Minimal Clockmaking

[Brian]

This is perhaps not the best title, but it fits.

The idea is to make a clock using only a basic lathe, in my case a7x12, a bench drill and a small craft drill (Dremmel type).

All the work Will be done using these tools and normal hand tools.
The dividing will be done using the change gears that came with the lathe, by direct indexing, (no fancy compound gearing).

The gear cutter. etc will all be home made at minimal cost.
In the end this will be published as a plans book ,
and i hope it helps new owners to Have a go at making something
worthwhile.

The clock is based on one I made for my step daughter,
but with different gearing to match the gears that came with the lathe. I am cutting down on the amount of brass used to keep the cost as low as possible, so the frame will be of blued steel( this may appeal to the gun makers in the group)
   
This is Janes Clock.

Brian

[f350ca]

Nice Brian,
Building a clock has been on my to do list for a long time.

[Brian]

Ok so now let us look at the tools we will have to make.

A fileing rest so we can make flats or squares in the lathe.

   

this fits on the vertical slide so we can adjust the depth of cut

   

No vertical slide??? the compound slide is mounted on a bracket
to serve as a vertical slide


   

Now most of this can be made from scrap.or at minimal cost
regards Brian.

[sasquatch]

Good pics Brian!!

[DaveH]

Hi Brian,
This looks like a start of a great thread.
If I have a mill can I "cheat" and use it

DaveH

[dallen]

(11-29-2012, 05:10 PM)DaveH Wrote: Hi Brian,
This looks like a start of a great thread.
If I have a mill can I "cheat" and use it

DaveH

I'm going to, cause my filing sucks

[Bill Gruby]

If you have never used a Filing Rest you are in foe a treat. It makes flat FLAT.

"Billy G"

[Brian]

So on to the next tool, the milling spindle.

   

This was made from part of a metal chair leg.
2 brass pipe fittings.
Piece of scrap plate
And a length of steel bar from the local blacksmith (free)

It fits on the vertical slide and is driven by a motor on the end of the lathe bed.

   

Yes the motor is OK under my rules, it is off the Bench drill.
Brian.

[Brian]

Having got the milling spindle sorted all we need now is the cutters we are going to use.
The design of this gear train uses only one cutter (mod 1) the cost of this cutter can set you back 35-- 100 $ depending on the quality.
so that is OUT we will make our own for less than 1 $.

   

We also require a slitting saw! so we will also make a cutter to do the job.

   


Now we need to index the work This requires mounting the required gear on the head spindle and providing a pawl to locate it .

   

Now we have a lathe fit to make gears.

That was expensive wasnt it.

Brian.

[EdK]