6 months in the making

[Pete Thomas]

Hi all, thought I would share this item I've been working on for 6 months. It was a retiirement gift for a freind of mine. A while back there was a thread dealing with the same or very similar clock.

Well, it I can be done and this is one of those projects that you really learn alot. I initially make a prototype form acrylic and MDF to help fine tune many items, like not having the beer weights hit the pendulum. The other problem was deciding whether or not to use different colored acrylic, in the end just used clear acrylic.

The last picture is in it's final resting place.

I plan on making another one for myself using baltic birch, well that's the plan at the moment.

-pete

[Craig Hogarth]

awesome!!!

Love the beer weights. Did you design it yourself, or did you get the plans somewhere?

[Joe Pelonio]

Wow.........

[Mitchell Andrus]

Really, really sharp.

Ummmmm, how heavy are the bottles? Just wondering if the first wheels are sturdy enough for the constant force over many years. Not that they'll snap, but warp.

[Pete Thomas]

The plans came from http://www.pathcom.com/~u1068740/downloads.html the file if I recall was in dxf format. Worked on all the gears making closed paths and minor tweeks to some, mainly the hole diameter for the shaft. The back plate and pulleys were enlarged to allow clearance for the bottle weights.

Actually, the beer weigths might be a little on the light side. The prototype I was able to run with normal 12oz bottles, but every thing had to be just right. I wanted to use 12oz bottles as one could change to different varities, but had to use the larger 16oz for the added weight. The actual pulleys for the 2 beer weights use plastic ball bearing, they do not need to rotate fast as the clock will run over 24 before rewinding.

After much trial and error noticed someone asked the question on the weights and 5-8lbs was given. I have to save a couple of bottles let loose during development and did not react favorably to the the concrete floor. If needed was going drink the beer and fill with lead weights, the Grosh bottles are perfect as they use a ceramic cap and some lever system.

-pete

[Frank Corker]

That is magnificent! Great job, greattttt job

[Bob Cole]

That is very cool.

Pete,

I see you have the same ULS machine as me. I wouldn't mind comparing notes/settings.

[Belinda Barfield]

This is a really wonderful piece Pete! Thanks for posting it. It is obvious that a lot of thought and work went into design and completion.

[Bill Cunningham]

Now THATS way cool.... Just goes to show you, To paraphrase Homer (Simpson that is!!) ..
BEER the cause of, and the answer to, all of life's problems... :D

[gary mahony]

Pete
Nice job on the clock.

I'm the guy who posted up the plans from http://www.pathcom.com/~u1068740/index.html.

I've added these pictures to my website.

Was planning to add more clock designs soon or possibly designs for guitars.

gary

[Frank Corker]

Jeepers Gary, you do some really nice stuff there, lasering has just got to be the ultimate tool for you then. Gary tell me, which is the simplest clock for someone here to try? I'm keen to have a go but not to great on the mathematics of stuff when it comes to rescaling.

[Marc Myer]

I downloaded all the files for that clock, and Gary, I gotta say I admire your fortitude!

I just purchased a simple but gorgeous set of plans from Clayton Boyer's site. Seems quite simple, except the plans don't come digitally (probably to discourage sharing files). He's got some very creative designs.

I'm presently scanning and converting all the files for lasering, and am tweaking them to taste..

[Jacqui Marlin]

You have a very cool web site and it is very nice that your plans are free! The clocks are most impressive and once I learn to use my laser I really would love to try something. Pete - great job on the beer clock!