grandfather clock

[dan petroski]

anyone into building grandfather clocks on the forum? I just started one, CLOCKIT, just the plans.
any pitfalls that I need to be aware of? thanks Dan

[Steve Peterson]

I have no advice, but I will certainly be watching for progress reports. Building a GF clock is one of the items on my bucket list. I am curious if the build times listed on the Klockit web site are anywhere close to reality.

I would also be interested to hear from anyone who has bought a complete kit. What is the quality of the supplied material? Is it good enough to sand lightly and assemble? Or do many pieces need to be replaced with better quality. Some of the curved moldings would take me forever to build if I had to hand carve them.

Steve

[Don Jarvie]

Are you using real works or battery operated with fake weights?

[John K Jordan]

I helped a friend build one from walnut about 40 years ago. I had the shop with the tools and he had the desire and the money. It was no different than building a cabinet. A kind of tall cabinet.

JKJ

[Jim Davenport]

Sommerfeld tools has interesting plans, templates, and videos. I'm thinking about building one.

[roger wiegand]

Seems like the main problem would be finding a decent movement to put into it. It's not clear where the movements on the Klockit site, for example are coming from. The prices make me very suspicious of a China/India origin--they are considerably lower than the prices I found 20 years ago when I last considered building a clock. The Hermle clock site lists a few models of finished clocks as "Made in Germany" but most are not labeled for origin that I could find. While I know that precision manufacturing is possible in China, I'd be deeply suspicious of gussied up, relatively inexpensive clock movements.

Is anyone aware of a source for excellent quality weight-driven movements? Or are you better off finding an old movement rescued from a junked case?

[Carroll Courtney]

I did one afew yrs ago for my brother inlaw and it was fantastic.The construction part is easy(compared to other parts of the project),its installing the works getting it right the first time.Pay attention to the hole location,take your time and read,read,read!!!!Clockit also has a help desk for some needed phone support.

[dan petroski]

326136thanks for the input. I have a bit of a unique situation. i'm building this clock In cherry. My wife bought me a small sawmill when I retired. I cut two cherry trees down,20 inches at the butt, and milled them for the project. air dried for 3 yrs. sorting, trimming, planning. etc will add time to the build so a realistic timetable for me would be only guess work. besides i'm old and slow. honey do's get in the way also. ma wanted 15 shaker boxes and some spoon racks for Christmas gifts. Ma said the spoon racks looked a little dull so she wanted a santa and a moose and tree carved on the back of wooden spoons.
so it looks like a long winters project. Dan

[Mark Maleski]

Is anyone aware of a source for excellent quality weight-driven movements?

Roger, a tall clock is on my bucket list and I have my eye on 2 different possible sources for the movement: (1) Green Lack Clock Company is Mike Siemsen's company in MN that sells high quality German movements and makes their own steel dials and weights (and hands...I'm drooling over their hand filed, blued steel hands); (2) David Lindow runs a small shop in PA that makes the movements from scratch...his reputation is second to none, and he's the platinum standard (no prices listed on his site, and if you have to ask...). You'll need to find a dial painter for either of these folks, I think.

[roger wiegand]

Thanks! I hadn't run across Lindow, the regulator movement he shows might be perfect for what I have in mind.

[Larry Browning]

I built one of the KlockKits clocks a few years ago. Here is a link to the web album I did on it.
https://picasaweb.google.com/116538662290459313764/GrandfatherClock02

BTW:Please let me know if this link works
(https://picasaweb.google.com/116538662290459313764/GrandfatherClock02)

[dan petroski]

I built one of the KlockKits clocks a few years ago. Here is a link to the web album I did on it.
https://picasaweb.google.com/116538662290459313764/GrandfatherClock02

BTW:Please let me know if this link works
(https://picasaweb.google.com/116538662290459313764/GrandfatherClock02)

thanks Larry got the link just fine and it will help me a bunch as far as sequence of construction. mine is called windser and is somewhat different. Dan

[Larry Browning]

thanks Larry got the link just fine and it will help me a bunch as far as sequence of construction. mine is called windser and is somewhat different. Dan

I don't even remember what mine was called, but I still have the plans.
I had so much fun making that clock, To this day it is still one of my favorite projects. I bought the movement and pendulum from them as well, pretty pricey as I recall, but it still keeps perfect time at my granddaughters house.

[John T Barker]

Roger, a tall clock is on my bucket list and I have my eye on 2 different possible sources for the movement: (1) Green Lack Clock Company is Mike Siemsen's company in MN that sells high quality German movements and makes their own steel dials and weights (and hands...I'm drooling over their hand filed, blued steel hands); (2) David Lindow runs a small shop in PA that makes the movements from scratch...his reputation is second to none, and he's the platinum standard (no prices listed on his site, and if you have to ask...). You'll need to find a dial painter for either of these folks, I think.

I used a movement from Siemsen years ago and I would imagine his service has gotten nothing but better. Mike is a stand up guy and I would always trust anything he sold or made. He is a superb craftsman.

[John T Barker]

anyone into building grandfather clocks on the forum? I just started one, CLOCKIT, just the plans.
any pitfalls that I need to be aware of? thanks Dan

I made one years ago and have one half built sitting in my shop. I had worked with Irion Company Furnituremakers so I copied their design and took a little from a few other designs and made up the rest. I don't know what the clock you are doing looks like so if you could post a link we could offer advice on what to watch for.

[Larry Browning]

thanks Larry got the link just fine and it will help me a bunch as far as sequence of construction. mine is called windser and is somewhat different. Dan
Klockit carries the Hermle line of movements. I got one of them (I don't remember which on though) Also, I couldn't find anything on their site for Windser. Of course, I couldn't fine the one I built either.
http://www.klockit.com/depts/MechanicalClockMovements/dept-9.html

I think the movements Mark and John are talking about are on a whole different level than these.
(http://www.klockit.com/depts/MechanicalClockMovements/dept-9.html)

[dan petroski]

emperor clock co has a good choice of movements too. I built a wall clock 30 years ago or so and it has been running every since. 8 day spring driven. good movement.
got the base ready to glue up. couldn't find a band clamp up here in northern Maine so i'll try a ratchet tie down strap. mitered corners so that seems to be the best approach to clamping that part. Dan