Wooden clocks part 2!

[gasmansteve]

Hi folks
While perusing various sites on wooden clock making the consensus for the correct wood to use appears to be Birch Ply easily available in the states but not readily available in the UK unless you are a business needing cubic meters of the stuff. I`d be interested to know if others have constructed clocks and what timber you used?. MDF springs to mind but not maybe as durable for the gears ?? and `normal` diy store stock plywoods seem to splinter easily. Anyone know of a birch ply domestic supplier please?.
Thanks
Steve

 

[JAYJAY]

Hi Steve,
you can follow the link and find some birch faced ply below, there's a couple of different thicknesses and sizes you can order in, i have used this site before for ply and its good quality (as good as it gets for ply anyway)
if you look at my posts on here (only a couple) the pictures i've posted used this ply, hope this is ok for you mate :wink:
Jay

http://www.alwayshobbies.com/Store/Craf ... -Hardboard

p.s make sure you check you are on the ply you want and thickness, i have entered quantity in the wrong box before and ended up with product i didn't need

 

[gasmansteve]

Thanks for that Jay. Still not sure what thickness of boards I need for the gears yet, have to look for some beginners plans/books :lol:
Cheers
Steve

 

[StevieB]

Birch ply is more common than you think, but most suppliers will need to order it for you. Build centre, alsford timber and Jewsons can all get it, any local timber yard should stock it. Online suppliers include south london hardwoods and james latham, both of whom will post uk wide but may be pricy for small quantities. Hobbies will be expensive as they only sell small sheets, so you may need a number of sheets. I would avoid B&Q as they rarely do birch ply and even though you can sort through and find a piece with a good face it may still contain voids. Voids are the enemy and will knacker teeth on a clock gear in use.

Try and avoid Russian and far Eastern if possible (Latvia and the new states) go for Finnish if available. If you cannot tell, work on the principal of the more layers the better - about a mm per layer. Avoid 6mm ply with only 3 layers like the plague!

Pics of a clock in progress and finished are necessary - I will follow it with interest. I have plans on paper for a range of clocks I have never had time to make but still hope to one day

Steve

 

[gasmansteve]

Thanks for that info Steve. There is a Jewsons near me so I`ll pop in. Have you made a clock by any chance and if so where did you get your plans from please?. I do like the ones on Clayton Boyers site but not sure I have the skills until I have a go :wink: BTW when they mention birch plywood I`m not sure if they are refering to `birch faced` or if all the laminates in the ply have to be birch :?:
Regards
Steve

 

[StevieB]

I have to admit that I have had the plans for years, but never got round to building one I got them from websites but have no idea which ones as it was so long ago - if I can find them I will have a look for you.

Regarding Birch ply, the laminations are birch all the way through, not birch faced.

Steve