CNC Wooden Gear Clock Cutting?

[David Price]

At the suggestion of several members here I have searched and searched Friends of the Creek and have been totally unable to find anyone who CNC cuts wooden gears for clocks. I have contacted vendors listed in the forum with no results. Laser cutting puts ugly burn marks on the edges of the gears so I would prefer CNC cutting. Also the designer of the clock I want to build recommends CNC vs laser.

Could someone help me find a USA company, preferably in the Southeast, who would cut gears for me?

[William Adams]

No interest in doing it yourself? What sort of volume and turn-around and materials are you wanting / needing?

Had one gentleman on the Shapeoko forums who chose "Clockit" as his username and was so well known for making clock there that the author of the program "GrblGru" (which was also his username) created an eponymous clock designing application for him.

Here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6xvk6xeeka...lockit.7z?dl=0

[Jason Ost]

I just use my scroll saw. Sorry not much help.

[David Price]

No interest in doing it yourself? What sort of volume and turn-around and materials are you wanting / needing?

Had one gentleman on the Shapeoko forums who chose "Clockit" as his username and was so well known for making clock there that the author of the program "GrblGru" (which was also his username) created an eponymous clock designing application for him.

Here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6xvk6xeeka...lockit.7z?dl=0

Since this is my first wooden gear clock I would prefer to eliminate the biggest source of error, which is mis-cut gears/teeth. Volume would be one clock's set of gears. Turn-around would depend on the time the company/person has available.

Material would be high-quality Baltic Birch plywood. I actually have enough for the clock I would like to build:
http://lisaboyer.com/Claytonsite/Genesispage1.htm

DXF files are available there.

[Jason Ost]

Good luck with the clock, I've made several, and half the fun is figuring out why it doesn't run perfectly when you think you made all the parts perfectly.

[Cary Falk]

It's too bad you are looking now. I am looking to get a CNC in about 5 months and would have been happy to cut them out for you.

[Jerome Stanek]

I have cut gears for another members clock what thickness and large would they be.

[William Adams]

If you don't have Jerome or someone else cut them, I'd be glad to do this for you --- just send me a PM.

[David Price]

Jerome,

From a quick look at the plans the gears seem to be all 3/8 inches. There are four large gears and several small gears. The largest gears are about 12 inches in diameter. I would buy the DXF files so the dimensions are exact.

[Jerome Stanek]

What clock is it

[David Price]

What clock is it

Genesis clock by Clayton Boyer:

http://lisaboyer.com/Claytonsite/Genesispage1.htm

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I thought Clayton Boyer gave free CNC downloads with plans purchase. You could take the file to a CNC owner and they could easily do it. Write and ask him.

[William Adams]

AIUI, there are two options:

- paper plans by mail (for folks using scroll saws)
- e-mailed DXFs

One possible issue here is the copyright / licensing for the plan files --- does it allow them to be transferred to a 3rd party for cutting?

[David Price]

AIUI, there are two options:

- paper plans by mail (for folks using scroll saws)
- e-mailed DXFs

One possible issue here is the copyright / licensing for the plan files --- does it allow them to be transferred to a 3rd party for cutting?

I thought Clayton Boyer gave free CNC downloads with plans purchase. You could take the file to a CNC owner and they could easily do it. Write and ask him.

I emailed him and asked about having someone else cut the gears using CNC. With tomorrow being New Years Day I expect to not hear back from him for a few days. I'll let you all know what he says.

[David Price]

Wow, Mr. Boyer replied on New Years Eve.

He said that he sometimes uses CNC to "build prototype clocks with it, but all of my finished clocks are created at the scrollsaw. I prefer the scrollsaw because it makes such beautiful cuts compared to my cnc."

He's obviously much better at using a scrollsaw than I am...

He also said that "I know I may be talking myself out of a sale, but I just wanted to give you that information before agreeing that you can have a fellow woodworkers with a cnc cut the gears for you."

Actually he isn't talking himself out of a sale. The plans I have come from a book, and I will buy his printed plans just to get the dxf files with them. His FAQ says that if a purchaser buys plans and asks for the dxf files he will email them.

Again, for my first clock I would prefer CNC-cut gears just to eliminate a big source of error. For clocks beyond the first one I would use a scrollsaw (or bandsaw) as he recommends. to see if I can master that skill. I have liver disease which makes my hands unsteady and so need to eliminate major sources of error on my first attempt to keep from getting so frustrated I quit.