Documentation

MakerBot Clock Assembly Instructions

Welcome to the instructions for building your MakerBot Clock! This set of instructions will take approximately three hours, and you will need all the printed parts from the MakerBot Clock Thingiverse item (link) and all the items in your purchased kit (store link). Feel free to start printing before your kit arrives.

Parts List: Printed Parts

• 1.1

1.1

Clock face front -- 4 pieces
Clock face back -- 4 pieces
Penny pendulum
Penny weight x 4
Weight lock x 5
Penny weight connector x 3
Penny weight connector back x 3
Pendulum rod holder x 2
Great wheel
Winding ratchet
Stretchlet ratchet
Ratchet drum
30 second escapement
Hour gear
Minute gear
2nd wheel
3rd wheel
Escapement paddle front
Escapement paddle back
Bottom frame
Large middle frame piece
Small middle frame piece
Spacer
Hour hand
Minute hand
Second hand
Center hang point
Left hang point

Parts List: Kit Parts

24" piece of 1/8" welding rod
12" piece of 1/8" welding rod x 2
40mm x 3/16" brass tube
50mm x 3/16" rod
22mm x 7/32" rod
90mm x 1/8" rod
65mm x 1/8" threaded brass rod
Radial bearing x 7
M3x40 bolt
M3x50 bolt
M3x25 bolt
M3x16 bolt x 17
M4 nut x 4
M3 nut x 17
Lasercut front panel
Lasercut side panel x 2
Lasercut bottom panel

Parts List: Additional Parts

About 250 pennies
Approximately 4' of string

Notes

• Read the instructions all the way through before beginning assembly.
• When printing clock parts, use 0 additional shells.
• Some printed parts have holes for bolts or rods. if a hole is blocked by bits of plastic, you can clear it out with a 1/8 inch drill bit.
• If a piece doesn't fit well, use sandpaper or an exacto knife to remove a very small amount of plastic and try again.

Clock Face Sub-assembly

• 2.1
• 2.2
• 2.3
• 2.4

For this sub-assembly you will need:

Clock face front (four pieces)
Clock face back (four pieces)

2.1 Lay out the clock face pieces. There should be four backing pieces and four front pieces.

2.2 Take the backing pieces and set them out so they form a circle and the numbers are in the appropriate order.

2.3 Start snapping on the front pieces. 2.4 When the numbers are lined up, the front pieces cover the breaks between the back pieces and hold them together.

Weight Chain Sub-assembly

• 3.1
• 3.2
• 3.3
• 3.4
• 3.5
• 3.6
• 3.7
• 3.8
• 3.9

For this sub-assembly you will need:

Penny pendulum
Penny weight x 4
Penny weight lock x 5
Approximately 250 pennies

3.1Take out the penny pendulum and the four penny weights, as well as the five corresponding weight locks.

3.2Start filling the penny pendulum with pennies. Slide stacks of five to eight pennies in at a time, diagonally, until there is no longer enough room to get them in at the required angle.

3.3Then use the weight lock slot to slide the pennies in one by one until the top penny is level with the bottom of the slot. Push in a weight lock and check to see that the pennies stay in place.

3.4Now fill up the four penny weights in the same way. Each weight should take about fifty pennies, but, as penny width varies, it's not possible to pinpoint a precise number.

3.5Put the penny pendulum to the side and lay out the four penny weights in a line, end to end. Take out the three penny weight connectors and the three penny weight connector backs.

3.6Snap one end of one connector into one end of the first penny weight. 3.7Snap the other end into one end of the second weight. 3.8Snap a connector back onto the exposed pins of the connector.

3.9Use the other two connectors to add the remaining two penny weights to the chain.

