Hi,

I am building a cnc clock from plans at www.woodenclocks.co.uk/ on my home made cnc router. To get the plans in DXF format you need to email him and ask politely.

Here is a picture of my machine at work.

Here are the gears cut from 3/8" MDF

Some frame parts.

Moderator, if this isn't the correct forum to post this stuff, just move it.

WOW,! very cool, never thoght about makes a clock using a CNC machine.

forgot pic.

last one for now.

CNCAdmin,

It's my first try...:) So far its going well. The complex part will be figuring out what gears turn what and how.....

Eric

Balsaman,
excellent work. I also got a DXF file from him but found it to large for my sherline. Looking at your work is just making me want to make a cnc router more and more each day hehehe!

keep us updated.

tauseef
www.cuttingedgecnc.com

Now I wish I did'nt sell my CNC router table. :(

You sold it? I saw the picture of yours in an earlier post. Nice machine. You building another?

Eric

More parts.

The face. Almost all the parts cut now. Time for assembly.

Eric

Originally posted by balsaman
You sold it? I saw the picture of yours in an earlier post. Nice machine. You building another?

Eric

I sold it, I wanted to start to cut metal. Now I'm converting a Micro Mark vertical mill to CNC.

:D

Assembled the clock today to get an idea of parts fit. The fit is excelent! There are still a few parts missing. I have to open a holes in a few gears as the drawing calls for metric shafts and I have standard sizes. Gotta get them to spin freely. It's going to look nice even tho it's just MDF.

Eric

Very nice how are you gonna finsh it? Are you gonna stain it?

I was going to leave it in its natural state to bring out the grain in that exotic wood...LOL

Seriously. I am not planning on finishing it at all. Can you recommend a nice finish for MDF? It's like heavy cardboard. there is no suitable finish. :)

I will finish the next one, which will be some sort of hardwood.

Eric

Eric,

You really ought to put a clear finish on it. MDF looks good with a semi gloss finish. Maybe you want to keep it out of the gear teeth and bores though. Also it will slow down the changes with humidity.

Chris

Hi gang,

Last few parts cut from 3/4" MDF

Eric

Very nice, it's looking good!

pictures, it's being assembled.


Eric

another.

Eric

Boy,
Eric thats looking really good. You have done a hell of a job so far. Keep up the good work!!!!!!!!!!!

Want to sell a kit?

Very, very cool Balsaman.
All this talk about routers peaks my curiousity.:cool:

HI,

Thanks guys, it's a really fun project. Sorry but no kits of this clock, it's not my design. I may try my own design next now that I see how it all works together. It's hard to visualize just by looking at the plans. Seeing the gears turn makes it easier.

Eric

I don't think stain will work very well on MDF.

almost there...

it's hanging.

My wife let me hang it up!

I am realy impressed.;)

Very, very nice job. I dug around in the web for a set of clock plans. I could vectorize last year and just never got my "round to-its" in order.

Did you have to scan and redraw the plans or did they come in a vector format? I have considered adding some 3-d ornament to the non contact surfaces. I just need the gear geometry.

Again, good work,
Phill P.

:p

I am glad you all like it.

The plans are from www.woodenclocks.co.uk

If you ask him nicely, he will send you the DXF files for any of his clocks.

I added some simple 3D, just to set off the gears a little.

All in all a fun project. I want to build another, but from hardwood. And my own design. I will use the gear pattern from this clock.

BTW one windup lasts 12 hours.

Eric

Final picture.

All done with weight and all.

Eric

Balsaman: I kind of lost you in some other threads. I was wondering if you could give me some advice. I was looking out at the www. stepperworld.com site and noticed they had some control systems available. I was looking at their FET-3 system so that the steppers were strong enough. Was wondering what your apinion was on that. Also wondering where I can get the plans for the router table you built. Your help will be appreciated. Thanks, Bob.

I am using the FET3 controller. It works great. I don't recommend the sp3.

The plans I used are available for download at www.e-zflight.com/files/cncplans.zip It's my own design. And uses expensive linear rail and such (I got it all free, so I used it)

A great place for plans for cnc's made from hardware store parts is www.crankorgan.com. He also sells a 4 axis controller bare board.

