G'day Chris here and welcome back to Clickspring.
In this video I make the parts required, to fasten the dial assembly to the clock frames.
I had intended to make the hands and motion work in this episode,
but whilst getting started on that, I decided to make a small design change in how I
fasten the dial assembly to the rest of the clock, and it ended up becoming its own video.
The original plan, was to use screws to hold the chapter ring captive,
and then install dial feet and pillars like this.
But after living with this idea for a while, I've decided to modify it to this.
It means I don't have to make any more holes in the bezel,
and it pulls the dial pillars down below the pivot holes,
which I think makes the whole arrangement look a lot better.
I can use the same bezel screws as before,
and having something between the screws and the bezel acting as a washer,
removes the risk of scoring the bezel as those screws are inserted.
For materials, I've got some 1mm brass sheet to make what I'm calling the dial brackets,
as well as some 1/4" brass rod to make both the dial feet and the pillars.
So lets get started.
I'm using a printed template stuck on the brass sheet to position the holes,
and then from here I can rough out the shape using the scroll saw.
The belt sander brings the cut closer to the line,
leaving a small amount on the part for final finishing with needle files.
I'm also giving what will be the outside surface of the dial brackets a light polish,
before the dial feet are fastened in place.
I'll do the final polishing at the very end of the clock build,
but once the dial feet are in place, it'll be a bit awkward to get access to this surface,
so I'm doing most of the work now.
A quick wash in some solvent, and that's the brackets complete for the moment.
OK, now on to the dial feet.
The design has them sitting inside the dial pillars like this,
and fastened in place with a small set screw. So the first step was to turn the basic profile.
And I've put a small point on the end to make it a little easier for these feet
to find the pillar holes when the dial is being fastened in place.
Once turned to shape, the part was reversed,
and a small spigot turned on the other end,
that'll be used to locate the feet in the holes on the dial brackets.
Now the length of the disc shaped section isn't critical,
but it is important that all three be exactly the same.
So much like the frame pillars in a previous video, I identified the shortest one,
and then using the same lathe setting, faced all 3 to match.
Next up are the dial pillars, and much like the frame pillars,
I didn't like my chances of getting a consistent result across all three,
without a bit of help from a form tool.
So I formed the basic curves required into some hardened steel using the bench grinder,
and then tidied up the cutting edge using abrasive stones.
I chose a 1/4" diameter for the curves, so that the oilstones I have on hand could be used
to bring that inside curve to the proper dimension.
Most of the profile of the part was then generated from this single cutting tool.
And again you can see I've put a small point on the end of the work.
In this case I'm going to use it to locate the central axis of the part
when I drill and tap the small cross holes later on.
The part was then reversed to drill out the central hole.
I also used the same technique as the dial feet to get all 3 pillars to the same length.
And much like the brackets, I'm putting a little bit of time into the surface finish now,
to make it easier to polish them at the end of the build.
The dial fittings will get a lot of handling before the clock is finished,
so a coat of lacquer will not only lock in that surface finish,
but it will also give them some degree of protection as I continue to work on the clock.
OK so with the bulk of the machining complete,
it's time to start putting some of the pieces together.
Starting with the dial feet, a small amount of loctite 603 adhesive
was used to bond the feet in place.
The spigot extending through the other side was then reduced,
and again a light polish put on the surface.
Much like the pillars, these parts will get a lot of handling before the clock is completed,
so a quick lacquer will keep them safe until the end of the build.
The brackets can now be fitted to the back of the dial assembly.
And that's where I'll leave the dial assembly for now.
The next step is to drill and tap the holes in the front plate, to accept the pillars.
Each of the holes is at a fixed radius from the center arbor pivot hole,
and I'm using this depthing tool to mark out that distance.
Click on the link if you'd like to see the videos showing how this tool was made.
With all 3 hole positions marked out,
each was then drilled and tapped to match the thread on the dial pillars.
The pillars can now be screwed into the front plate,
and we can have our first look at how the dial assembly fits in place.
Each pillar now requires a set screw to hold the dial assembly in position,
and I've decided to align the top two screws so that they face upright.
For convenience of access when the clock is in service,
the lower set screw will be aligned to the side.
And this is where I use the point I formed on the end of the pillars,
to ensure that the cross holes are aligned with the axis of the part.
Now that the point has served its purpose, it can be removed,
and a polished surface put in its place.
And finally off camera, I turned up the 3 set screws so that the dial assembly
can now be fastened into position.
In the next video, I'll get back to the part of the build I had intended to make in this one,
the motion work and hands.
Thanks for watching, I'll see you later.
And if you've just found your way into this clockmaking series, thanks for checking it out.
This is just one episode of a longer series, where I show all of the steps to make a mechanical
clock from raw metal stock. So be sure to check out those other videos.
If you're looking for some new projects for your lathe or mill, then take a moment to visit
clickspringprojects.com where you'll find a range of plans available for download,
including plans for some of the tools I've made to help me construct this clock.
And finally if you'd like to help with the creation of these videos,
then have a look at the Clickspring Patreon page.
Thanks again for watching, I'll catch you on the next video.