Building The Time Machine

[masonsailor2]

What a fun project ! The curved top with the moulding and rosettes although time consuming are mostly a series of router jigs. One way to make the curved top of the upper case would be to make a press mould which you can make by layering particle board to make the mould and the press. You can accomplish the press using inexpensive hydraulic bottle jacks from HF. You can use 1/8” bender ply for the body and then the last layer would be the veneer to match the rest of the clock. The mould part sounds complicated but it’s actually pretty easy and inexpensive to make.
Paul

[algale]

I'm still in the planning stages of The Time Machine and I am looking for design input from the Forum members. The arched dial door creates a few options for construction technique, specifically how to join the stiles and rails.

Door #1: The most traditional method of door construction for all doors, including the vast majority of clock door dials I have seen, is to locate the rails between the stiles. But, because of the arch's radius, and the width of the stiles and rails on this clock, that results in part of the arch being made out of the stiles. It looks like a little spike on the upper stiles (see the red lines on Door #1). While I have seen examples of this on reproduction and period clocks, that looks like a potential weak point to me. Also, cosmetically, I don't like how it looks because, with the grain moving in opposite diretion (vertical for stile and horizontal for the arched rail) it disrupts the appearance of the arch.

Door #1.jpg (1.11 MiB) Viewed 11093 times

Door #2: Another option is to extend the rails across the full width of the door with the stiles in between the rails, as seen in the red lines of Door #2. As best I can tell, after enlarging the photos available on the Met's site, this is how Claggett actually did it. I have not seen any other period clock with this type of construction. But I think it will look better and be stronger than Door #1.

Door #2.jpg (1.11 MiB) Viewed 11093 times

Door #3. The third option is mitered corners (mitered half laps, perhaps). I only see this on period and reproduction clocks that have cross-banded veneer on the face of the dial door. I think the miters may only be on the veneers as opposed to in the underlying stiles and rails, which are probably built like Door #1 or Door #2. I'm not planning on veneering -- it's not something I've ever done before -- but I don't see why mitered rails and stiles couldn't be done and might look rather stylish. If half-lapped, they'd be strong, too.

Door #3.jpg (1.11 MiB) Viewed 11093 times

Anyone have opinions, either from a cosmetic or construction point of view?

[dusty]

I would prefer door #3 BUT to look right (be right) the miters would have to be dead on accurate. This might not be a challenge to some but for me I would have to be prepared for at least one remake.

[Hobbyman2]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSyvAS3cvS8

[thunderbirdbat]

As an option to #1 and #2 the arch as all one piece and the stiles are cut back or a lap joint is made to allow the front of the arch piece to come all the way to the bottom of the joint on the front. Where the curve meets the stile, the arch piece is cut to but against the straight stile and the joint is reinforced with dowels. I forget where I saw this being done but it was for a structural arch where they wanted the weight the arch was supporting to be transfered to the uprights.

[mountainbreeze]

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2017-12-19 20.38.06.jpg (257.01 KiB) Viewed 11047 times

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2017-12-19 20.38.43.jpg (573.89 KiB) Viewed 11047 times

[/img]When my dad built his, he did "door 3". Solid rails and styles with a spline for strength.

[algale]

Interesting, Mountainbreeze, thanks for the pic!

Can you tell whether the door on you dad's clock "bottom heavy" -- in other words is the bottom rail wider than the stiles and arch? You can see on my drawing, the bottom rail is 1/4" wider than the rails or arch. It makes the angles at the bottom different than the usual 45 and different from the top angles too.

[mountainbreeze]

Stiles, rails, and arch are all the same at just under 1 3/8". Glad to help any way I can.

[videobear]

How about this as an option? It might make it easier to wind up with the grains running in the same direction.

[masonsailor2]

If you are going to have the detail on the inside edge the 45 degree cut would be the easiest to do. As long as you mortise the joint in some way strength will not be an issue. As long as the surface of the joint exceeds 2 3/8” you could use a #10 biscuit which would give you plenty of strength.
Paul