Build Your Own Clock - No. 3: Clayton Boyer
Since 2005 Clayton Boyer has been selling plans for building wooden clocks. Among all the plans available you can find several types of escapement and even marble clocks. The plans are based on antique clocks and adapted so that they can be cut by hand or, for example, with a laser machine, a scroll saw or a CNC.
Here are a few examples of his clocks in action:
Marble Strike Clock
Organic Clock
Perpetual Calendar
Celebration Rolling Ball Clock
Masochist's Corner
Clayton Boyer's website is rather rudimentary, but also quite simple and easy to browse; on top of that, it has some very good-humoured curiosities, such as this masochist's corner, described as follows:
The wonderful mechanisms on this page are listed here in "Masochist's Corner" because they are not only much harder to build but, unlike all the other plans I offer, they do NOT come with a set of building instructions or a list of materials. To order a set of plans from this page, you must first send me a photo of a completed wooden clock of MY design and then, somehow, demonstrate a demented lack of frustration in your life. Only the most masochistic individuals, those craving frustration, should take on this task. If you think you qualify, send me an e-mail. You will have my e-mail address from your previous order.
Selling plans for the clocks on this page goes against my basic philosophy of trying to spread joy in the world through creative woodworking. However, I have come to the conclusion that I should not stand in the way of a woodworker's desire for additional frustration in their life when they obviously want it so badly.
Remember - I absolutely require that the woodworker has successfully completed at least one of MY clock designs before ordering a clock from this page. NO exceptions! No whining either.
Radiance Clock
What do we get when we buy a plan?
All the plans are drawn in CAD and are available in two formats: dxf and paper. Both formats are laid out in "page" form to make printing easier, which gives the builder a physical plan to follow during the build. The dxf files are generic, with a little individual manipulation to suit the format, and have been used successfully with every building and cutting method: scroll saw, CNC, laser and 3D printing.
Included in the dxf plans are full-size drawings for all the parts and pieces that make up these mechanisms. In the paper plans, almost all the parts are shown full size, with dimensioned drawings only for the larger parts. All the main components, such as the wheels, pinions, spacers, etc., are supplied as full-size patterns. These drawings can be cut out of the plans, glued onto wood of the appropriate size and cut by hand. This same “NO Measuring” technique applies to the metal parts used as arbors and spacers. Simply place the metal part of the appropriate size alongside the plans, mark and cut.
All the clock plans come with a complete set of instructions and a list of materials. In addition to the separate instructions, each page of the drawings also carries instructions for each of the parts. There are also a few pages showing the completed clocks, so that you can see how all the parts fit together. Complete front and side views of the mechanism show every part and its location.
For paper plan orders, all the designs now have their wheels, frame and large parts available in dxf format on request. After ordering your paper plan, simply send an e-mail to Clayton Boyer asking for the dxf available for your project.
All the plans are available in dxf format. On the order page for each design, you have the option of ordering in dxf format and receiving your plans as an e-mail attachment (usually within 24 hours), or in paper format delivered by post.
PDFs of the designs are not available, and you must have a CAD program to open and manipulate the dxf files. Regular drawing programs, for example Sketchup and the more basic versions of Corel, will not work properly (the more recent Corel, used with lasers, does work). If you do not have a CAD program, I recommend you take a look at www.deltacad.com. It is a wonderful program, powerful enough for what we need, and quite inexpensive.
All with plans available on the website: https://www.lisaboyer.com
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