Time To Think About... Time

[John Hays]

I was looking for a good wall clock to hang in the shop today when I ran across a nice electric one and then a really cool digital one. That got me to thinking, which type would be LESS of a hassle to deal with?

Battery: I already have a battery operated clock in my living room and it runs on one AA, which seems to need replacing about once every 6 to 8 months. I hate it when the battery dies because it usually takes several minutes to figure out that the clock isn't running. But on the plus side, it isn't affected by power outages.

Electric/Digital: As already indicated, power outages are an electric clock's downfall (and my power does have issues every once in a while), but I'd never have to wonder if the battery died, especially if the clock were digital.

Also, I was looking at atomic clocks, but my shop doesn't have any windows and I live on an island, so the clock may have problems picking up a signal.

So, does anyone know if there's a better alternative on the market or am I stuck with the two common power choices? What would you do?

[Scot wolf]

I have this one. $10 shipped on amazon. It last 12 months in a unheated shop with a AA duracell. iSearch IIT saw blade clock.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51jEbvBMimL.jpg

[Matt Meiser]

I thought I was being smart and bought one of those auto set ones but it never worked right even outside and was a huge pain to set without. I had a flea market electric but it died after a couple years. Now I just have a batter powered one. And my cell phone which is always right.

[John Coloccia]

Don't mean to be a wise a....er.......wise guy....but why do you want a clock in your shop? Seriously. I DO have a small clock in one part of my shop. I bought a movement from Woodcraft, drilled the recess with a big forstner bit, shaped it really quickly and hung it up. The battery's been dead for over a year and I have no plans to replace it. In retrospect, it was a stupid idea and I think I leave it hanging up just to remind me how stupid I was for tracking my shop time. My wife is all the clock I need. She lets me know when dinner is ready. Ha ha....In my dreams. Truth be told, she mostly lets me know it's time for me to start cooking.

Anyhow, EVERYTHING, it seems, has a clock on it these days. I'm surprised my toaster doesn't have a clock. My microwave, oven, coffee maker, TV, computer, cell phones, cars and ATV has a clock on it. Why so many clocks? Tick tock tick tock..... What does that have to do with wood working?

Anyhow, just a thought.

[Leo Graywacz]

Time glue ups is what I use the clock for mostly.

I have one of the atomic clocks. And it actually works in my metal building. And even if it didn't you can usually set them manually. Then it will act like a normal clock and either gain or loose a few minutes a year. Not a big deal in a wood shop.

[John Hays]

why do you want a clock in your shop?

Well, as Leo said, it's good for tracking glue-ups and such.

I don't just work with wood, I also use paint, fiberglass, plastic resins, silicones, etc. Those things can go very wrong if not timed correctly. Not only that, but I'm usually in the shop during the evening hours and the night can slip by easily if there's no way to keep track of time... I've been late to work once or twice because I didn't have a clock in my last shop. LOL

With that said, I figured it would be a good idea to have a reliable clock in the shop, since wearing a watch can get snagged on things and become dangerous... I've had that happen, too.

[John Coloccia]

FYI: I have an egg timer in my shop for glue ups. I tend to set it for 15 minutes. When it goes off, I take my "glue chisel" (a 1/4" blunt chisel) and peel off all the squeeze out....much neater and easier than rubbing it off with a damp cloth early, or scrapping it later. Then I set it for another 30 minutes. I started doing this because I found that I don't check my shop clock (the one with the dead batteries) enough for it to actually be very useful for timing things. I've been down this path. LOL.

For absolute timing, I usually stream talk radio into my shop. When Mark Levin signs off, I know it's time to hang up the apron

I'm sorry...I know you want a shop clock, and I understand why you want it. I'm just offering up the practical solutions I've found over the years. I've never found a wall clock to be very useful. When I'm productive, I don't find that I check it often enough to be useful. When I'm futzing around, I don't find that I need it. Something that goes *DING* at the right time works better for me. If you really need something to track your time, get two wind up kitchen timers. Use one for glue ups. Use the other one to track your time. You want to spend an hour in the shop? When you get down there, set it for an hour and forget about it. No rushing, no monitoring. When it goes ding, put everything down.

[Leo Graywacz]

The simple egg timer isn't going to do much when you are gluing up a kitchen full of doors or panels. I need a clock because this is my job, I guess a hobbyist doesn't have to know what time it is as much as someone doing it for a living.

[David G Baker]

My career was always dictated by time. I processed millions of feet of news motion picture film then worked as a broadcast engineer that put the news on the air. I have around twenty clocks that are working all of the time. I am switching to all atomic clocks because I hate setting the clocks after a power failure or when daylight savings require a re-setting of all of them. My shop still has a battery operated standard clock along with a clock radio.

[Steve Friedman]

The simple egg timer isn't going to do much when you are gluing up a kitchen full of doors or panels. I need a clock because this is my job, I guess a hobbyist doesn't have to know what time it is as much as someone doing it for a living.

As a hobbyist, I don't want to know what time it is. Losing all sense of time is part of the fun and I have a wife who is more than happy to let me know when it's been too long.

In my office, I have a massive battery powered analog clock that I got from Pottery Barn. Massive, so I'm constantly aware of the time. Analog, because time isn't really that precise and thinking in 5 minute increments is plenty. Battery powered just because I am already surrounded by too many electrical cords.

Steve

[Leo Graywacz]

Most cell phones have a clock in them that is probably more accurate then needed.

[John Gregory]

One would not want to miss lunch or bedtime

Don't mean to be a wise a....er.......wise guy....but why do you want a clock in your shop? Seriously. I DO have a small clock in one part of my shop. I bought a movement from Woodcraft, drilled the recess with a big forstner bit, shaped it really quickly and hung it up. The battery's been dead for over a year and I have no plans to replace it. In retrospect, it was a stupid idea and I think I leave it hanging up just to remind me how stupid I was for tracking my shop time. My wife is all the clock I need. She lets me know when dinner is ready. Ha ha....In my dreams. Truth be told, she mostly lets me know it's time for me to start cooking.

Anyhow, EVERYTHING, it seems, has a clock on it these days. I'm surprised my toaster doesn't have a clock. My microwave, oven, coffee maker, TV, computer, cell phones, cars and ATV has a clock on it. Why so many clocks? Tick tock tick tock..... What does that have to do with wood working?

Anyhow, just a thought.

[Steve Meliza]

Human powered of course. Wind it up and correct the time every morning then spend the rest of the day not trusting the clock just in case you forgot to wind it up today. For those looking for the minimum effort required get an AC powered digital clock with battery backup.

I plan to make my own clock of course, possibly Norm's shop clock. Now if only I could figure out a way to convince LOML to let me spend $400 on an 8-day mechanical movement.

[Van Huskey]

I am very, probably overly, time cognizant but I have never been a wall clock person, I wear a watch 24/7 and constantly look at it. I never have been able to trust a wall clock for some reason. Do people that want a wall clock not wear a watch or?

[Mike Henderson]

My career was always dictated by time. I processed millions of feet of news motion picture film then worked as a broadcast engineer that put the news on the air. I have around twenty clocks that are working all of the time. I am switching to all atomic clocks because I hate setting the clocks after a power failure or when daylight savings require a re-setting of all of them. My shop still has a battery operated standard clock along with a clock radio.

Amen. Any clock I buy now has to be one of those so-called atomic clocks that set themselves and make adjustments for daylight savings time. I'll never go back to regular clocks. As David said, a power glitch and you have to go through the house re-setting clocks. Same when the time changes twice a year.

Mike