Clock design opinions

[Phil Mueller]

I’m working on my first wall/mantle clock (still not sure if it will sit on a shelf, or hang on the wall). Plenty more to do (top and bottom moldings, clock face, 1/4” round moldings around the openings, etc. Right now I’m wondering about the size of the side pillars. As shown, they are 1 1/2” diameter. I’m thinking of taking them down to 1 1/4” or maybe less. I know it’s hard to tell from a picture. Just looking for some initial opinions. Thanks in advance.

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[Robert L Stewart]

Looks good as is.

[Alan Rutherford]

I can't help you with the pillars but will say we have a somewhat similar clock standing on a shelf and it's an accident waiting to happen. It's top-heavy with a narrow base. If it might go on a shelf, make sure the design provides adequate stability.

[Scott Winners]

I see a total judgement call Phil. The only thing i can think of, if the veneer work on the clock face can take it, would be to squirt the whole thing down liberally with isopropyl alcohol or mineral spirits to get a better idea of how it will look with a finish on it.

Wet, I might think about making the side columns a little smaller maybe, but it would depend on what my wife thinks, unless I was making it for my sister....I wouldn't go any bigger on the side columns for sure, but you already see that in the OP.

There is more than one correct answer here I think.

[Kris Cook]

I looked at this the other night and looking again tonight have the same thought - I think the side pillars would look better if the size was reduced. From a weight balance standpoint, they should be narrower. Probably quite a bit narrower.

[Scott Winners]

I looked at this the other night and looking again tonight have the same thought - I think the side pillars would look better if the size was reduced. From a weight balance standpoint, they should be narrower. Probably quite a bit narrower.

I am pretty sure I agree, but I want to see how it looks wet. If walnut and oak, the walnut will darken, gain more visual weight, than the oak looses. But the darker (walnut?) horizontals already have more visual weight than the verticals in the same darker wood. If it is totally out of balance wet one option might be to make the columns more narrow - and possibly come up with some sort of maybe an elongated diamond in the lighter wood to put on the three horizontals to lessen the visual weight of the dark horizontals.

I think this step is very much like trying to balance the sugar and salt in a brine for smoked salmon. If the sugar:salt is pleasing to most people most of the time you don't need juniper berries and spruce tips and Worcestershire sauce in the brine. If the sugar:salt balance is wrong, no amount of added ingredients will cover it. FWIW I brine salmon in 1 part salt to 2 parts sugar; but salt soaks in faster than sugar does, so brine time is also a factor that varies with how athletic the fish was.

Knowing some of Phil's previous work I am confident this will come out well. Is there going to be any kind of capital or top piece to the columns? Is there going to be another walnut board top and bottom to close up the case? Another piece of dark wood at the bottom as edge grain is going to make that lowest horizontal pretty darn fat.

One option might be to use full round columns in the lighter wood at 3-4-5 eighths freestanding out in front of the case. That would make the visual weight of the darker wood behind variable as folks move around in the room. If you don't like the look of it, scoot your chair over... But the pediment would need another smaller piece for the transition, and the capital on the column could get out of hand in a big hurry.

There are a couple hundred ways for this to come out slap dab gorgeous, depends on who it is for. If I had this problem I would stick to the same wood as the columns to lighten up the horizontals so the figured wood in the clock face still makes its own splash. Might be handy to set the pendulum into the lower case as well, the big shiny bit at the base of the pendulum is going to have a lot of visual weight even with the clock stopped. You might could use the same metal as the pendulum weight to lower the visual weight of the dark horizontals. Polished brass eagles or some cold rolled steel rod or whatever color matches the pendulum weight.

I am clinging to a piece of shipwreck in this area trying to climb into a lifeboat. The Janka hardness and modulus of elasticity of your materials are objective facts, but visual balance is in the eye of the beholders.

[Phil Mueller]

Gentlemen, thank you for your insights. Yes, there will be an additional top and bottom with molding (yet to be completely designed). That will also add some height to the piece. I do think you’re right about thinning the columns. I’ll probably mock up the top and bottom prior to adjusting the columns. The columns will have a capital and matching base.

The columns are Brazilian cherry and my experience is that it doesn’t darken as much as domestic cherry. I also plan to use something on the walnut to help hold it dark (Watco Walnut perhaps).

Agree Scott. Once I get a few more pieces mocked up, it needs a good wipe of mineral spirits to see the true balance.

I tend to rough out a design and then finesse it (sometimes major) on the fly. Not the most efficient way to go, but I like the process even though it leads to lots of procrastination.

Stay tuned.

And by the way, Scott, I’m planning on making a pendulum/bob. Perhaps a “federal style” design like this:

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Inspired by a portion of a federal style seat back.

Not sure yet if I’ll make it to match the clock face wood, or walnut, or cherry, ?. Need to look at different options.

[Tom Bender]

Maybe make the columns sit back a bit by flattening the back of them, maybe as much as half round. Then I might consider making them even bigger radius.

You could add a bit of color with a colored glass pendulum; any color, even black could work.

[Phil Mueller]

Thank you Tom. That’s a neat idea. I have an antique buffet that has wide convex pieces on the outside stiles. Not really columns, but a nice design feature. Perhaps something for the next one. I moved ahead and actually narrowed the columns about 1/4”, and added some stringing inlay on the inside edge of the face frame. I think I’m happy with this at the moment.