Clockmaking starter project?

Been a fan of Clickspring for a long time. Have always wanted to try my hand at a clock. Anyone have a suggestion on starter books, projects, resources?

The Franklin one-handed, three-wheel, clock … although a little weird, it was innovative, and might be a good starter project.

Plans, write-ups, etc. are widely available, but here is a brief introduction:

**LINK**

https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-08-02-0060

MichaelG.

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Edit.  __ for the sake of pedantry, I must mention that the seconds hand and the pinions are commonly omitted from the descriptive name.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 09/07/2023 16:06:23

Wow thanks that is brilliant.

John Wilding is a good route to take. His 8 day wall clock was my introduction and the book is very comprehensive in describing the build as well as lots of wisdom on clockmaking in general. Drawings of depthing tools to make etc.

regards Martin

What is the name of the book?

**LINK**

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9780903512206/Weight-driven-8-day-Wall-Clock-Wilding-0903512203/plp

MichaelG.

Thanks much appreciated. Definitely going to look into that.

John Wilding designed a simple clock for beginners which was serialised in either ME or EIM years ago. Advantages are the simple frame as large square clock plates are expensive. Wheels are fairly low count and all the same tooth size. There is a thread on here about the 'Dark Lady' clock which I think is effectively the same design made with blackened plates.

The franklin clock has a 120 tooth wheel. I wouldn't want that to be my first go at wheel cutting.

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and a 160

but for an exercise in unnecessary complication … have a look at 9, here:

**LINK**

http://www.historische-zeitmesser.de/fachartikel/three_wheel.html

MichaelG.

Good stuff Bazyle and Michael. I have lots of homework now to look at. Trying to find the John Wilding's The Construction of a “Large Wheel” Skeleton has so far been unsuccessful.

The Wilding clock book is called How to make a weight driven Eight Day Wall
Clock. Amazon have 3 at the moment and clockmaking-brass.co.uk do reprints.

regards Martin

Perfect thank you

The John Wilding eight day wall clock was my first horology project some 30 years ago and my clock is ticking quietly on the wall as I type this. The book is well written, comprehensive and easy to follow. It describes very traditional techniques and materials for the construction of the clock, all of which are easily accessible in a basic model engineer's workshop. Definitely a good first project...

John Wilding wrote many serialized clock projects for the Horological Journal, back in the 1970s and 80s, most of which were replicated in his books. My first clock was one of a series of three he created for beginners, and it was his 16th Century Clock (see http://www.clockmaking-brass.co.uk/16th_century_clock.htm). It has only one hand, which simplifies the construction considerably. That is a design I would thoroughly recommend.

That design was later modified to make the frames simpler to construct, and the design was published in Model Engineer, Issues 3775 (18-30 April 1986) to 3799 (every second issue in that sequence, so issues 3777, 3779, 3781, 3783, 3785, 3787, 3789, 3791, 3793, 3795, 3797, 3799), and entitled A Weight Driven Brass Alarm Clock. That design incorporates a bell, and a one-at-the-hour passing strike .

If it was me, I might be inclined to the 16th Century design, but using the simpler frames from the Brass Alarm Clock, just because it is simpler without the alarm. There is also the question of the bell. The original source is long gone, but it would be easy enough to get a substitute from clockmaking-brass.co.uk (with whom I have no connection).

Wildings series in HJ was originally entitled An Introduction to Clockmaking with the Unimat 3, and he worked his way through 3 designs: The 16th Century clock, the Castle Clock, and The Scissors Clock.

http://www.clockmaking-brass.co.uk/castle%20clock.html

http://www.clockmaking-brass.co.uk/scissors.html

I like the Castle Clock which I think is aesthetically very pleasing.

Both the 16th Century and the Castle clocks are weight driven. and both are very suitable for the beginner.

The Scissors Clock is spring driven, elegant and fragile looking, but is not a beginner's clock.

I have made several of the much later Wilding projects, and they are all accompanied by copious easily understood building instructions.

The 16th Century Clock still hangs proudly in the lounge.

If you need more specific information, send me a PM.

Marcus