Eric

Eric, the link to your plans doesn't work.

Gerry

Sorry,

www.e-zflight.com/files/cncplans.zip

Eric

Eric: What bit did you use for machining the gears? I love the project. I have just found a justification for building a CNC router!

Paul

I used a 1/8" carbide endmill.

Hey Paul
I'm glad you sold me the cnc router table>I'm finding a lot of interesting stuff on this site to try it out on.

Frank



Ref::

CNCadmin
Administrator/Owner

Now I wish I did'nt sell my CNC router table.


__________________
Thanks,
Paul G
Site Webmaster, Administrator
& Proprieter
I'd still rather be flying!

Originally posted by FourStroke
Hey Paul
I'm glad you sold me the cnc router table>I'm finding a lot of interesting stuff on this site to try it out on.

Frank



Ref::

CNCadmin
Administrator/Owner

Now I wish I did'nt sell my CNC router table.


__________________
Thanks,
Paul G
Site Webmaster, Administrator
& Proprieter
I'd still rather be flying!



Glad it's working out, keep us updated I want to see what your cutting with it.

balsaman,

It'll be a year next month that you finished your clock.

How well does it keep time?
How well has it help up?
Is the MDF dry yet? :D

Well,

The MDF "pawl" which is the ratchet mechanism that allows the clock to be wound up lost it's spring tension and was allowing the weight to suddenly drop to the floor. In the interest of safety I took it down untill I could cut a new pawl from a more suitable material (maybe quality plywood). I havent cut one yet, so it was only in operation for a couple months.

I had plans to cut another complete clock from hardwood or plywood but that hasn't happened either....maybe I should spend less time posting and more time "doing".

Sorry I can't give you a better answer.

E

Hello,

But DURING that two months, how well did it keep time? :confused:

Thank you in advance,

Ballendo


Originally posted by balsaman
Well,

The MDF "pawl" which is the ratchet mechanism that allows the clock to be wound up lost it's spring tension and was allowing the weight to suddenly drop to the floor. In the interest of safety I took it down untill I could cut a new pawl from a more suitable material (maybe quality plywood). I havent cut one yet, so it was only in operation for a couple months.

I had plans to cut another complete clock from hardwood or plywood but that hasn't happened either....maybe I should spend less time posting and more time "doing".

Sorry I can't give you a better answer.

E

Are there CAD files that come with these clocks and how much of the parts can be machined using the CAD files? How much for the complete plans and cad files? Are there any advantages to making them out of aluminum?

Thanks,

Balsaman,
What size are the large gears with the curved spokes?
and what size cutter do you do the teeth with to get into the root of the tooth ?

Very nice work BTW, I'm pleased to see you recycling scraps of expensive MDF, that stuff doesn't grow on trees. :D

John S.

The bigger gears are ~6" diameter. All cut from the free cad files with a 1/8" carbide endmill. The face numerals used a 1/16" endmill.

E

Balsaman,

Maybe you missed my message above...

How well did the clock keep time during the month or so it was hanging? :confused:

Thank you in advance,

Ballendo

P.S. What did you use for the shafts? Dowel? Any special species or?

Originally posted by balsaman
The bigger gears are ~6" diameter. All cut from the free cad files with a 1/8" carbide endmill. The face numerals used a 1/16" endmill.

E

It kept time within a few minutes per 8 hours. It needed to be wound every 8 hours, so it rarely got wound, unless someone wanted to see that it really worked. It was more of a display piece (an MDF one at that..:)). Since it rarely was wound, I never spent any time playing with the length of the pendulum, which is what adjusts it's speed, so to speak.

The shafts were just 1/4" dowel from the hardware store. If I did it again (I will), I will use brass rod for shafts, and probably brass sleeves as well where sleeves are used. I used clear plastic tubing for sleeves on this one. The sleeves allow several gears to run independantly on one shaft.

E

Thank you for the reply!

What type of plastic?

Ballendo

Originally posted by balsaman
It kept time within a few minutes per 8 hours. It needed to be wound every 8 hours, so it rarely got wound, unless someone wanted to see that it really worked. It was more of a display piece (an MDF one at that..:)). Since it rarely was wound, I never spent any time playing with the length of the pendulum, which is what adjusts it's speed, so to speak.

