Latest Clock

[clockmaker]

This clock has epicyclic gearing instead of more normal system.  But it has its drawbacks.  The main one is that the winding square is at the back, so the clock has to be disturbed to wind it each week.
I've attached some pictures, but I don't know if they will come out, but here goes ...

[raynerd]

Clockmaker -  

My major ambition is to build a clock... I`ve started but I wasn`t confident enough on my machines and didn`t have a clue what I was doing but my efforts so far on Collin Thornes Skeleton clock are all on this forum and my posts are here:

http://www.raynerd.co.uk/?cat=11  

I`ve not done anything on it for months. My aim is to finish off this Webester IC engine and then continue with the build, starting some parts again from scratch!

I`d love to see more posts of your clock and particularly if you find the time to take some of your actual build methods, cutting, polishing turning....the real in work shots!

Thanks for posting and welcome to the forum...  

Are you using purchased multitooth cutters for the gears or your own home made cutters? - it looks purchased from your photo but I thought I would ask.
What are you using for most of your machining - in terms of lathe and mill?

Chris

 

[saw]

Very nice workmanchip gratulations 

[clockmaker]

Some answers to some of the questions, but not necesarily in the right order.  I have an old Myford Super 7 on which I do all my turning.  I have adapted blank stub arbors (2MT) to carry wheel blanks and also Thornton's cutters.  After turning, the complete arbor is transfered to the dividing head on my miller (Centec 2B), which is also 2MT, so no loss of concentricity.

The dividing head has been fitted with a stepper motor, itself driven by a DivisionMaster black box, so any number of teeth can be cut.  And away we go.

The other machine that I am still learning how to use fully, is a little Taig Bench miller.  This is CNC controlled, so I now machine all the crossings (spoking in US) and it save me all that 'filing to the line' which I now find harder and harder as my eyesight gets worse.

When I cut the internal teeth of the anulus gear, I needed to make a cutter frame (to pass into the bore) that would be stationary while the table of the miller traversed to cut the teeth.  I mounted it on the quill of the vertical head while driving the cutter spindle with a belt from a pulley in a chuck in the horizontal drive.  Again, the chuck carrying the turned blank was transfered to the dividing head as it has the same nose fitting as the lathe (very useful facility!).  I'll try to add some pictures of the cutter frame, cutting the internal teeth and crossing out a wheel.  The multi-tooth cutter is mounted eccentrically on the cutter frame spindle so as to precent a single tooth to act as a fly-cutter, suitably counter balanced.

[raynerd]

Thank you for answering the questions. I also have a CNC`d rotary table so I`m happy cutting the gears, it is the gear cutters that I`m struggling making, I just can`t afford £60+ each cutter for something like the pp thronton ones! I think I may eventually just bite the bullet if my next attempts fail.
Anyway, thank you again for your post and hope to see much more!

 

[cfellows]

Beautiful project, clockmaker, I love postings like this that show the ingenuity behind making things.  I do have a question.  Did you make the gear milling cutter used to cut the internal gear teeth?  How did you determine the profile?

Thx... Chuck

[clockmaker]

No, I used a bought-in cutter, specially designed for cutting clock wheels.  If you scroll back a bit, and look at the picture labeled 'Picture 10', (I have found that if you give it a click it will enlsrge, but you probably knew that) you will see me cutting the teeth of the Great Wheel with a multi-tooth cutter on a 2MT arbor.  If you then take a look at the cutter frame picture, you will see the same cutter attached to the wheel on the cutter frame axle and pinned in order to prevent it from rotating.  I then used this as a fly-cutter to cut the teeth.  Is that OK?

[ieezitin]

Mr Clockmaker

Splendid workmanship, I too love to see how people overcome working the parts and part holding, to me its 85% of what we do, a challenge I revel in.

Again great work please keep on sharing.      Happy days,   Anthony.

[Brass_Machine]

 

'nuf said.

Eric

[gingerneer]

Very nice. The frame for cutting the internal gear is interesting.

[cfellows]

No, I used a bought-in cutter, specially designed for cutting clock wheels.  If you scroll back a bit, and look at the picture labeled 'Picture 10', (I have found that if you give it a click it will enlsrge, but you probably knew that) you will see me cutting the teeth of the Great Wheel with a multi-tooth cutter on a 2MT arbor.  If you then take a look at the cutter frame picture, you will see the same cutter attached to the wheel on the cutter frame axle and pinned in order to prevent it from rotating.  I then used this as a fly-cutter to cut the teeth.  Is that OK?

Yep, whatever works.  I've just always had an interest in cutting internal gear teeth, but never knew how or where to get a cutter that would give me a proper profile.  Very clever!

Chuck

[Rob.Wilson]

Stunning work    

Rob

Edit ,, The Harrison chronometer have always fascinated me