining ratchet disk which will receive glue.Coat this side of the disk being sure to keep glue away from thecenter hole. Slide this disk onto the dowel and bring the two disksinto contact. Spin one of the ratchet disks until the teeth are inalignment and press the disks together. Slide the assembly along thedowel to make sure it wont stick to the dowel when the glue dries.

Assemble 48 tooth drive gear:Select two 48 tooth gears with holes through the spokes. Place themtogether so that the teeth and the spokes are in alignment. Separate


the gears and apply glue to on of the inner surfaces. Press them together again and align thegears by passing a 1/16 inch drill or brad through each hole in the spokes. Clamp the gears whilethe pins are in place through the spokes. Use a hobby knife to remove any excess glue that mayhave been pressed out between the gear teeth. Set aside and allow the glue to dry thoroughly.

Assemble the 10 and 16 tooth gears.Select two 10 tooth gears. Follow the same procedure as you did to assemble the ratchet. Repeat this for the next two 10 tooth gears to make a total of two assemblies.

Assemble Large Gears and Escape Wheel:The assembly techniques for the two largegears (64 tooth) and the escape wheel areidentical. The 64 tooth gear assembly willbe described here. Select two 1 1/4" disksand one 64 tooth gear. Apply glue to oneside of one disk and then place it onto theshaft of the gear assembly fixture with theglued side facing outward. Slide the gearonto the shaft above the disk and thenevenly apply glue to one side of theremaining disk. Slide this disk onto theshaft and then press the stack firmlyagainst the gear assembly fixture to insurealignment of the three parts as well as theperpendicularity of the shaft through the parts. Allow the glue to firm up enough to hold theparts together but not dry enough to anchor them to the shaft, rotate the shaft within thefixture to break any glue bond between the parts being assembled and the shaft. The partscan be removed from the shaft at this point and allowed to dry thoroughly.

Special attention needs to be paid to the escapewheel and teeth. The teeth are fragile and to helpstrengthen them, brush each side of the escapewheel with a coat of wood glue or polyurathane.When this is completely dry, gently sand or file thesquare end of the tooth until it is smooth and even.Take your time here. This is important. Removeenough material so that the wood appears tan andnot rough and black. The smoothness of thissurface is critical to the proper operation of theclock.

Assemble 40 tooth gear:


The 40 tooth gear is assembled in an identical fashion as the larger 64 tooth gears with theexception of using 3/4 inch support disks instead of the larger 1 1/4 inch support disks.

Assemble the Dial Train Arbor:

Glue two 3/4 diameter disks to the rear side of the front frame. Insert a dowel through thehole in the frame and use this as a guide for positioning the disks. Insert the dowel into thehole in the gear assembly fixture and press all parts firmly together to insure theperpendicularity of the shaft to the frame. Allow the glue to set until the assembly fixture canbe removed without altering the position of the arbor. Allow the glue to dry thoroughly.

Sub-Assemblies:

Position the gears on the arbors in these approximate locations. Do not glue them in place untilyou assemble the frame and mount the arbors because some minor adjustments may benecessary.

The Center Wheel Arbor:


The Second Wheel Arbor:

The Escape Wheel Arbor:

The Escape Lever and Bracket:Test the fit of the escape lever dowel in the holes through the escape lever bracket. Thisshould fit easily without much friction, but it should not be excessively loose. The goal is tohave this dowel rotate easily within the hole, but not wobble. If necessary, lightly sand theinside surfaces of these holes with 220 grit sand paper until the proper fit is achieved.

Evenly apply a small about of glue to the interior surface of the hole that passes through thecenter of the escape lever. Allow this to dry completely, then test the fit on the escape leverdowel. The dowel should fit tightly in the escape lever.


Test the width of the escape lever between thearms of the bracket. This should fit looselywithout interference. If necessary, sand the sidesof the escape lever to reduce its thickness.

When you have achieved the proper fit, place theescape lever inside the arms of the bracket asshown and press the dowel through the bracketand lever arm. Test the motion of the escape lever.It should move freely without interference.

When the proper fit is achieved, drill a 1/16 inchhole through the mid point of the escape lever andthrough the dowel axle. Press a toothpick into thishole, and trim flush with the front of the escapelever. This pins the escape lever to the axle andprevents the lever from slipping.

