Arts & Crafts Clock
This was a built from a plan that a got from woodcraft
a number of years ago.
The plans sat here for a long time, until I finally got going on the project.
You can now
get these plans as on online download from woodcraft if you want, but they are
certainly
still available.
The case is all white oak, and is supposed to be quarter sawn,
but I could only find plain sawn,
and rift sawn oak here locally. The use of different wood does show
in a couple of places, but
hopefully it's not real noticeable.
This is (in my opinion) a very elegant looking clock, and not
all that impossible to build. The
assembly of the columns is aided by a jig for positioning and gluing the
sub-assembly, and the
instructions for that jig are included in the plans. Another thing that I
particularly like about this
design, is that the box which hold the works and pendulum, is hung on the back
of the clock with
a french cleat. So, all you have to do, is give it a quick bump with your
hand to change the battery,
or whatever. Also, because the clock face is recessed under the top, it
does not seem to need
constant dusting, even though there is no glass on the clock front.
The clock works and dial came from Schlabaugh & Sons, but you
can't order it online, you have to
call them up to do it. I think they changed some of the parts and stuff since
the original plans
were printed,
but they can still supply the dial and battery operated mechanism. The
center box,
which holds the
mechanism and pendulum, is good sized, and could probably hold an electric
chiming mechanism,
if you were so inclined.
I put a traditional arts & crafts type finish on this piece,
finishing up with amber shellac. It still has a
bit of a shine to it, as you can see from the pictures. Mostly
that's from the flash on the camera, it
doesn't seem to have quite so much shine on the actual piece.
The only down-side of this particular clock, is that the clock
face is not very large, but they usually are
not large on a arts and crafts clock.