Pendulum Sub-assembly

• 4.1
• 4.2
• 4.3
• 4.4
• 4.5
• 4.6
• 4.7
• 4.8

4.1 For this sub-assembly you will need:

Penny pendulum (with pennies and weight lock)
24" piece of 1/8" welding rod
12" piece of 1/8" welding rod x 2
Pendulum rod holder x 2

4.2 Orient the pendulum so that it stands on one end, with the weight lock at the top end. Slide one 12 inch rod into the holes at one side of the pendulum. It should go all the way through the top section. It should go almost all the way into the bottom section, but not through it. If the rod will not go through the holes, you may need to clear out the holes with a 1/8 inch drill bit.

4.3 Look at the bottom section. You should be able to see the end of the rod through the hole there, but it should still be inside the hole. If you can't see the end of the rod, hammer the other end of the rod lightly.

4.4 Now do the same thing on the other side.

4.5 Slide the first pendulum rod holder onto the ends of the two rods. Slide it about 1/3 of the way down the exposed sections of the rods.

4.6 Slide on the second rod holder. The top of the second holder should be flush with the tops of the rods.

4.7 Take out the 24 inch rod. The rod may have a flattened section close to one end. That end should point away from the pendulum.

4.8 Slide it through the center holes on the two rod holders until the end of the rod is flush with the bottom of the lower holder.

Ratchet Sub-assembly

• 5.1
• 5.2
• 5.3
• 5.4
• 5.5

For this sub-assembly you will need:

40 mm brass tube
Great wheel
Stretchlet ratchet
Winding ratchet
Ratchet drum

5.1 Take the great wheel and the 40mm brass tube. Push the tube into the wheel from the bottom (the completely flat side) until the end is flush with the top of the small toothed section.

5.2 Now slide the stretchlet ratchet onto the winding ratchet. When you have the right angle, it should slide on easily.

5.3 Fit the ratchet drum onto the outside of the stretchlet ratchet.

5.4 Twist the winding ratchet. The stretchlet ratchet should catch on the teeth of the ratchet drum and snap back.

5.5 Go back to the great wheel. Slide the ratchet assembly onto the end of the 40mm rod. The winding ratchet should be closest to the great wheel.

Clock Hand Gear Sub-Assembly

• 6.1
• 6.2
• 6.3
• 6.4

6.1 For this sub-assembly you will need:

30 second escapement
Hour gear
Minute gear
90mm x 1/8" brass rod
50mm x 3/16" brass rod
22mm x 7/32" brass rod

6.2 Push the 22mm x 7/32" rod into the hour gear just until it's just flush with the other side of the gear.

6.3 Push the 50mm x 3/16" rod into the minute gear until it's flush with the other side of the gear.

6.4 Look at the 30 second escapement. One side is flat; the other side has a toothed protrusion. That's the front side. Push the 90 mm x 1/8" rod into the 30 second escapement from the back. about an inch or so of rod should stick out of the front of the gear.

Bearings Sub-assembly

• 7.1
• 7.2
• 7.3
• 7.4
• 7.5
• 7.6
• 7.7
• 7.8
• 7.9

7.1 For this sub-assembly you will need:

2nd wheel
3rd wheel
Escapement paddle front
Escapement paddle back
Radial bearing x 7

Take the 2nd wheel. Fit one bearing into the front and one into the back. 7.2 Both should fit snugly. 7.3

Take a long M3 bolt and fit it through the wheel and both bearings. Spin the wheel. 7.4 It should spin smoothly. If it doesn't, use the bolt to push the bearings into alignment.

The 3rd wheel also gets one bearing in front and one in back. 7.5 As with the second wheel, use the M3 bolt to test it.

The escapement paddle front is the narrow piece with the rectangular projection in the front. This gets a bearing in the front and a bearing in the back, and, as with the wheels, you can test the alignment with the M3 bolt. 7.6

The escapement paddle back looks like it's the same on both sides, but it's not. The side that rested on the build platform is the bottom. Press one radial bearing in from the front. 7.7 The bearing should be flush with the front of the paddle piece, but inset in the back. 7.8

Now put the two paddle pieces together. 7.9 The fronts should face towards each other, and the rectangular projection on the paddle front should fit into the notch on the paddle back. The end of the projection on the paddle front should be flush with the other side of the paddle back.

