Wooden clock movement

Wooden clock movement

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battered

Original Poster:

4,088 posts

146 months

Sunday 19th June 2016
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A little while ago someone gave me a wooden clock movement, or most of one. It looks like an interesting thing, I think it's one that uses a weight to provide the motive force and a pendulum to operate the escapement. All the moving parts are made of wood.

I'm interested in seeing if I can get it running, assuming that it's mostly there and not just a couple of bits of junk. Has anyone come across anything similar? It looks to me like it might once have been something sold as a kit, to be assembled by someone interested in handicrafts and mechanical things. Someone like me, in that case.

Variomatic

2,392 posts

160 months

Sunday 19th June 2016
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Any chance of a photo (or photos) of all the bits you've got? They tend to be pretty simple 30 hour timepieces limited by the weight drop so you can extend the run with a heavier weight and some creative pulley work (or hanging them upstairs and cutting a hole in the floor for the weight if you really want!)

Woking out what's there and what (if anything) is missing is the first step, from there it should be pretty straightforward.

battered

Original Poster:

4,088 posts

146 months

Monday 20th June 2016
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Thanks VM.
I'm away with work for a while now but when I next get home I'll fish the bits out and see if it's worth saving. I'll post a pic. It's more than possible that half of the bits are missing, we'll see.

I like the sound of a 30 hour movement, with a mechanical pendulum escapement. As you say it's going to be a relatively simple device. Set the period of the pendulum, then sort the gear train. There will be some interesting calculations to be had. I imagine the entertaining bit is going to be getting the escapement to release as planned and not have the thing run away.

Lorne

543 posts

101 months

Thursday 23rd June 2016
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Wooden clocks are a wonderful thing. Reasonably easy to make, a couple of really good kit manufacturers, and they give you total understanding of how mechanical timepieces work. A mechanical watch is really just a clock made smaller and with a spring instead of a weight to provide the motive force.

Best kit manufacturer is http://www.woodentimes.com a Brit based in Germany so part of the EU and no taxes etc on import into the UK. At least for the time being, may all change tomorrow!

https://youtu.be/3JHnEABOFxc

battered

Original Poster:

4,088 posts

146 months

Wednesday 27th July 2016
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Hmm, I dug out the remains and TBH there isn't much left. There's an escapement but no gear train, and the basis of something that might be persuaded to oscillate, and that's largely it. I'll post up pics this weekend, but I suspect that starting again is the best policy.