The Drive Wheel and Ratchet


Begin by placing a 1 1/4 inch disk on the gear assembly fixture. Next glue two inch disksto this. Allow this assembly to dry thoroughly without sticking to the dowel in the fixture.Next place the double thickness 48 tooth gear assembly over the inch disks. This should bea snug fit, but the gear should turn freely on the inch barrel disks. Next, place the ratchetdisk on the dowel and press this against the face of the gear. Make sure the ratchet diskscontact the inch barrel disks without the gear interfering. If the gear thickness prevents theratchet from contacting the inch disks, remove the 48 tooth gear and sand the face of it toreduce its thickness slightly. When you are satisfied the thickness of the gear is appropriate,place the gear over the barrel disks and then apply a layer of glue to the surface of the inchbarrel disk. Next, slide the ratchet over the dowel making sure the step or barb of theratchet is on the left or counterclockwise side as shown in the diagram. When in action, theratchet should turn in the clockwise direction. When the orientation is correct, press theratchet onto the inch disk trapping the 48 tooth gear between the two disks. Allow the glueto dry but turn the 48 tooth gear occasionally to keep it from sticking to the barrel.

When the glue is thoroughly dry, apply a layer of glue to the round end of one of the ratchetpalls. Using a brad or the shank of the drill provided, pin the pall to one of the spokes of the48 tooth gear. Press the thin end of the pall against the ratchet disk and rotate the gear untilthe pall sits firmly and squarely against the step of the ratchet. Allow the glue to dry. Repeatthis procedure for the remaining ratchet palls.

Finally, apply a thin layer of glue to the outer surface of the ratchet and then slide the winchassembly onto the assembly fixture and press it firmly against the ratchet. Allow the glue todry thoroughly while occasionally rotating the dowel to keep it from sticking to theassembly.

Assemble the Hour Hand and Gear:

Place a dowel in the gear assembly fixture and then slip the 16 tooth dial train gear onto thedowel. Apply a layer of glue to the support disk on the rear side (side you want facing away


in the finished clock) of the 48 tooth gear, slip this onto the dowel and press it against the 16tooth gear. Next glue three 3/4 inch disks onto the support disk of the gear as shown. Thenglue a inch diameter disk to the top of the stack of 3/4 inch disks. Allow the glue to dry,but rotate the dowel occasionally to keep it from sticking to the gear assembly. When theglue is dry, place the hour hand over the disk and make sure that it is free to spin around thedisk. The fit should be snug, but not tight. If the fit is too loose, apply a thin layer of glue tothe inner surface of the hole in the hour hand and allow it to dry thoroughly. This will makeeffectively reduce the diameter of the hole making the fit tighter. Place another 3/4 inch diskon top of the hour hand and make sure it contacts the inch barrel disk beneath it. If ittouches the hour hand first, remove the disk and hour hand. Sand the face of the hour hand toreduce its thickness slightly. Try the fit again. When youre satisfied that the hour hand doesnot interfere with the glue joining between the 3/4 and inch disks, apply glue to the face ofthe inch disk being careful not to get any glue on the hour hand, then slide a 3/4 inch diskonto the dowel and press the assembly together until the glue is dry. While the glue is drying,occasionally rotate the hour hand around the dowel to make sure it is not glued in place.

Assemble the Second set of Dial Train Gears:

Place the 40 tooth gear assembly on the gear assembly fixture with the best side facingoutward. Apply a layer of glue to the back side of the 10 tooth gear assembly. Slip the 10tooth gear assembly onto the dowel and press firmly against the 40 tooth gear. Allow this todry without sticking to the dowel. When the assembly is thoroughly dry, check the fit of thedial train arbor within the hole. This should be a loose fit without friction, but not sloppy. Ifits too tight, roll a piece of sandpaper into a small cylinder and lightly sand the insidesurface of the gear assemblys hole.

Assemble the Winding Key:

Glue up the stack of hex disks on the gear assembly fixture as youve done before. When theglue is dry, remove the stack and sand the faces of the stack so they are smooth and even.Replace them on the gear assembly fixture, then glue the stack of disks with hex center holes


around them. Allow the glue to dry enough to hold the disks together, but do not allow the two stacks to stick together. Remove the outer stack as soon as ispractical. Allow the glue to dry thoroughly. Next, glue the two disks with slots onone end of the stack and allow to dry. While this is trying, glue the two handlestogether. When all the parts are dry, apply glue to the end of the key and insert thehandle into the slots in the end of the stack of disks. Allow this to dry completely.

Assemble the Pendulum and Bob:Start by laying out some waxed paper on a flat surface. Place one of the 2 inchdiameter disks on a stack of two smaller disks (shim the larger disk 1/4 inch abovethe table surface). Select one of the wedge pieces and apply a layer of glue alongthe shorter curved end. Press this against the side of the disk and allow the glue todry. It may help to tape the two pieces together while the glue firms up. Continuein this fashion until the bob is assembled. Be sure the notched wedges are onopposite sides of the disk. Repeat this procedure for the second half of the bob.

When both halves of the bob are completed, sand them smooth an sand the rim ofthe cup shape on a flat surface to make a flat mating surface to glue the two halvestogether.

