A Different Sort of Grandfather Clock

**DianneB** · 03-25-2012, 04:28 AM

I have dabbled in clocks infrequently since I was a teen. Maybe I inherited a mechanical gene from one of my ancestors or maybe it was growing up as Daddy's Girl to my mechanic father but I have always appreciated fine workmanship and mechanical precision. There is more about me and my involvement with clocks on my Web page at http://diannebest.zxq.net/Projects/C...AndClocks.html

I remember grandfather clocks from my childhood but as a renter and a gypsy for most of my early life, owning one was not practical. A recent discussion with a friend rekindled my interest in grandfather clocks but my home is very much "pioneer era" farm house and an ornate clock just doesn't fit with the decor (though there is a grandfather clock with a Hermle movement that has been for sale for some time at a price far below what it is worth and that is tempting). So my friend said "Why don't you make one - you make everything else!" Can't argue with that logic!

So I started looking at different styles of grandfather clocks and considering what would fit style-wise and decided on a rather modern looking style in knotty pine.

I wont repeat the whole story here as it is all on my Web site and I will be updated there as I go along.

http://diannebest.zxq.net/Projects/C...therClock.html

You are welcome to drop in to follow the progress and I will look forward to any comments or suggestions here.

Thanks for visiting!

Dianne

**llamaxt** · 03-25-2012, 05:10 AM

Animo Dianne. I am also on the task of designing a cabinet for my clock. Like you, I would like to make a design a little more modern, but it seems that my artistic ability is limited and I'm a bit stuck.
I hope to see your designs.
regards.
Deshacer cambios

**jhe.1973** · 03-26-2012, 01:08 AM

Hi Dianne,

I spent a bunch of time at your web site and am quite impressed. Thank you for posting the link. I had already read many of your posts on this forum and felt that we had a lot in common. Your site only verifies my feeling.

**DianneB** · 03-27-2012, 04:16 PM

Oh boy, oh boy! My clock has HANDS! Now it can do what a clock is supposed to do (even on the test stand)!

**Dch48** · 03-27-2012, 11:09 PM

That is shaping up to be one beautiful clock. I for one can't wait to see the cased and working product.

**DianneB** · 03-30-2012, 01:55 PM

Well it is not going to happen very quickly Dch48! I only get small amounts of time to work on it now and then but I finally settled on a design and started making sawdust today. Hopefully, by the end of next weekend I should have some of the case put together. I have finished the ripping of the knotty Pine, finished the cross-cuts, and am most of the way through the edge sanding (which I hope to finish tonight). There is probably a day of router table work to do the profiles before I can start any assembly. (My web page has been updated.)

**Kevin W.** · 03-30-2012, 02:07 PM

Dianne nice job on the building of the clock before.I really like the case idea and i think pine is a good choice, hardwood is very expensive.I dont have the wood working skills you posess so i am jealous.I checked out your web site too.thanks for showing us what you have been up to.

**DianneB** · 03-31-2012, 08:41 PM

I don't know about my "woodworking skills" Vertas - they're pretty rough but I try!

Hardwood is definitely more expensive but it is easier to do a nice job with hardwood. In oak, I priced my materials just under $400. In knotty pine, it was $80.

With a little free time, I managed to make a start on the case. After a day making sawdust, I started by putting the from frame together and started on the sides. New pictures are on my web page.

**DianneB** · 04-08-2012, 08:22 AM

Well I got burned trying to use a stain I had never used before and ended up going back to a conventional oil-based stain. I didn't get the colour and detail from the knotty pine that I wanted but was at least able to stay to the pioneer look that I was after. (I should know better than to use a new product without testing it first!

) It still needs clear coat, internal paint (it will be illuminated inside), and finally the stained glass panels but once the clear coat dries, it cam be moved to the house and the movement can be transferred from the test stand to the clock case. The lighting and stained glass will take awhile yet (since I haven't even found an economical source for the glass).

**DianneB** · 04-08-2012, 11:33 AM

The weather was conducive to spraying the nitrocellulose lacquer (which is VERY quick drying as well as highly explosive

) so the case got sprayed outside and then moved into the house and got the movement installed. It is starting to look like a clock

and the chimes sound lovely in the new case (with the 1/8" hardboard I used as a back/resonator).

Within minutes of moving the case in to the house, the winds kicked up quite a bit - good timing!

**DianneB** · 04-23-2012, 04:25 AM

The new Urgos movement was deeper than the original and necessitated changing the chime mounting and making a new seat board, both of which were done prior to priming and painting the interior white.

RGB LED strips (on order) will be installed up the inside of each stile for illumination and I have recently acquired an inventory of stained glass to start making the stained glass panels. The stained glass panels will probably be some time in the making.

The new Urgos movement (a 32328) was easy to get in beat and keeps excellent time, already better than my Ansonia Regulator, and I LOVE the chimes.

**DianneB** · 05-27-2012, 03:58 PM

It took forever but the LED lighting strips finally arrived from China and I got the interior lighting installed. I also installed an LED gooseneck lamp to illuminate the clock face in a darkened room. It all looks quite nice (I think). The final step is the stain glass panels.

One picture is with the gooseneck on and the other with it off.