question for the wood gear clock makers out there

[DickB]

Check this thread: http://forum.carvewright.com/showthr...795#post149795

JLT posted a free program Radial Vector Generator that can generate a grasshopper escapement. You also use the free program ai2mpc to import to Designer. I have used the Radial Vector Generator to make gears and ratchet wheels, but not escapements.

To clarify, my clocks Mystery Clock and Synchronicity use a ratchet wheel and pawls, not an escapement. My clocks are driven and regulated by their pendulums; most wood gear clocks are driven by weights and regulated by their pendulums.

[oscarl48]

Steve,

Thank you. Great looking escapement wheel.

DickB,

Thank you. Downloaded the radial vector generator.

Its going to be fun playing with this stuff again.

[oscarl48]

Just found a wonderful article by Mark Headrick (http://www.nawcc-index.net/Articles/...cMechanics.pdf) on clock escapement mechanics that walk you step by step on building a graham escapement. I think I have the starting point to begin now. Looking at the gear calculator to figure out how many teeth gear I need. I also have to figure out how to make some hardwood plywood with the tools I have without wasting most of the material.

I hate to say it because I have spent so much time trying to figure it out but this method looks super easy. Now have to see if it actually works for me.

[SteveNelson46]

I didn't know exactly what you were looking for until I saw the drawing. If this is it, it's extremely easy in just about any vector program. Just need to know the diameter and the number of teeth, height and angle. This one has 30 teeth with a diameter of 3" and a tooth height of .375 with an angle of about 3 degrees.

[oscarl48]

Steve,

Sorry for not being able to explain myself well. Its the other part of the escapement that has been giving me problems. Not a very good clock maker since I don't know the names of the parts (anchor???). The angles of the pallet faces have to be precise (within a few degrees) of the escapement wheel teeth or not enough energy is transferred to the pendulum.

The article explained the geometry between the parts without the math. My brain doesn't work with math very well anymore so it visually clarified what I was doing wrong. Still doesn't mean I can do it right but at least I have a good starting point.

Regards,
Oscar

P.S. I am still downloading all of your patterns. They look better than mine.

[oscarl48]

Okay. First time attempt at using the 1/16 cutting bit and I am doing something wrong. The system will not allow me to set the parameters for a .2 or .25 board to cut. It will accept a .125 setting but not anything deeper.

I have a cut path set with 1/16 cutting bit and no deeper cut than .125 (it won't allow me anything deeper). Tabs are set at 1/16 in.

When I go to the board to increase board depth I get the error in the picture.

What setting or command should I be using. The description on the bit states its capable of cutting upto .25 in.

I am using designer 2 with trace done on gear pattern. I want to do a vector cut instead of a raster carving. mpc uploaded to show what I have so far.

Thank you.

[SteveNelson46]

Okay. First time attempt at using the 1/16 cutting bit and I am doing something wrong. The system will not allow me to set the parameters for a .2 or .25 board to cut. It will accept a .125 setting but not anything deeper.

I have a cut path set with 1/16 cutting bit and no deeper cut than .125 (it won't allow me anything deeper). Tabs are set at 1/16 in.

When I go to the board to increase board depth I get the error in the picture.

What setting or command should I be using. The description on the bit states its capable of cutting upto .25 in.

I am using designer 2 with trace done on gear pattern. I want to do a vector cut instead of a raster carving. mpc uploaded to show what I have so far.

Thank you.

You have to set the board thickness first. Trying to set it after there are drawings or patterns on the board and a bit has been assigned results in the error message. This is a flaw in programming and I think it was discussed here on the forum quite some time ago. Apparently it was never fixed. It's also in version 3.

[oscarl48]

Awesome! Thank you for all the assistance you've given me on this project. It is appreciated.

[bergerud]

It is not a bug. I have complained about it. It was programed to give that extra 1/16" to make sure the cut goes through. (3/16" for the 1/16" cutting bit and 15/16" for the 1/8" cutting bit.) The bug is that you can get around it! Just make a new board 1/4" thick and copy paste everything to it. (One has to choose all the board settings up front. The Board settings dialog will catch the error and all you can do is cancel.)

[oscarl48]

Copy. Much appreciated. Did exactly that and did a few more gears. Gear calculator shows 57 tooth:12 pinion, 45 tooth:11 pinion, 32 tooth:11 pinion and 30 tooth escapement for a 44 in long pendulum.

blender makes short work of making gears but I know the touch surfaces are going to be off. The addendum and dedendums are not exactly the same with each gear/pinion but hopefully they will work.

Heat index is 108 right now so I think I will wait for the weekend. Anyone up north want to trade locations.