Before gluing the two halvestogether, place them togetherand then slide the pendulumshaft through the notch. If thependulum shaft holds the twohalves apart, file or sand theinside portion of the notch untiltheres enough clearance so thependulum passes through thenotch with some friction. Next,glue a washer to the insidesurface of each half for addedweight, as shown in thediagram. Finally, apply glue tothe rim of one half and thentape or rubber band the halvestogether. Slip the pendulumshaft through the notch to makesure both halves are inalignment before the glue dries.

Assemble the pendulum shaft by laying out a length of waxed paper on a flat surface thatwill hold the entire length of the pendulum (approximately 3 feet). Have a straight edge onhand and a handful of weights (soup cans, or soda bottles) to hold everything flat. Apply glue


to the edges of the sockets and then lay the parts out on the waxed paper. Wiggle thesegments around a little bit in their sockets to make sure the glue is contacting all surfaces.Finally, press the straight edge against the side of the joint and then weight the neighboringsections down with the cans or bottles. Repeat this with the second joint.

When the glue is completely dry, sand both sides and edges of the pendulum shaft. Using thegear assembly fixture, glue 3/4 inch disks to each side of the shaft at the top.

Sew The Weight Bags:When sewing up the weight bags, we will be working with the bag inside out. When all ofthe sewing is done, then the bag will be turned inside out to expose the good side of thefabric. To start, select one strip of fabric. Fold back approximately inch of the short end ofthe fabric rectangles toward the back or wrong side of the fabric. Stitch each sideapproximately 1/4 inch from the fold. Fold the fabric strip in half, bringing the newlyhemmed seams to one end with the wrong side out so that the newly stitched hem is visible.Stitch along each side of the bag approximately 3/8 inch from the edge. When both sides aresewn, turn the bag inside out. Repeat with the procedure for the second bag. After filling thebags with the appropriate amount of sand. The top can be tied shut using a short length ofstring. A metal hook can be attached to this string to make hanging the weights andremoving them easier.

Always remove the weights before winding the clock!

Assemble the Numbered Dial:

Select the 4 arcs that form the numbered dial. Lay waxed paper on a flat surface and lay outthe arcs in the proper order with the numbers facing upward. Apply glue to the joints as youdid with the pendulum shaft. Use the front frame of the clock as a template to make sure theholes in the numbered dial line up with the holes in the front frame. When the alignmentlooks good, hold the pieces in place with weights until the glue is dry.

When the glue is dry, sand both sides and edges of the dial to remove any excess glue andsmooth the surfaces.

Flip the numbered dial over and glue 3/4 inch disks over each hole. Use the gear assemblyfixture to make sure the disks are aligned and square with the dial.

Insert the 4, 1.25" long dowels into the holes in the dial and glue in place.

When the glue is dry, the dial can be mounted to the front frame of the clock. Insert the endsof the dial support dowels into the corresponding holes in the front frame. Do not glue thisin place until you are finished with the final assembly. Sometimes its handy to remove thedial when fitting gears and getting through the refinement stage of the clock assembly.


Final Assembly:While assembling the frame, bolt the parts together loosely to begin with. When you positionthe gears and arbors in the frame, you may need to adjust the spacing between the front andback frame so that the arbors neither bind, nor are too loose. When you are satisfied thateverything fits appropriately, then you can tighten the bolts to firmly hold the frames inplace.

Screw the escape lever bracket to the front side of the rear frame using the wood screw. Theescape lever axle should protrude through the hole in the center of the rear frame.

Using the 1/4-20 threaded rod and nuts, bolt the rear support to the rear frame buysandwiching the wood between two nuts. Then bolt the inter-plate to the bottom twothreaded rods in a similar fashion. Finish by bolting the front frame to the threaded rods.

Insert the gears and arbors between the front and rear frame pieces. Pin the gear arbors inplace by inserting a brad through the hole in the frame and into the hole in the end of thedowel.

Adjust the position of the gears on the arbor so that mating gears are centered from front toback. When all gears are positioned properly and everything looks like its meshingappropriately, the gears can be glued in these positions to their corresponding arbors.


Adjusting the Escape Lever:Adjust the position of the escape lever relative to the escape wheel by loosening the woodscrew that holds the escape lever bracket to the frame. Pivot the escape lever bracket asnecessary until the escape lever engages the escape wheel as shown in the diagrams below.Make sure there is no interference as the lever rocks back and forth, to allow the teeth of theescape wheel to move past, one at a time.

When the proper position is achieved, tighten the screw holding the escape lever bracket.Press the crutch lever onto the escape lever axle. Rotate the escape wheel gently by hand andgently swing the crutch lever from side to side. You should hear and feel the tick andthe tock of the escape wheel as it contacts the escape lever. This sound should be evenlyspaced. This happens when the pendulum moves an equal distance to either side of center. Ifit is not evenly spaced, reposition the crutch lever on the axle until it is evenly spaced.

