Replies

1. 
   VomSorb | Feb 19, 2005 07:25pm | #1

   They are not for the beginner. The drawings show all the critical measurements, but they are far from "how-to." There are some brief construction notes that accompany the plans.

   If you are an intermediate woodworker you shouldn't have any trouble.

   
   

   ---

   Edited 2/19/2005 11:26 am ET by cstan

1. 
   ohiobob | Feb 19, 2005 08:29pm | #2

   I  hope i can handle it. been searching for plans for 6 months. i have no dovetail experience. here is my last piece.

   
1. 
   TomMGTC | Feb 19, 2005 08:42pm | #3

   From the looks of that hutch you could handle the job. Don't get caught up in the mystique of hand dovetailing. If you break it down to it's basic methods all it really is, is cutting to a line. There are many ways to accomplish this , just take your time and have funn, it really isn't all that hard.Tom

   Douglasville, GA

2. 
   VomSorb | Feb 19, 2005 11:42pm | #4

   Perhaps it's just a matter of semantics but most of us here assume that an intermediate can handle dovetailing without breaking a sweat.

1. 
   UncleDunc | Feb 20, 2005 01:17pm | #6

   >> ... most of us here assume that an intermediate can handle dovetailing without breaking a sweat.

   Really? Did you take a poll while I wasn't paying attention? I never noticed most of us expressing an opinion one way or the other on intermediate woodworkers' dovetailing ability.

1. 
   ohiobob | Feb 20, 2005 05:30pm | #7

   thanks uncle dunc and bear. i'll study the plans when they arrive. also would it be taboo to use a dovetail jig sometime?

2. 
   VomSorb | Feb 20, 2005 06:19pm | #8

   Well, Uncle, all I can say is if you call yourself an intermediate woodworker dovetailing ought to be way down on the list of things challenging.  No, I haven't polled the participants, I'm simply recalling past conversations which are obviously anecdotal.  Still, I think most folks definition of an intermediate would be a woodworker very comfortable with all aspects of joinery and moving into making serious reproductions and/or proprietary designs. 

   As far as the poster's question on jig cut dovetails that's great as long as the jig will match the spacing and sizing in the original as the point of a Lynch plan usually is to produce an accurate reproduction of a significant piece.  That's why the bloke drew them in the first place.  He shows dovetail layouts for a reason.

   Of course, the Carlyle Lynch reproduction police will not arrest you if you don't follow the plans exactly. 

    

    

   Edited 2/20/2005 10:30 am ET by cstan

   Edited 2/20/2005 10:33 am ET by cstan

3. 
   ohiobob | Mar 01, 2005 01:48am | #9

   WOW,  Got the Lynch plans for the Eli Terry tall clock. The large blueprint was ok but disappointed in his notes on construction. maybe i'm not as intermediate as i thought. i was hoping for a more step by step help. anyone else have more construction plans for this piece.   blueprint # is 40-A32-BE

4. 
   Bear | Mar 01, 2005 04:53am | #10

   Come on Ohiobob, you build that beautiful hutch and now this tall clock which is not real tuff has got you running. The clock is only three boxes. Start with the base and work your way up. The hardest part of the clock is making the moldings if your router bits don't match the profiles. When I go to my shop tomorrow I'll look at my copy of the plans and maybe I can give you some more direction.Bear

5. 
   joinerswork | Mar 01, 2005 06:24am | #11

   bob,

   Take some time and study your prints.  Carlyle took a lot of time with his drawings to make sure that everything you need to know to build that piece is on the drawing somewhere.  Sometimes the details/dimensions are in another area of the page, he did that to get everything to fit on one page.  It can be confusing, for sure.

   Having said that, he was a draftsman, not producing step by step how-to's, but working drawings, for craftmen who don't need to be given directions.  This is what he did for years for a local shop that built reproductions, before he started selling his drawings.

   I'm not intending this as a criticism of you or your skills as a woodworker.  Begin by isolating the major components of the case's base and waist, and work your way down to the smaller ones.  Make a cutlist.  Double check your dimensions, to make sure they are correct.  Frame it up, and go on from there, add blocking, moldings, and feet. Hang the door.  Then the hood-- make the case first, add molding, then fit the door. One step at a time. A tall clockcase is a stack of boxes, with doors. You can build it.

   Regards,

   Ray 

6. 
   UncleDunc | Mar 02, 2005 06:41am | #13

   Amateur astronomers have rule of thumb for the beginning mirror maker: It will take less time to grind a 3" mirror and then a 5" mirror than it will to grind a 5" mirror.Consider building two of them, the first from MDF or scrap or whatever is cheap. Then when you're more confident of being able to read the plans, build the real one.

2. 
   Bear | Feb 20, 2005 05:58am | #5

   I have the Lynch plans for the tall clock and I do think they come with sequence of steps but not detailed step by step. Study the plans before you start to make sure you understand each piece. I think if you have some experience you should be able to handle this clock, it is not a difficult one.

   I can understand your concerns about Lonnie Birds clock, the bonnet has a lot of dovetails that if you were to cut by hand would be a challenge for most intermediate woodworkers. Not the place to practice.

