Vienna Case Project

[leeinv66]

With the rapid rise in postage costs around the world, my clock buying has all but come to a stand still. My preference is for single weight Vienna regulators. Given the packaged size of these, the postage has always been high but lately the postage has become totally unrealistic. Anyway, I have a half dozen or more Vienna movements, so I decided to dust off my limited carpentry skills and make a case for one of them.

This is my take on a six glass Austrian Vienna regulator case. I am building it out of 100% locally sourced Tasmanian timber. The bulk of the case is Tasmanian Myrtle (Nothofagus cunninghamii) and the lighter pieces around the top are Tasmanian Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon). I am waiting on some book matched veneer for the backboard cut from a Tasmania Oak Burr (which isn't Oak at all and is actually Eucalyptus regnans). This will hang on my wall so I am building it to suit my eye, not to pass off as authentic. My skills are far too limited to fool anyone ;-) But so far, I'm pleased with my progress.

 

[Hessel Oosten]

"""so I decided to dust off my limited carpentry skills"""

Peter,

I think (I'm sure) that your workshop is full of dust after this project, but, but....,
it is a BIG misconception that your skills are dusty.

Looks great !+!

I presume that many of us are jealous, and do not have even the tiniest woodworking skills.

Hessel

 

[Steven Thornberry]

Looks good, Peter. Don't forget the shelf to display the family pictures.

 

[leeinv66]

Just an update. I have now finished the backboard which is book matched Tasmania Oak Burr and fitted the door hinges and latches. Next will be deciding on which movement to use and then fitting it to the case. That needs to be done right as nothing looks worse to me than a dial that is not square in its case.

 

[leeinv66]

Well, it seems there is no cure for stupid! I have a hook made of wire that I hang over a door in my work room for hanging wall clocks when I am working on them. I must have hung 30 plus clocks off it over the years. Anyway, the last time I used it (several months ago), I noticed the hook had straightened out a little, so I thought to my self, I must make a new one of these before I hang another clock from it. This is where stupid comes in. I totally forgot I was going to make a new hook and hung this case from it. It was fine for almost a week, but today the hook straightened out and the case hit the floor while I was working on a movement for it. Luckily, it only broke one of the small side glasses, cracked a piece that frames it and knocked off a piece of trim. It could have been so much worse! It sucks when there is no one but your self to blame

 

[Hessel Oosten]

Not so many people have the courage to publish in "The Journal of Negative Results...."

But other people, do learn from it ! So..., thanks for the crash ...

Hessel

 

[Kevin W.]

Peter many make mistakes and never tell. You did and i appreciate that, we are all human.
BTW your case looks great, i admire your wood working skills.

 

[leeinv66]

Making slow progress as life has a way of getting in the way of me getting to my workshop. They told me I'd have more time when I retired, but it's not working out they way so far Here is the first mock up of the clock after I fabricated the pendulum and movement mounts. I'm happy with it so far!

 

[leeinv66]

And done! I forgot how much work it takes to do a half decent shellac job. Between toning and rubbing back between coats, it has taken a couple of weeks to end up with this. Using shellac has always been a little hit and miss for me. Sometimes I nail it and sometimes I don't. This Isn't the worse shellac job I've done In fact, I am pretty pleased with the final result.

 

[Allan Wolff]

I'd say that you nailed it! Nice, rich color.

 

[leeinv66]

Thank you Allan!

 

[Hessel Oosten]

Looks really good and.. the best of all in this builders forum...:

It seems that your pendulum-bob--weight (dimensions) is lower (smaller) than most of it's Vienna colleagues ...

Hessel

 

[leeinv66]

The pendulum bob is 6" which is pretty standard for a Vienna regulator. It sits 3/4" above the bottom of the case. The angle of the photo make it look lower than it actually is. I could lift it by raising the pendulum hanger, but I prefer it when the bobs hang low in these clocks. It is one of my pet hates when I see a pendulum bob hanging high in one of these as to me it looks like a teenager who has out grown their trouser legs

 

[Hessel Oosten]

Oh no, sorry, I made a big typo above.. (language barrier).

I did NOT mean the pendulum bob, but -->> the weight.
And it seems to be low in weight , so a GOOD building sign.
That was the message.

Hessel

 

[leeinv66]

You are right about the weight being small, I borrowed it from one of my miniature Viennas. It only weighs about a pound. I built a new weight shell today that will end up at about 1 1/2 pound once I fill it with lead. I will have to go and buy some diving weights to melt as the local scrap yard are out of lead. The stuff use to be everywhere, but is becoming hard to find these days.

 

[Hessel Oosten]

The problem (for me at least) was the cumbersome splitting of diving lead in pieces that could be melted.
Most of my clock-builders-club do use ballast granules (hopefully the right words) used for ships.
A little bit more expensive than the big chunks but far more easy.

Hessel

 

[Thomas Sanguigni]

I saw an ad for lead ingots on Craigslist. Maybe it can help you. 133 one pound lead ingots - sporting goods - by owner - sale Postage may be a bit high, but you could stock up!