Clock Assembly

• 8.1
• 8.2
• 8.3
• 8.4
• 8.5
• 8.6
• 8.7
• 8.8
• 8.9
• 8.10
• 8.11
• 8.12
• 8.13
• 8.14
• 8.15
• 8.16
• 8.17
• 8.18
• 8.19
• 8.20
• 8.21
• 8.22
• 8.23
• 8.24
• 8.25
• 8.26
• 8.27
• 8.28
• 8.29
• 8.30
• 8.31

Take out the bottom frame and lay it flat, with the long curve at the left. 8.1 Note the positions of the holes. The hole that most of the pieces radiate from will be at the center of the finished clock.

Take the 2nd wheel and place it on the hole just above and to the left of the center hole. Line up the hole in the 2nd wheel with the hole in the frame. 8.2

Now take the 30 second escapement on the 90mm rod. 8.3 Insert the smaller end of the rod--the side emerging from the front of the escapement--into the center hole of the bottom frame. Push down on the top of the escapement. 8.4 Slide it down the rod until the small front gear section engages with the second wheel, but not so far down that it hits the frame.

Take out the larger of the two middle frame pieces, which forms a shallow S-curve. There are three holes. Slide the center hole onto the 90mm brass rod, and line up the hole at the end of the longer curve with the topmost hole on the bottom frame. 8.5

Bolt the large middle frame to the top hole of the bottom frame with an M3x16 bolt. 8.6

Take the 3rd wheel and line it up with the raised hole at the left of the bottom frame so that it engages with the top portion of the 2nd wheel. 8.7

Take the minute wheel on the 50mm rod. slide it onto the 90mm rod, with the 50mm rod pointing up. 8.8 The 50mm rod will fit over the 90mm one. The minute wheel will rest on the middle frame.

Take out the small middle frame. The center hole may be blocked. if so, drill through the hole using a 1/8" drill bit to clear out the obstructing plastic. 8.9

There are three holes in the small middle frame. The large hole at one end fits over the 50 and 90mm brass rods. The hole at the other end lines up with the center of the 3rd wheel and floats above it. 8.10

Take the M3x40 bolt and drop it through the center hole on the small middle frame. 8.11 It should go through the small middle frame and the 2nd wheel, and into the bottom frame.

As you tighten the bolt, the bolthead should go all the way into the hole on the small middle frame, so the top of the bolthead rests just below the surface of the small middle frame. 8.12

Rotate the 2nd wheel to make sure that it moves smoothly. It should turn the 30 second escapement.

Take out the 65mm x 1/8" threaded brass rod and thread an M4 nut onto one end of it. 8.13

Screw the end with the M4 nut into the one remaining hole on the bottom frame. 8.14

Add a second M4 nut to the rod on the other side of the frame. Tighten the nuts against the frame. The end of the threaded rod should be flush with the surface of the back nut. 8.15

Slide the 3rd wheel out and take out the ratchet sub-assembly. 8.16

Slide it onto the threaded rod, with the great wheel at the top. The great wheel should engage the minute wheel. 8.17

Now slide the 3rd wheel back into its place under the small middle frame. 8.18 Make sure it engages with the great wheel, the winding ratchet, and the top of the second wheel.

When you turn the 3rd wheel, every gear currently attached should turn.

Take out the hour wheel with the 22mm brass tube. Slide it onto the other brass rods, with the 22mm rod pointing up. 8.19 The hour wheel should engage with the top part of the great wheel.

Take out the assembled clock face, the small spacer, an M4 nut and an M3x50 bolt. 8.20 Note the section branching out from IX and XI into the center of the clock face. It has three holes: one underneath IX and one between X and XI.

Put the M3x50 bolt through the hole between X and XI. 8.21 Slide the spacer onto the bolt. 8.22 The bolt head should be in front of the clock face, and the spacer should be behind the clock face.

