The dials are finished, the hands are done (except for the centers) and a lot of the frame is carved up and aged. This is definitely the fun part of the process, because No.6 is beginning to look finished. There's still 100-150 hours of work left, so it won't be done this year as I'd hoped, but I'm happy with the way it's all turning out. It's living up to what I'd originally envisioned, and put to paper in the drawing. Also, after running the clock for awhile, it seems to be ticking very reliably.

Here's a few more images Read More...

Not just the faces, but the motion works gears, and some raised decorative pieces were finished. Also, the lever like screws that were used to hold the frame together were replaced. I decided to go with a dressier version of a standard slotted screw. These new screws are sleeved, and have a design and proportion to match the chain links. I decided to use screws around the lip of the dial as well, since I rather liked the way it looked on my number six quartz. Other than the gears, I haven't contoured or darkened any of the pieces yet. Once this process begins, it will seem like the progress is making leaps and bounds; and the clock will really start to come together visually. Other than the hands, and some adjustments here and there, all of the pieces are cut out and assembled. I'll probably start to shape everything with the grinders and files soon.

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Things have been going well recently thanks to an e-mail five months ago from artist Art Donovan. He invited me to exhibit my work at a steampunk show in the Hamptons, and since then, has done immeasurable amounts of promoting and networking on my behalf. One of the many opportunities he gave me, was an appearance in the November 2008 issue of the prestigious Robb Report. This article features all of the artists that participated in the Hamptons show, including my clocks, and the gorgeous steampunk lights of Art Donovan. In this short blog posting, rather than excessively gloat, I'd like to say THANK YOU! Thanks to Erika Heet from the Robb Report for writing the article, and including us in the magazine. Most of all, I'd like to thank Art and Leslie Donovan for all of the positive blog comments, a great job curating the show, and for getting my work printed for the first time! Read More...

This little mechanism allows the hands to be adjusted, without slipping when they're not supposed to. Normally this is done with some kind of friction fitting, but the small click ratchet gives it a nicer feel when you're moving the hand. This is a lot of work just for effect, but it's worth it. There's 60 teeth on the ratchet, so it clicks into place on each minute of the hour. The minute hand will be mounted to the outside sleeve of the mechanism, which is part of the lantern pinion. The piece in the center gets permanently fixed to the center arbor of the clock with a setscrew.

More pics. Read More...

54 hours invested so far, and I'm half way there. That of course puts me at 100 plus hours for the chain alone; what can I say, I guess I'm a glutton for punishment. This is ten six inch segments that will eventually be attached end to end. I'm not sure, but the next post may be of something other than a finished chain. I could wrap it up, but I'm anxious to make the weight so I can start testing the clock, and make sure it ticks healthy for extended periods of time.

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And so it begins. For weeks to come, I will become a chain making garage hermit, as this is without question the biggest task for this clock. If you look at the first and last link on this segment of chain, you'll notice that they're the same. This six inch piece repeats 20 times.

1080 separate pieces will be machined to create this 10 foot chain. Lucky for me, most of the tools I use for this procedure are quiet enough that I can hear my music. I'm going to need it to break the monotony.

If you're interested in some pictures showing the process, I've included plenty of photos. I'll see everyone in a month or so! Read More...

A lot has been made since I posted the gears and frame a couple weeks ago. Most noticeable is the decorative piece of frame that's been added to the lower left side. With this piece the shape of the clock seen in the drawing is starting to emerge. Also complete, is the pendulum, hanger, escape pallets, and arbor for the great wheel. The whole train is set now. If I hang the clock on the wall, I can swing the pendulum, gently push on the first wheel of the train, and keep the clock ticking!

Pretty soon, I can start making the chain, which brings up another interesting part that I just completed Read More...

Over the last nine or ten months, I've taken a break from the marathon creation of mechanical clocks, and enjoyed the more instant gratification of the motorized pieces. These have been a great way to explore some visual ideas, and give people a slice of my world for a tenth of the cost. It's also been awhile since I've heard a new clock tick for the first time, and No.6 has been sparsely visited since I began working on it. It's time to get lost in the shop again, and this next onslaught of creation will be all about the gears. Read More...

After about a month and a half of making quartz clocks, and a show in NY, it's time to get back to work on the mechanical clock.

Machining pinions is my next step toward the completion of No.6. A pinion is really nothing more than a small gear. If the gear that a pinion is meshing with has six times as many teeth, that means the pinion is working six times as hard, and has to endure six times as much wear. Because of this, the leaves ( teeth ) of a pinion must be made of hardened steel. There are two basic types of pinions that can be used, both of which work quite well. The first, referred to as a 'solid style' pinion, is cut from a piece of steel round stock. The setup for this method is almost identical to that used to cut the larger gears. The other type, pictured on the left, is called a lantern pinion. These are made of brass, and have hardened steel pins fixed between the flanges. These pins act as the teeth. I prefer this style of pinion. The hardened steel pins can withstand a lot of wear, and I think the look of them is very interesting.

Here's a few pictures of the setup and process. Read More...

This is a short entry to let everyone know I've added larger files to the gallery. Now when you click on the picture to the right of the thumbnails, a higher res version pops up.

Also, the show in the Hamptons went GREAT! One of my mechanicals sold, and the overall experience was nothing but positive. The work will remain hanging for a week, so when it's all wrapped up, I'll post the details.