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Thread: Tall Case Oak Clock

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Landenberg, Pa
    Posts
    431

    Tall Case Oak Clock

    I've just completed my most complicated project so far - a tall case oak clock based on the plans from Norm Abram and the New Yankee Workshop. From first rough stock into the garage to accurate timepiece in the hall was just about 8 months to the day. The plans I got were very outdated and detailed a movement kit from Klockit - the kit does not exist anymore, but I did manage to put together all the bits with the great help from their customer service. They fished through old catalogs to help me out. I want to do a series of posts of my work on this project with modern part numbers, etc, just in case it helps someone out.
    final.jpg

  2. #2
    Looks great - congratulations! When you do detailed posting, please include information about the clock mechanism, such as where others could buy the equivalent.

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
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    In the foothills of the Sandia Mountains
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    16,614
    Beautiful work! I'm looking forward to seeing the follow on thread.
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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Clarks Summit PA
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    1,728
    William, that is a fine clock. I love tall case clocks.

  5. #5
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    May 2015
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    Ingleside, IL
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    1,417
    Very, very nicely done. Post the details and some more pics.
    Stand for something, or you'll fall for anything.

  6. #6
    Wow! That's really nice!
    "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

    “If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
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    N.E, Ohio
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    Beautiful. Very nicely done.
    George

    Making sawdust regularly, occasionally a project is completed.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    NW Indiana
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    3,076
    Well done!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Landenberg, Pa
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    This'll take several posts! I will preface all my posts and info with the following - I'm not much for advertisement, and I have no patience for it in social media. I will do my best to crop out tools, etc, and simply advocate for the methods where I can. You pick what tools and methods work for you. I will post details when it matters - for example, the movement part numbers, details on the finish I achieved, etc.

    Material prep was fun. I acquired all the stock from a hardwood dealer in southeastern Pa. I get most of my stuff in Chester and Lancaster counties. This particular project all came from Groff & Groff in Lancaster county. Stellar stuff, and the proprietor there is extremely helpful when you can't find what you are searching for in the racks. Some of my stuff came from new piles just out of the kiln upon request.

    rough.jpgrough2.jpgrough3.jpg

    It looked great in the rough, so I knew this was going to be a nice piece straightaway.

    I'm working with an 8 inch jointer and a 12 inch planer, so I usually buy with those limits in mind. These pieces I had to be patient, consult my cut lists, and between a track saw and the above mentioned jointer and planer, I got everyone cut to rough sizes and pieces I could machine. Buy a track saw. I don't care what brand, but buy one. In addition to breaking down sheet goods, its uses are myriad. I was able to get jointer-quality cuts utilizing mine - this saved a lot of headache and time in material prep, and a quick jointer pass rendered perfect material.

    wider.jpgwidest.jpgsled.jpg

    Ok, I had to resort to a sled for the piece that would eventually become the side panel inserts, but between a track saw and this sled, we were good! The resaw job on the panels was an experience I do not want to relive on my current bandsaw, but I survived with some colorful additions to my vocabulary.

    largepieces.jpgpanels.jpg

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Landenberg, Pa
    Posts
    431
    The side panels and door were all machined in parallel. All mortise and tenon joinery, and cut with a floor standing mortiser with freshly honed chisels.

    allmortises.jpg

    The side panels have a groove that holds the panel insert, and eventually the removable slats that conceal the movement and allow access to adjust the works. These required haunched tenons at the top and bottom. The door is rabbeted for the glass, and required tenons to account for that rabbet. The parts for the sides and door were machines in parallel, and the tenons cut with a dado stack and a tenoning jig on the table saw.

    roughparts.jpgparts.jpghaunched.jpg

    Quite a bit of cleanout on the mortises was required and fitting was a several hour process, but I got there.

    fitting2.jpgfitting1.jpgroughpanels.jpg
    Attached Images Attached Images

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Landenberg, Pa
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    The side panels were completed in a few stages. The inserts float in a 1/4-in wide groove in the rails and stiles. Only the mortises and tenons get glue.

    gluesides.jpg

    Once those are glued and ready, several steps of post processing. A groove is machined to capture the case bottom (1/4-in QSWO ply) - Norm did this with a router, I did it with the dado stack on the table saw. An arch is cut with a template and a jigsaw to render the corners into graceful feet. Then, a 3/8-in x 3/8-in rabbet is cut to capture the case back (1/4-in QSWO ply) - I did this on the table saw with the dado stack again.

    sidearch.jpgsidegroove.jpgsiderabbet.jpg

    I know I'm going to get some eye rolls here. The front of the case is tapered at 2 degrees. I assembled the front with the top and bottom rails attached with glue and pocket screws. It was monumentally easier to do it this way rather than mortise and tenon, and no one will ever see this. Sanded smooth after fitment, and it's good. The same arch is cut in the front to create feet with the sides, and a stopped groove is machine with a 1/4-in bit in a router with a straightedge. OCD measurements ensured this groove met the side grooves perfectly.

    frontassem.jpgfrontjoin.jpgfrontgroove.jpg
    Attached Images Attached Images

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Landenberg, Pa
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    431
    Now, Norm and the plans called for assembly of the case using biscuits for alignment. I do not own a biscuit slot cutter, but I do have another popular joinery machine. The front and side panels are 3/4-in thick, so with control of depth, that machine will do fine. I dry fit the case with clamps, marked for joinery, and cut the mortises. By a happy accident, my bench is just shorter than the door opening on the front, allowing me convenient clamping for these operations.

    fitfordomino.jpgfittingsidedoms.jpgfrontdomion.jpgpaneldominos.jpg

    Glueing this up was a matter of careful placement of clamps so as not to mush the side panels, and patience. There was a little bit of forgiveness in this glueup, minor disparities in the sides and front were resolved in this alignment by referencing consistently off the groove, and all my sins would be concealed behind trim later.

