Started today by assembling the clock without the pallet so that it would run freely and rotated the great wheel by hand. Everything ran freely. I added a temporary weight to the remontoire arm but did not connect the battery and set the arm at the top of its arc and let go. The clock turned under the power of the weight. See video below or at my website (https://cedarclocks.com/the-clock-runs-for-the-first-time) if the video does not transfer to Facebook.
I then connected the battery so that the winder motor would run when the remontoire arm reached the bottom of its arc.
The only parts remaining to be constructed before I could test the clock, including the torsional pendulum and escapement, were the pallet stem and the torsional pendulum weight. The pallet stem links the pallet to the torsional spring fork. The fore / aft location of the pallet stem (the location of the intersection with the torsional spring fork) is a critical dimension as it sets the rotational amplitude of the pallet, effectively the point in the cycle that the pallet gives an impulse to the torsional pendulum. I have found, through trail and error, that if this dimension is not correct the clock will run very poorly or not run at all. I set this dimension based on my experience on previous clocks.
I always make a temporary torsional pendulum weight holder so that I can easily change the weights to determine how much weight is required to get the clock to keep time. Nothing left but to see if the clock runs. After a couple of minor adjustments, it ran… not particularly well… but it ran for a few minutes.
I had decided not to sand the great wheel teeth as the surface finish looks reasonable and I was impatient to see if the clock run. The clock appears to be stopping on teeth that that I can see are rough.
Tomorrow’s tasks: Sand the teeth of great wheel to see if I can get the clock running smoothly, make some temporary hands and adjust the torsional pendulum weights so that it keeps time.
Thats amazing
How long did it take to make?
Very impressive
I hope you will build a clock for me
I started constructing the clock on 5 April and have posted a daily blog on my progress. An archive of all the blogs is at the following link https://cedarclocks.com/category/creating-a-wooden-clock-electra-2. My clocks are for sale ( https://cedarclocks.com/purchase ) and when I am satisfied that this clock is running well it will be for sale.