Greetings,<!—-><!—-> <!—->
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I’ve been commissioned to make a case for a HERMLE triple chime cable driven clock kit. <!—-> <!—->
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The installation instructions are vague at best, sigh.. <!—-> <!—->
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My plan is to make a three quarter inch back frame with three eights inch removable panels to facilitate adjusting the chime rod hammers but I wonder if using a sound board is actually an improvement in sound over simply mounting them directly on the back frame. And if I use a sound board how do you adjust the rod hammers? The side panels are non removable glass. <!—-> <!—->
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I also plan on having the case “sit” on a separate plywood base with adjustable feet; the bottom moulding will cover the base. <!—-><!—->
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The footprint of the cabinet is roughly twelve inches deep by twenty two inches wide and a height of almost seventy inches, I would think a safety cable attached to the wall would be a good idea??? <!—-><!—->
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Anything else I should be aware of?<!—-> <!—->
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TIA, Don. <!—-><!—->
Replies
I've built 3 grandfather clocks over the years from scratch. Installing the 3/4" chime board as the back of the clock makes the sound full, but getting to the hammers for adjustments is a pain. I hinged the top of the hood, just behind the swan necks, so I could get to the works from the top. Make sure you vacuum the case before mounting the clocks works, it keeps the sawdust and sanding dust from getting into the brass works.
Mounting the whole clock case- on adjustable feet is a good idea, but the larger the bun feet, the longer it takes the clock to settle into the carpeting. To help speedup this process, I made 2" buns and added some bricks in the bottom for extra weight to help settle.
If the clock is on a pier and beam home, the floor will give as you walk by. Adding a screw into a stud and a cable wire would help the whole clock from tipping forward if the dial door and waist door happen to open at the same time. A good idea also, if there are small children around, to keep from pulling it over on them.... Since the floor will give, sometimes the steel music rods move so much that they bump and "Tingle" together. I cut some 1/2" pieces of silicone tubing and put on the ends of all the rods; both the quarter hour chime rods and the hour chime rods. It doesn't muffle the sound a bit, but it prevents the dinging sound if the rods ring against each other...
Good luck and "Tempest Fugit",
Bill
Longcase clocks were attached to the walls with long screws or metal brackets in many cases to 1. allow the clock to be maintained in a permanently level and plumb position-these brackets can still be purchased at some clock parts supply centers and 2. to prevent tipping over. Reid Heilig
"Anything else I should be aware of?" Yes, I think Bill has given good advice , and I am very envious of you being asked to do such a nice project.....
There is a good book by an English authority, called "Making an Eight Day Longcase Clock" by Alan Timmins, ISBN 0905100379. This includes making the works and the case from scratch- you may like to read his pointers on case making, the methods of which differ from usual cabinet making practices.
donk,
Others have given you good advice. Here's my .02 worth. If you can, design for the hood of the clock to be easily removeable. Traditionally, it will slide forward off the rest of the case, giving easy access to the works. Plan on a firm attachment to the wall if at all possible. The movement and mass of the pendulum can set the case to slightly rocking if on carpet, to the point where the case's side to side movements will cancel out the pendulums operation of the escapement, and the clock will stop- up to an hour after you start it in motion. A tall clock slightly out of plumb may run, but it will have an uneven "beat"--the relation, or duration between its "tick" and its "tock" will be unequal.
In making the case, it is a really good idea to have the works hanging on the wall in front of you, so that actual measurements may be taken-- don't just rely on the specs supplied by the maker. I've seen old clocks where the insides of the waist had to be dished out to allow for the full motion of the pendulum bob. The depth of the movement is important too. Don't forget that the handshaft sticks out significantly from the front of the works, and that the glass of the hood's door is set back from the front of the door!
Ray
Thank you Gentlemen.
Your comments have been very helpful.
At this point my design does not allow for access from the sides so I thought I would make the top two back panels removable but then the chance of a bouncy floor makes me think the best solution is to mount the case to the wall with French cleats.
The top of the case will be a frame and removable panel. It may be slightly inconvenient to adjust the hammers from a ladder but having everything visible and in its final resting place seems to be worth the effort???
The floor is carpeting, the wall mount also removes that from the equation...
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Don.
Don Kondra - Furniture Designer/Maker
Edited 5/28/2007 9:42 pm by donkondra1
I built a GF clock over thirty five years ago. Built it from blueprints put out by Mason Sullivan. the movement is an Urgos, I think. The top part slides off to the front making it easy to service. My clock was 84 inches tall ( I think the instructions referred to the shorter 72 inch clocks as Grandmother clocks.) My point is that even at 84 inches, it was a little short of giving enough room for the weights to run the clock eight days. I would definitely follow Joinersworks' advice in laying the works out on the wall to make sure the mechanism and the case are compatible. The old clock is still running but you have to be sure to wind it the same time on a given day of the week to not allow it to run down. The accuracy is incredible -- as nearly as I can tell it is accurate to a couple seconds a month. I would like to make some more GF clocks in my remaining years.
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