Friday

Printed clock hands and motionwork for WT C40A.

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My contact with the C40A has kindly forwarded some images of his newly printed clock parts. 

He wanted to show the time on his WT. While the time setting dial can show the time [against suitable, fixed pointer] it does not have an hour hand. Much like most other turret clocks with time setting dials. So he printed clock hands, a bracket and the gearing [12:1] motionwork] to make the time more accessible.

The WT has an output of 1 revolution per hour. Or minute hand time. This has to be slowed by 12 times to drive an hour hand. One revolution per 12 hours. The compact, 3x & 4x spur gear,  reduction is known as motionwork. i.e. Producing the motion of the hour hand. The reduced speed is applied to an hour pipe. With the original minute hand on a shaft running inside the pipe. This is common to almost all of the mechanical clocks ever made. Including electrically driven clocks and slave dials.

My contact has cleverly printed a supporting bracket. This uses the original holes in the WT mainframe for fixing screws. 

One should never arbitrarily drill new holes in items of historical or antique value. Originality is highly admired and can make or ruin the resale value of items like clocks.  

The images show the details of the clever conversion to hour and minute hands. Provided there is low friction, the motionwork should not affect the working of the WT. The time cannot become wrong because of the enormous reserve of power available. More frequent impulsing of the pendulum is the usual sign of increased friction. This should be attended to immediately in order to avoid costly damage to irreplaceable parts.

Even the Gents' "Pulsynetic" brand name has been printed on the bracket. I doubt that anyone will be fooled into thinking this is an original WT part. Simply due to the materials used in the 3D printing.  Which is obviously intended as a fun exercise. Most owners of a WT and master clock would use the pilot dial in the master clock for timekeeping. Or place a slave dial nearby.

I use a Gents' slave dial on the wall above my WT. With a large, turret slave movement on the external dial. This avoids any risk to the WT. Which runs continuously but unloaded.



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