Slide the center hole of the clock face over the three nested brass rods. The hole by the IX should go onto the threaded rod at left, and the M3x50 bolt should go into the remaining hole in the small middle frame. 8.23

The bolt should pass through the small middle frame and the 3rd wheel and into the bottom frame.

Put the M4 nut onto the end of the threaded rod and tighten it down. 8.24 Then screw in the M3x50 bolt.

Turn the 3rd wheel. Every gear should now be engaged, and everything should move. Keep turning the 3rd wheel until you can clearly see the empty hole at the bottom of the large middle frame, between the center and the VI. 8.25

Take out the assembled escapement paddle and slide it onto the middle frame with the front of the paddle facing up so that the radial bearings line up with the hole in the frame. 8.26

Then drop in the M3x25 bolt so that it passes through the front of the paddle, the middle frame, and the back of the paddle, and goes into the bottom frame. Tighten the bolt. 8.27

The wheels should no longer spin freely.

Take out the three clock hands. 8.28

Slide the hour hand onto the nested brass rods. it should rest by the top of the thickest section of rod. 8.29

Slide the minute section on above the hour hand. It should rest by the top of the middle section of rod. 8.30

Put the second hand on above the minute hand. It should rest near the top of the thinnest rod. 8.31

Wood Base Sub-assembly

• 9.1
• 9.2
• 9.3

9.1 For this sub-assembly you will need:

Lasercut front panel
Lasercut side panel x 2
Lasercut bottom panel
10 x M3x16 bolts
10 x M3 nuts

The two side panels are identical, but only one side of each will fit in the front panel. Slot the two side panels into the front panel and secure them with M3 nuts and M3x16 bolts, but don't fully tighten the bolts until the bottom panel is on. 9.2

Slide the bottom panel on to the other three panels. 9.3 Secure it with M3 nuts and M3x16 bolts. Once all four panels are together, you can tighten all the bolts.

Final Assembly

• 10.1
• 10.2
• 10.3
• 10.4
• 10.5
• 10.6
• 10.7
• 10.8
• 10.9
• 10.10
• 10.11

Turn the frame upright, with the front panel facing you. Note the two etched outlines near the top of the panel. 10.1

Take out the two hang points, two M3x16 bolts and two M3 nuts. 10.2

Fit the hang points onto the corresponding outlines on the front panel and bolt them on. The holes on the fronts of the hang points are recessed, so the bolt heads should disappear into the holes. 10.3

Before you go on to the next step, make sure the clockwork section is working correctly. Once the clock is on the mount, it's not intended to come off.

The shapes of the two hang points correspond to two of the shapes in the bottom frame. Take the clock assembly and snap the bottom frame onto the hang points. 10.4 Be careful of the clock workings.

If you're having trouble getting the bottom frame to lie flat against the wooden front panel, try loosening the bolts on the hang points a little bit.

The back cavity in the wooden base is meant to hold a weight--something to counterbalance the weight of the clock workings and weights on the front. You can use anything with a bit of heft to it--we like using it as a tiny bookshelf. 10.5

Rest the clock at the edge of a shelf or table, so that the weights and pendulum can hang freely.

There is a small hole at the bottom of the escapement paddle. Take out the assembled pendulum and slide the end of the 24" rod far enough into this hole that it won't fall out. 10.6

Now take out the weight chain. Cut a length of string about four feet long. Tie one end of the string to the hole at one end of the weight chain--it doesn't matter which end. 10.7

Go to the left side of the clock and turn the gears so that you can see a small hole in the side of the ratchet drum. Feed the free end of the string into this hole. 10.8

Take an M3 nut and tie it to the end of the string. 10.9 Pull on the string outside the ratchet drum; the nut should disappear into the drum.

To wind the clock, turn the drum clockwise. You should see the weight chain lift as the string is wound around the drum. When you're done, steady the weight chain. 10.10

Now, push the pendulum a couple of inches to one side, let it go, and watch your clock start ticking! 10.1