Kits for mechanical clock movements?
July 27, 2011 6:42 PM Subscribe
Are there any kits for making a mechanical clock movement?
Seems like all the 'clock kits' available online are just taking a premade movement and putting them inside an enclosure.
But what I want is a box of gears, axles, springs, weights, etc., and some written directions to turn them into a timepiece. (I don't have a machine shop, so making parts myself is out of the question.)
It doesn't need to be fancy, highly accurate, or even have multiple hands.
Seems like all the 'clock kits' available online are just taking a premade movement and putting them inside an enclosure.
But what I want is a box of gears, axles, springs, weights, etc., and some written directions to turn them into a timepiece. (I don't have a machine shop, so making parts myself is out of the question.)
It doesn't need to be fancy, highly accurate, or even have multiple hands.
Best answer: Well, you could make one out of paper.
And here's another wooden clock kit site.
posted by Marky at 6:58 PM on July 27, 2011
And here's another wooden clock kit site.
posted by Marky at 6:58 PM on July 27, 2011
Whoops. The ones I linked are probably too finished for what you're looking for. Try here.
posted by xingcat at 7:03 PM on July 27, 2011
posted by xingcat at 7:03 PM on July 27, 2011
Response by poster: The wooden clocks do look nice, though I admit an irrational prejudice towards metal. (If I were fully rational, I'd just build a quartz-crystal electronic clock.)
xingcat: Thanks, but can you point me to a particular clock movement kit at one of those sites? As far as I can see, they all have fully pre-assembled movements.
posted by Hither at 7:21 PM on July 27, 2011
xingcat: Thanks, but can you point me to a particular clock movement kit at one of those sites? As far as I can see, they all have fully pre-assembled movements.
posted by Hither at 7:21 PM on July 27, 2011
Yeah, they are more assembled than you probably want. This page has assortments of just parts, but doesn't include instructions on building from scratch.
posted by xingcat at 7:33 PM on July 27, 2011
posted by xingcat at 7:33 PM on July 27, 2011
Best answer: Try this: Proclocks.com
This guy does a remarkable job, is the only one I know of offering clocks and kits of this caliber. And they aren't necessarily horribly expensive, either.
posted by drhydro at 8:14 PM on July 27, 2011
This guy does a remarkable job, is the only one I know of offering clocks and kits of this caliber. And they aren't necessarily horribly expensive, either.
posted by drhydro at 8:14 PM on July 27, 2011
I know of a (metal) kit being finalized as we speak. It's probably more advanced (and expensive - a few hundred dollars) than you want, due to having celestial mechanics, and it won't be available until a few weeks from now, but if what you want to get out of it is to build and display beautiful clockwork rather than learn about clocks, then it might be better than a clock :) I can me-mail you info if you think you might be interested.
posted by anonymisc at 10:24 PM on July 27, 2011
posted by anonymisc at 10:24 PM on July 27, 2011
Eaglemoss does some partworks that you might be interested in, if you're willing to go for clockwork devices rather than clocks per se. The link I just gave goes to one of their mechanisms; they've done others.
Note: some of their pieces require filing to mate properly, and that can be a pain in the ass.
posted by aramaic at 5:46 AM on July 28, 2011
Note: some of their pieces require filing to mate properly, and that can be a pain in the ass.
posted by aramaic at 5:46 AM on July 28, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by lantius at 6:47 PM on July 27, 2011