The shafts were just 1/4" dowel from the hardware store. If I did it again (I will), I will use brass rod for shafts, and probably brass sleeves as well where sleeves are used. I used clear plastic tubing for sleeves on this one. The sleeves allow several gears to run independantly on one shaft.

E

Hi,
I' desing my own Clock from AutoCad. Would you main tell me about differents possibilities to cut gear in metal or wood.
I would need to be able to have a cheap solution. It's possible.
What kind of brad and model advises me ?

It was a hard clear plastic tubing used for a sightglass for checking the fluid level of a tank. It was about 9/32" ID. Sorry, I have no other info.

If you go to a hobby store, you can find brass tubing in ID's going up in 1/32" increments for a few dollars for 12" lenghts. That is what I will use on my next clock.

jzyfcy,

I am not sure I understand your question. It's going to be easier and cheaper to cut one from wood.

E

Where can I download the cad files to make these clocks?

I am interested in milling this clock as my first CNC project. I just downloaded the DXF files. However, the dxf files are all 2D graphs. How do you convert the 2D drawings into 3D models (e.g. extrude)? I am using Solidworks and PowerMill or VisualMill. Can someone show me how this can be done?

Georgebarr these do not need to be 3D to machine, unless you wanted to just view the parts in 3D. Unfortunately every drawing program has it’s own set of guidelines to modeling of which extruding is one of them, in my software either the entity must be a solid or surface to extrude. Every part has it’s own unique requirements and method to convert to a solid as well.

Ken

I just used the 2D drawings, and cut them from flat stock.

Eric

balsama, impressive piece of work.

Where did you locate the roman numeral font? , been looking all over and cannot find them.

Thanks
Ken

How did you hold the material on the cutting surface? Spray adhesive? I may have missed it in the read through. If you used the adhesive, how did you get it off? I commonly user 3m sprays on aluminum and carbon sheet, and clean it with laquer. Seems like that wouldn't be good on ply or MDF. Thanks.

I think I just drew the roman numerals by hand. I held the material with bolts. The gears "came loose" when finishing the cut. The littlest gears were "drilled" for the shaft first, bolted thru the shaft hole, then the outside was cut.

Recently I was checking out some software samples and saw an octogon clock face with roman numerals and can not remember where this was. Would like to try it in my CNC mill. Any help is appreciated.

I am trying to make the conversion into CNC I have some basic drawings that I am starting with. How do you go from .DXF to gcode? Did each part have its own file? I was looking at some of the cam software and its up in the price range. For a hobby that is far much to pay. I do have a student version of solidworks 06 that is fully functional but there is no option to output a DXF unless the part is in a drawing and when you create a drawing the dimensions change.

Hey ClockMaster,

Ahhh, just starting out...how fun!

I have a lot of info for the beginner and my trials and errors at my site.

www.cuttingedgecnc.com

I have CAM programs I have played with here http://www.cuttingedgecnc.com/programs.htm

You don't have to only be able to save in dxf. It depends on what your CAM program likes (but dxf is probably the most common.)

hope that helps

Thank you for the fast reply. I have been reading and reading and there is still way too much more I need to learn. I will check out that link.

I am trying to make the conversion into CNC I have some basic drawings that I am starting with. How do you go from .DXF to gcode? Did each part have its own file? I was looking at some of the cam software and its up in the price range. For a hobby that is far much to pay. I do have a student version of solidworks 06 that is fully functional but there is no option to output a DXF unless the part is in a drawing and when you create a drawing the dimensions change.

Set up the drawing at 1:1 scale, then save as .dxf

Still no luck with converting the dxf to NC

great Job:) please continue posting plans for the clocks:)

Hi all...
Just ran across this thread so I thought I had better post a couple of pics of my project done three or so years back.
Larry

gr8 clock:)

Did you have to offset the DXF drawings before you generated the G-Code. I'm having problems getting the cogs to look like cogs when I cut.

Thanks,

Oldbill

Depends. If using ace converted, then yes, you need to offset. I did this on a new layer.