    I carefully measured for the floor and back, and cut those pieces from the ply - again, the tracksaw is the go-to here. The 2 degree taper is trivial with that tool setup. I could have gotten away with a straightedge and a circular saw (and more colorful vocabulary), but that tool saved time and F-bomb ammunition stores.

    cutback.jpgbackfits.jpg

    The back was fitted with #4 x 5/8-in brass wood screws and I lost those photos.

    More to come later - home repair project awaits....
    Last edited by William Chain; 08-18-2019 at 1:06 PM.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Michiana
    Posts
    3,040
    I love the design. Simple elegance. I too am a QSWO fan. Regarding the pocket screw joinery....well played sir. You took a potential headache and executed a low risk alternative with flawless results. Smells like win to me.
    Sharp solves all manner of problems.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Landenberg, Pa
    Posts
    431
    With the back fitted and floor installed, I put in three braces - one under the floor, one at the cut in the back for the chimboard, and one at the top that also serves as the rear support for the top. Those went in with pocket screws and glue. The grain on the back and the floor are continuous, but that was a happy accident.

    standing1.jpgstanding2.jpgstanding3.jpg

    The chime board is a piece of the back, cut horizontally at the midline support, and that can be removed separately from the rest of the back. It got two standoffs made and mounted according to the directions from the movement package. The case got cleats to hold the face, which will be 1/4-in ply with a commercial metal face with specific hole patterns for the various movement components (also in the movement directions package). From there, the top goes on (more 1/4-in ply), then the two-piece moulding goes on.

    cleat.jpgchimeboard.jpg

    The moulding came from Keim Lumber in Ohio - a member here put me on to them, I cannot find the thread at the moment, but thank you to that member! I went through their catalog, found a specific profile that I liked and that would fit the style I was after (they have 1000's), and ordered it up in QSWO for less money than the stock alone would have cost me locally, let alone the machining (Keim KL 1336 2.850 Cove). I highly recommend that company - great customer service, prompt shipping, etc. The top piece is just more milled QSWO that I made, with a roundover on one corner which gives a bead effect when mated to the cove moulding.

    mould1.jpgmould2.jpg

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Landenberg, Pa
    Posts
    431
    Mounting the movement....

    The plan called for two items from Klockit. It called for movement/dial/pendulum package #13082 and hardware package #39952. Neither exists anymore. I had to consult with customer service there (they were great) - the hardware package was supposed to include grille cloth (modern equivalent is item number 39953 - I ordered two), three door hinges (I ordered these from amazon, 3/8-in inset hinges in brass), door lock and key eschutcheon (again, amazon'ed that), and leg levelers. The hinges and lock with eschutcheon were not available from Klockit. The leg levelers were not available from Klockit either - they actually referred me to their competitor (who does that? I am very impressed with Klockit) - those came from Timesavers, item 32666, M8x20.5mm leveling foot, I ordered four.

    The movement itself - that turns out to be the Hermle 114cm mechanical movement, item 13044, which may come up on search under 139044. You need a weight set and shell set - I selected item 13107, which is a plain brass shell set for movement 13044, and the weights are item 139440 - these are just lead slugs. The pendulum you'll want is item 20099. They initially sent me item 19070, which is a 95cm pendulum. It'll fit, etc, but it is too short to keep accurate time. In any case, both those kits come with a plain brass moon bob, and an oak stick which stained just like the case. For the clock dial, I selected a mission style that is matched to the movement (hole placements for winders, hands, and chime selector) - item 26940, 13-1/2 in dial.

    The movement comes with a very clear set of instructions, and measurements for where the chimeboard and the seatboard need to sit. The chimeboard was covered already. The seatboard - I started by mounting two blocks made from 3/4-in stock to the case sides. For my case and this movement, these blocks were set 15-1/8 in from the top, and measured 3-1/8 in x 1-7/8 in. These are set 3/8-in behind the cleats that hold the clock face. The cleat for the clock face (made from 1/4-in QSWO ply) holds the ply 3/8-in from the front of the cleat. Centered on that mounting block goes the riser block, 3-7/8 in high, and 2-3/4 in wide. Atop that goes the seatboard which will hold the movement - the seatboard is 3/4-in MDF, 2-3/4 in wide, and 14-5/16 in long. Centered on this board in both dimensions is a slot, 9-in long and 1-in wide. This slot allows you to bolt the movement down, and the weight wires pass through.

    block2.jpg block1.jpgseatboard.jpgseatboard2.jpg

    The chimeboard goes in from the rear once the chimes are mounted - the mount is cast iron and tapped for bolts. Oddly, my kit came with four different bolts for this, I guess they just toss in what fits, but everything mounted up fine.

    chimeboard.jpg

    The movement goes in, and is mounted centered in all dimensions upon the seatboard, and the wires for the weights pass through.

    mounted.jpg

    Note that the chime hammers are not even remotely aligned with the chimes at this point, you have to bend those per the instructions, which is really uncomfortable to do given the cost of the movement and my terrific years of experience with clock movements.

    58665058573__E6C5D325-DCF0-417C-88F4-202BDC95ECAC.jpg

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