Minimal Clockmaking

[Brian]

(05-02-2013, 06:46 AM)TomG Wrote: Nice job on the dial Brian.

Where do you get your brass? Places around here think that if it looks like gold, it must be worth it's weight in gold and price it accordingly.

Tom

Hi tom sorry for the delay Ive been just a bit busy,
all the brass I use comes from http://www.iantcobb.co.uk a bit far from you i think.
Brian.

[Brian]

The next thing to do is to finish the escapement. by making the Foliot--

Verge-- and pallet.

But before I start a little bit of history may be interesting.
The escapement used in this clock was invented around 1330 by the Abbot of St Albans Cathedral ( Richard of Wallingford ) it was a big step
forward, allowing the clock to have a astronomical dial showing the position of the planets ETC.
The clock was destroyed during the dissolution of the church by king Henry the 8th.


http://www.wallingfordclock.talktalk.net Look in the timepiece section for Vidio's

Back soon Brian

[Brian]

OK lets start with the Verge( the vertical rod that has the balance beam on the top )

First go out and by a a bottle of wine, one with a cork,
Drill a 3mm hole in the cork.

   

Use it to support a length of 3mm silver steel in the chuck.

   

turn down the end of the rod and thread 10 BA

   

   

We will cut it to length later.

   

Drink wine.

Brian.

[krv3000]

hi nice work can i give you a tip you can get a lacker that can go on the top to seal it off the cheep metered is to use hair spray to seal the print off its not as good as the proper stuff but the last tin i got was a £5 compered to £1 for a tin of hair spray and the tin was bigger as per do a test before committing to the proper job

[Brian]

The next part to male is the pallet, it screws on to the verge and is the part that walks along the alternate teeth of the two escape wheels.
Pallets are made to large and taken down until they just fit with the minimum of drop as it leaves one tooth and is caught by the next.
It's all hand work. with a magnifying glass.


  P1012128.JPG (Size: 27.14 KB / Downloads: 98)

   

Note that the end of the verge has been rounded because the verge is supported at this point and must have minimal fruition.

   

This is probably the hardest part to make
Brian

[EdK]

I think I'd need a microscope to make that. That's a small part!

Ed

[stevec]

(05-14-2013, 01:20 PM)EdK Wrote: I think I'd need a microscope to make that. That's a small part!

Ed

Ed, have you any idea how FAT your fingers would look through a microscope?
Seriously speaking I can't fathom working with stuff that small, there was a time but it's long gone.

[EdK]

(05-14-2013, 02:52 PM)stevec Wrote: Ed, have you any idea how FAT your fingers would look through a microscope?

Yes, I do. We have to solder parts on PC boards at work that are so small they are known in the industry as fly sh_t. Tiny little resistors and capacitors. I tried using a microscope to solder them but it didn't work for me because it destroys my depth of field. I just use my crappy eyes when I solder them but it works for me. That can cause eye strain in a short period of time though.

Ed

[stevec]

What I'd like is a pair of those glasses that my real dentist uses. They're like plain glass with little telescope sorta things in each lens.
Apparently they cost just short of a zillion bucks.

[Brian]

Had a little while spare today so I made the Verge thrust pad.

Tooth pick for comparison

This is as minimal as I get.

   

Brian.