The Congreve clock

[Brian]

Today I had the clock in the shop for it's yearly clean and oil so I made a video for you.

Brian  

[DaveH]

Luv the clock Brian The video was great  
 
DaveH

[f350ca]

Really neat Brian. Did you by chance build it?

[Vinny]

Cool clock! Thanks for sharing!!

[Brian]

(06-26-2016, 07:55 PM)f350ca Wrote: Really neat Brian. Did you by chance build it?

Now there's a question?
Long long ago I read the article in the Horological journal about building this clock I even made a few parts but my lathe at the time was not ideal for clock making.

     

So move on about 40 years and we where just settling into our retirement house in Sicily and my son sent me the book on the clock for Christmas and that was IT  The next day I ordered my 7x12 
While installing the lathe  a friend of ours came visiting and asked if I could make one for her also and the rest is history as they say. 
 So if you just pop along to  Briansworkshop.weebly.com.  and look up the clock all 100 plus pages of it.
It's a free download in PDF
 Don't forget the Popcorn and the Beer. 

Brian.

[pepi]

Most interesting clock I have seen yet.......... thumbs up!

[f350ca]

Thats incredible Brian, my hats off to you. Absolutely beautiful workmanship.
Is the concave drum with the cable grooves there to compensate for torque from the spring as it unwinds? Again incredible workmanship making that part.
In no way to dis your work, how well does it keep time, I recall reading some where this mechanism wasn't that reliable. The absolute cool factor of it more than compensates a few lost seconds.
Your inspiring Brian. Long long ago in a far away land I actually bought my mill with the intent of building a BIG wall clock. I moved and it never happened.
Can see why you got the new lathe, the other would have been more suited to wrist watch sized movements.

Once again INCREDIBLE

[edward.s]

I must have read the Nevil Shute book 'Trustee from the toolroom' 50 times over the years and although he talks about a congreve clock in it, that's the first time I have ever seen one. Amazing stuff.

I think its in that book that the main character 'Keith Stewart' describes the clock as 'not a good time keeper'. Shute admitted that the character was based on E T Westbury.

Wiki here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trustee_from_the_Toolroom

[Brian]

Hi Greg
Yes the fusee corrects the difference in tension of the spring.
As for timekeeping everything is against it even working let alone keeping good time.
The big enemy is dirt on the track and ball and humidity-- condensation --temperature change-- vibration ETC
The ball and track require regular cleaning even if you cant see any dirt.
The clock is best described as a conversation piece it provokes great discussion as to how it works even from those that are mechanically minded and it's my wife's pride and joy.

Brian.

[EdK]

Cool clock Brian and that wrist watch lathe is pretty cool itself.

Ed