Making The Regulator And Suspension Post, by Clickspring.
In this video I make the suspension hardware that will support the pendulum. There’s a bit of everything in this one; lathe, mill and hand finishing work, as well as some heat bluing of the fasteners.
If you would like to help support the creation of these videos, then head on over to the Clickspring Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/clickspring
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A very special thank you to Patrons Dan Keen, and Rob Shearing.
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For more info on this build, as well as other tool making info and plans, visit https://www.clickspringprojects.com
Other Videos to Watch:
How To Make A Clock In The Home Machine Shop – Part 9 – Etching, Waxing And Silvering A Chapter Ring: https://youtu.be/qpy5O0b7cL8
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Abbreviated Transcript:
00:30 The silk thread catches a hook on the end of the pendulum, and then threads up through the suspension post to the Regulator above. The regulator shaft can be rotated to wind up the thread, which adjust the effective length of the pendulum, and a set screw locks it in place.
01:07 I think the contrasting materials will look excellent together, and given that its quite a tough steel, it should have a greater ability to resist marking and wear than the brass. The regulator shaft needs a small indentation to accommodate the set screw that holds it firm, so I formed that feature first. And with that complete, I formed a dome shape on the other end with a graver.
02:34 I can’t know that position until its inserted into the frame, so next I need to mark out and then drill the mounting holes. The hole positions are located relative to the pallet arbor pivot hole, so I’m using the depthing tool to lay out that first position on the centerline of the frames.
03:09 So that’s the pallet arbor position marked out, and although I’m not installing the pallet arbor in this video, I do need to accurately transfer this location to the back frame, so that I can use it to as a reference point to mark out the holes that I do need.
04:21 With the positions marked out, the lower hole can be drilled and tapped for the suspension post, and the upper hole drilled and reamed to accept the regulator. The upper surface of the suspension post can now be identified, and the cross holes formed. A quick deburr of the holes, and I can leave these parts as they are for the moment, while I move on to the regulator thumbwheel.
05:08 I made a set of rope knurls and a bump knurling tool holder, and this is one of the parts I had in mind when I made them. A rope knurl is an excellent way to embellish an otherwise simple part, and very easily give it a bit of extra character and class.
06:14 Now I need to clean up that parted off surface, so I’m using a scrap of drill rod as a stub arbor, and fixing the part in place with a spot of super glue. With that surface cleaned up, the glue can now be soaked off with acetone,
06:41 releasing the thumbwheel, and then it can be permanently bonded to the regulator post with some Loctite 603. And at this point I decided that a small brass collar would be a useful feature to add to the regulator, to set the depth when its inserted directly, rather than relying on the set screw to pull it in.
08:20 I’m using a piece of brass rod stock to help
locate the axis of the hole, and I’m leaving that in place while I drill too, as a bit of extra protection against the drill grabbing as it breaks through into the opening. That hole was then tapped, and the extension marked out so that it could be reduced to its final dimension.
08:53 And I’ve been keeping the matching extension on the front plate, on the off chance that it might be useful for holding the plates. But I don’t think I’ll be needing it from here on, so that can come off completely. Both surfaces were brought to the line with the belt sander, and then given a quick finish with abrasive paper.
09:33 to wind onto the regulator post, close to the clock frame. Once the features for the screws were formed, they were hardened, tempered and polished, and then heat blued on a bed of brass chips.
10:35 And that completes all of the components for the pendulum suspension, so lets put them in place and see how they all fit together. In the next video I’ll complete the pendulum assembly, by making the hook, rod and bob.
References:
John Wilding “Large Wheel Skeleton Clock” construction book can be purchased online from Ian T Cobb:
https://www.clockmaking-brass.co.uk/clock_construction_books.html
Making The Regulator And Suspension Post, by Clickspring.