Adjusting the weights:This is a trial and error procedure. Begin with approximately 5 pounds of weight on eachside of the clock. Start the pendulum swinging and listen to the ticking. It should sound evenand strong. Allow the clock to run for 10 or 15 minutes. If everything is functioning well, tryreducing the weights by 1 pound each and try again. Keep reducing the weights until theclock no longer runs then increase the weight to the previous value that kept it runningreliably.

Reduce Friction:The two most critical places to reduce friction is between the drive wheel and the centerarbor, and between the escape wheel tooth and the escape lever.


The escape wheel:Make sure the ends of the escape wheel teeth are filed smooth and flat. Also, make surethe escape lever comes to a smooth edge. This can best be done by using a fine jewelersfile instead of sandpaper.

The Drive Wheels:Make sure the teeth do not interfere whenrolling together. If they are interfering, youcan often hear a clunk sound as the teethbegin to mesh while the clock is running.When this happens, the clock may also stoprunning. If you experience this, sand the topsof the teeth round and make sure the facesof the teeth are sanded down to clean wood.Be cautious, because removing too muchmaterial is as bad as not removing enough!The drive wheels can be lubricated withordinary bar soap. Using an artists paintbrush, dip the brush in water then swirl thebrush against a dry bar of soap to pick upsome soap. Brush the soap onto the face ofeach tooth being sure not to leave clumps.

A little lubrication is a good thing, but Do Not apply soap to the escape wheel! Theforces between the wheel and the lever are so small that soap lubrication may actuallyhinder its operation.

Mounting the Hands and Dial Train Gears:The gears mounted on the dial train arbor are held in place by a small washer (" OD)that maintains a friction fit on the arbor. To make this washer fit snugly, it may benecessary to shim it slightly with a thin strip of paper. Simply place the strip of paperover the end of the arbor and then slip the washer over this trapping the paper betweenthe inner surface of the washer and the arbor. Trim any excess paper away from thewasher if desired.

The same procedure is used to fix the minute hand on the center arbor shaft.

Mount Hex Shaft on Drive Gear Arbor:Slip the hex shaft that mates with the winding key onto the drive gear shaft. When it isflush with the end of the shaft, drill a 1/16 inch hole approximately 1/8 inch from oneend of the hex shaft perpendicular to and through the hex shaft and the drive gear shaft.Pin this in place with a round toothpick. Drill a second hole approximately 1/8 inch fromthe opposite end of the hex shaft and rotated 90 degrees from the first hole. Pin this witha round toothpick.


Theory:

Friction:Friction is directly proportional to the contact force between the gear teeth. Therefore, thedrive gears are most affected by frictional forces even though they move very slowly.

At the other end of the drive train, where the escape wheel contacts the escape lever, thecontact forces are small, however, the potential energy of the weights has be leveraged sohigh (192 times) that it only takes a very small amount of force to counter balance the driveweights. Imagine having a lever 193 meters long and placing the fulcrum one meter from theend which is holding the drive weights (say 1 kilogram). To counter balance this lever, itwould only take 1/192 kilogram (about 5 grams!) attached to the other end of the lever!Thats not much weight

Timing:The timing of the clock is determined solely by the length of the pendulum. The pendulumsperiod is determined by the distance from the pivot point to the pendulums center of mass.The weighted bob allow one to adjust the position of the pendulums center of mass. Movingit upward, shortens this distance and decreases the period of oscillation (making the clockrun faster) moving it downward lengthens this distance and increases the period ofoscillation (making the clock run slower). The bob can be held in position by wedging atoothpick between the bob and the pendulum shaft. Do not glue the pendulum to the shaft asit may be necessary to readjust the bobs position depending upon weather conditions(humidity and temperature).

Trouble shooting:You will spend a good portion of time refining the performance of your clock. You may findthat it runs for short periods of time and then stops. Pay attention to the position of the gearswhen this happens. Look for places where friction or interference may be occurring. Youmay find it helpful to lightly mark the teeth that are in contact between mating gears alongthe drive train. This will help identify a sticky tooth on a particular gear should it stoprepeatedly at the same spot.

Be sure the clock is properly leveled. If it is not level, you will hear an uneven beat as itticks.

Make sure the drive gears are lubricated with a light coating of ordinary bar soap. Also makesure the contact between the escape lever and the escape wheel is as smooth and even aspossible.

Avoid using more than 6 or 7 pounds of weight in each sand bag. If you find it needs thismuch weight to run, you need to go back inspect the gear tooth faces for possible sources offriction or interference.

envisionlabs wood clocks

Documents

14id1 disk

14id2 disk

116id6 disk

dia2 disk

14id4 disk

tooth gear1 gear

ratchet gear1 disk

tooth pinion7 gear