"Simplicity" it was not!!!

This is a project I took on for London some time last year. I was browsing the Internet looking for cool things I could build and came across this website -
www.lisaboyer.com/Claytonsite/Claytonsite1.htm

I started looking at all the cool designs he had and decided to purchase his "Simplicity" clock plan. (He didn't have the "Toucan" plan yet...but that is the next one I am going to buy. That is IF London lets me.)

A little note about Clayton Boyer. He is one of the nicest guys I've never met. When I ordered the plans he wished me good luck and told me to contact him with any questions. At first I asked about the wood to use and he got back to me within the day. At the end of the project I was having some trouble and asked for his advice. He quickly responded with how to trouble shoot the issue. Thank you Mr. Boyer for all your help and for your great designs.

When the plans came in the mail I wanted to show London so very badly. See, I didn't have two tools I needed to build this at the time and I figured if I showed London she'd let me buy the tools. I kept my mouth shut and for Christmas, London got me one of the tools, a Drill Press. I kept trying to save money to buy the other tool, a Scroll Saw, but every time I got the money some expense came up. While waiting to get my scroll saw, which I got some time in April, I must have read over these plans a dozen time or more.

I also spent my time and money slowly gathering all the supplies I was going to need for this project. Some were easy to find and get, others...not so easy.

Once I finally got my Scroll Saw, I jumped right into building this thing. Here is a picture of all the plans cut out and glued to the wood. This part got me excited because I finally got to see the pieces slowly come to life as I cut them out.

After hours and hours and hours (really more like days) of cutting out the pieces while London was at work, I got them all cut out...so I thought. Seems I missed a few pieces the first time and it wasn't until I started to put it all together that I realized that I needed a few more cut out. Good thing I made copies of the plans so I could refer back to those.

Here is the dial ring.

Here are most of the small pieces. You would think they would be easier to cut out? Not so, the hour and minute hand were very fragile and all those small gears...PAIN!!!

 

The BIG Three Gears.

Here we have all the gears. I must have spent a good six hours sanding all the teeth smooth so I would have very little friction when I put it together. Good thing I did this part at work one night, so I could get paid while working on these.

This is a picture of my down fall of keeping my secret. For months I had been able to keep London in the dark. She knew I was planning on building her something, but she didn't know what. I had left small hints, but even if she had guessed a clock I was hoping she was just thinking wooded housing for a desk clock or something like you'd find at Hobby Lobby. But me being the retard that I am, this piece was cut in one effort. Leaving a perfect silhouette of the gear in the garbage...that London happened to see. That was when she started to put things together.

Also, I took a picture of the one gear, called the "Cannon", because I think it was the hardest single piece to build. The center hole is two different sizes, the gear teeth are super small and I had to drill a hole right through the gear teeth all the way, then thread the wood for a set screw all without breaking the wood in half.

Finally, all the wood was cut, sanded and ready to go, but I needed the brass rods and tubes now. I really didn't think this part would be difficult. I was wrong. Cutting to length wasn't so bad, but all the sanding of the ends flat and polishing them all up wasn't so much fun.

Now its time to start gluing all the pieces together.

On this glue-up, I really screwed up. What happened was I accidentally glued the little wing nut on top of this pulley system to the gear in the above picture. It wasn't until it was time to go to bed that I realized...oops! I couldn't sleep until I went down to the garage and ripped of the piece from the gear. In the process I ruined the old one and had to re-make it. Then I had to create a makeshift sander to sand flat the place where the old one had been on the gears. All in all, I just made another hour's worth of work for myself.

This is the frame all put together.

Gears and Pinions.

This was one of the best moments for me. Note I said 'one of' not 'the best'...that comes later. Anyway, this was when I got to see all the gears for the first time spin like they should have.

If you watch this video you will see the smile on my face as everything seems to be working perfect.

Top/side view

Bottom/side view

Close up of all the center gears.

This is what the clock looks like from the front and center. I was debating about painting or staining the clock at this point to maybe give the hands some contrast, but London had made the comment to me that she liked the look of the natural wood on my projects (the Dino Puzzle and Wooden Lock) so I decided not to paint or stain and do it later if London so desired. Good thing I didn't do a thing because London told me she likes it just the way it is.

No weights on it yet, but the pendulum and bob are on now. Getting the pallets (the two hands on the bottom that move with the pendulum) to work correctly didn't seem all that hard the first time, but repeating that action seemed impossible. I must have spent a full hour on that one part when I put it up for the last time. Oh the joys of clock making...everything has to be perfect or it won't run.

This picture is the clock up in our kitchen, running without issue for eight minutes now and looking great.

This was just hours before London got home and notice how happy I am that it is working. Now as I mention in the video, you'll note the weights aren't quite right yet, but I know the problem and how to fix it. I just need to go get more weight. Then it will run like a champ.

Here is London's reaction to seeing the clock for the first time. Note her smile and excitement...then her concern for my make-shift weight system.

If London's reaction (above video) wasn't the highlight of this whole project, then I was her actions after. I tried to get a candid photo of this part, but she noticed when I turned the camera on. After she got over her initial reaction, she went and got some snacks from her groceries moved a chair close to the clock so she could just sit there and watch it while she ate. That made me smile. She later told me that she fell asleep on the couch just listening to the Tick-Tock of the clock. She claimed it was a comforting sound.

I posted a picture of this on Facebook and have recieved a lot of positive feedback...which I love to hear - as does anyone who builds or creates. But some of the best have been a co-worker who wants me to build one for her Dad at "Name your Price" and my neighbor Austin who said I could sell it for $1,000. Now I don't know that I could get that much or that I would ever sell it, but it was still nice to hear.

Here is to "Simplicity" let her run for generations to come...now that I have a kid on the way.

Thank you all for reading this and please post comments.