How To Make a Grasshopper Skeleton Clock

Description

This workshop manual is a must for the clock repairer and clockmaker. Detailed drawings, and step by step photographs supported by a carefully worded text, illustrate the fabrication of every part of the clock. Even those who have no desire to build the clock will find the tooling and techniques employed of great help in their shop work. The text contains information for: Turning pivots by hand; extensive machining operations; wheel cutting; lantern pinion making; use of the fret saw; the use of super glue for mounting small parts during machining; the use of Loctite 609 as a permanent bonding agent; making and using fly cutters; a depthing tool for determining wheel to pinion center distance; polishing brass and steel surfaces; blueing small steel parts; spoking wheels; using a dimpling tool; using a dividing plate; extensive use of the watchmaker’s lathe; spinning metal; silver brazing; threading small holes, knurling; using sheet metal drills; making a dust cover from 1/8″ Plexiglas; bonding and polishing Plexiglas; broaching a square hole in a clock key; the use of stub arbors; super glue wheel cutting arbors; wheel train calculations; using the burnisher; using the adjusting rod; lacquering; cutting oil sinks; making a signet key; handmade reamers; an in-barrel mainspring length gauge; a U.S., BA, and Metric small screw equivalent chart. The clock won a gold medal in international competition for handmade clocks at the National Convention in Philadelphia. The text then appeared in serial form in England’s Model Engineer. However, due to a publication failure, no complete text has ever before been available to the builder. These problems have all been corrected and the text is now complete and fully updated. As the name implies, the clock makes use of a grasshopper escapement. It is of English pattern, with spring and fusee drive, maintaining power, and a one piece hand pierced skeleton dial. It stands 16-1/2″ above its black walnut base, is spring and fusee driven, has an 8-day run, and maintaining power. A compound pendulum is used to keep it tabletop size. The escapement has been brought forward for ease of viewing. It is fascinating to watch the pallets pick their way around the escape wheel while imitating the kick of a grasshopper with each passing tooth. This manual is likely the most complete text ever written on how to build a single clock. It contains 99 pages, over 35,000 words, 348 photographs and drawings. Information for building a number of special tools is also included. The double wheel grasshopper escapement was designed by the author.