   Good luck.

   Bear

3. 
   Bear | Mar 02, 2005 03:53am | #12

   I looked at the plans today again and I'm sure this is not a difficult project. I have started mine, but in now sits in the shop 3/4 built until time allows.

   Start with the base ohiobob. Its a three sided box with feet and moldings. Sometimes the hidden edge lines on a plan make it seem more confusing, but if you study the plans and make sure you understand how the parts go together its not tuff.

   If you get stuck I'll help you and look for your posts.

   Bear

   
   

   ---

   Edited 3/2/2005 6:02 pm ET by Bear

1. 
   ohiobob | Mar 03, 2005 01:28am | #14

   thanks Bear. i'm gonna give it a try. it may be this spring until i get going though. got a home improvement project this spring also. when i get started i'll be SURE to yell at ya for help. thanks for your patience.

2. 
   ohiobob | May 04, 2005 03:01am | #15

   Bear, starting to think about this clock again. i think i got the base and middle figured out. not 100% yet on the hood. was wondering if you bought works for yours yet. not sure what size face to buy. would i be safe to build these two pieces then buy my works and face?     Bob

1. 
   Bear | May 04, 2005 03:32am | #16

   No, Ohiobob, I have not worked on the clock recently nor have I purchased the movement. I don't recall thinking that building the clock first was going to be a problem. When I go to the shop tomorrow I will check the plans and let you know for sure. Not a great pic, but you can see clock behind saw.Bear

   
2. 
   joinerswork | May 04, 2005 03:20pm | #17

   bob,

   I recommend that you have the clock works in hand before building.  Here's why.  Several distances are important for things to work properly, when setting up the clock.

   First, the overall distance front to back, required by the movement, inside the hood. This includes allowance for the chimes, if they are separate, and must be attached to the backboard, also the length of the handshaft, which can, on some movements, project a good bit beyond the front of the movement.  Be sure the hood's door will close without hitting the end of the handshaft.

   Where does the seatboard need to be, to put the dial at the right height in the hood? This is determined by the length of the waist sides, as they project up into the hood space.

   Then there is the allowance for the weights to drop, if you are using a weight driven movement.  If the dial is where you want it in the hood (front to back), will the weights be lined up to drop into the waist, or will they be riding against the front of the waist? As weights are wound up, they will get closer to the front of the case, as the cables are wound unto the drum.  The projection of the cove molding at the top of the waist affects the offset of the hood, front to back. 

   Is there enough height inside the case to allow for the weights drop over the course of a week (if an 8 day movement)

   Is there enough room for the pendulum's arc, inside the waist? I've seen old clocks with the inside of the waist's ends scooped out to keep the pendulum bob from hitting.

   You will save yourself a lot of trouble, or at least anxiety, by getting the movement first.

   By the way, David Lindow in PA, makes the most authentic tall clock movement I've seen. Beautiful work.

   Regards,

   Ray

3. 
   Bear | May 05, 2005 12:22am | #18

   Ohiobob, I checked today, normally you would like to have the face and movement in hand before building the clock. In the case of this clock I was planning on using a quartz battery operated movement. They sell some very nice ones that also have chimes and remote speakers that sound great. The quartz movements are so small that retro fitting it in the clock is not a problem. I also intended not to use a pendulum because of the door instead of glass. I usually try not to buy hardware and accessories before hand as it add to much pressure to finish a project, which I always have about 7 or 8 in progress. What kind of wood are you planning on using? I am building mine from clear pine because I wanted to use milk paint and antique methods on it.Joinerswork makes some very good points about movement location and you can see how this can turn ugly fast, which is why I think this first clock should be with a quartz movement.Bear

   Edited 5/4/2005 5:30 pm ET by Bear

1. 
   ohiobob | May 13, 2005 02:59am | #19

   thanks for the advice from both of you guys. i probably should buy the movement first, but even if i did i still don't quite understand the hood layout to even now if the face will fit even after i have it. my original idea was to build it out of cherry, but painting something is not out of the question. i'm more used to basic cabinetry. this clock has me nervous.

1. 
   joinerswork | May 13, 2005 05:01pm | #20

   Bob,

   Didn't mean to spook ya!  Once you have the movement, you can mount it on a seatboard, and then figure from there where the bottom edge of the dial is in relation to the seatboard.  That tells you how far up into the hood the waist sides have to project.  With the seatboard positioned on the sides, you can slide it forward and back so the weights can drop unhindered.  That locates how far from the case back the frame for the dial is located in the hood.  This, in turn determines where the hood's door can be located (depending on handshaft length). And so on.  It is easier to visualise this with the thing right in front of you.  I like to hang the movement right on a wall in the house, so I can set it up, get it regulated, and take measurements, etc, while building the case.

   Once you have the movement, and dial, you can make a full-size drawing to work out the dimensions, before you cut any wood.  It may be that the clock case as drawn, will work fine, but it's best to "prove" it on paper first.   The important thing is of course that everything be at least large enough to accomodate your movement.  Swing of the pendulum, depth of movement from case back to tip of handshaft, and so on.

   Regards,

   Ray