It is a great first clock very robust design easy to make and keeps time to better than 20 seconds a week these are just photos I took when I was building it I can take more of the finished clock if need be.

Mine would not run until I had opened out the pivot holes a bit which galled the engineer in me but if a clock does not rattle it will not run.

It was my first clock and I made it many years ago so be kind it is still running perfectly 

Edited By Stephen Benson on 29/12/2016 11:59:09

Edited By Stephen Benson on 29/12/2016 12:01:31

Hi Alan and Stephen. Thanks for asking that question and for providing the photos. I too am well into the build of same clock. I was also somewhat confused regarding the assembly of the parts. Would I be right in thinking that the 3/32 inch arbors are reduced on the ends to fit into smaller holes in the two brass plates?? Any more advice would be gratefully received. Again thanks for the input. Jim.

Hi, I´m also building this clock. I have yet to summon the courage to pour the lead for the pendulum but the clock is ticking away in the cellar with a temporary light pendulum.

There are two "cookbook"s by John Wilding for building this clock .They differ in a few details associated with the mounting of the reverse wheel etc. and the newer book (a spiral bound type assembly of the original magazine articles) adds variations on where to place the barrel so a chime and date work can be added later. This can be confusing.

To get the clock running a little application of light clock oil worked wonders.

As to polishing the pivots, don´t look too closely!

Right here is the finished clock after it has run continually for 8 or more years note the steel pendulum could not be bothered pouring lead. I had loads of other projects so never really finished it as I always intended to upgrade it to the later perpetual calendar version probably with bearings.

taken today complete with cobwebs

Edited By Stephen Benson on 30/12/2016 07:22:02

Edited By Stephen Benson on 30/12/2016 07:23:22

No problems with answering questions when your clock fails to run properly after a long build it can very frustrating however the solution is often very simple because clocks of this type are quite tolerant of errors.

I made all the bits for this clock about 20years ago – enjoyed making it and then we moved house! Modern house with lower ceiling heights and nowhere suitable to put clock so all the bits are in a workshop drawer until (maybe) we move again!!

Norman

I can vouch for Ian Cobb having had some materials such as Invar for pendulum rods and silvering powder from him.

A good source of spring steel for suspensions etc is feeler gauge material, sold as a spool or as cut pieces from model engineering suppliers.

Brian

Alan, the drawing in photo 2 is to show how to generate the shape of the pallets, which are actually shown in mid position (pendulum mid swing (vibration) and the escape wheel is actually locked at that point, although there would in reality be a small degree of clearance between the wheel teeth and pallets at this point,

The pendulum (and hence the pallets) as it swings away from that central position will move one pallet face off a tooth and the other deeper into mesh, this will cause a small reversal of the escape wheel at that point and why it's also called a 'recoil' escapement as well as 'Anchor', the pallets 'rock' with the swing of the pendulum,

As the pendulum swings t'other way, it will move that deeper engaged pallet face out of and away from the locked tooth with the other pallet face moving towards the other tooth, at some point, the tooth that was engaged will be released and the tooth where the pallet is moving towards it will be caught by the pallet, the same happens when the pendulum swings back, but on the other tooth,
A bit of a clumsy description but hope it helps some,

You will need a depthing tool of some arrangement to set up the pallets to the escape wheel, because you need to get the pallet faces locking and unlocking the escape wheel as close to the teeth as possible without it actually locking up, otherwise the drop of each tooth before hit strikes the pallet face (and creates the 'tick' or 'tock'  when the escape wheel is released may be too large and will waste power (as well as ticking Very loudly),
The animation in the link below may help you understand its action:

**LINK**

There are several animations listed and linked on the site if you go to the homepage,

John.

Edited to get rid of a smiley?

Edited By RJW on 12/02/2017 09:57:18