Hi Steve,
First, I’d like to thank you for these designs. I have been interested in clocks since I inherited a grandfather clock in middle school from my grandma and enjoyed tinkering with it to get it running again. I was thrilled to stumble upon your designs a few years ago.
Originally about a year and a half ago, I attempted to build your SP4 Large Easy Build Wall Clock. I got it setup and running for a few weeks until one day it slowed and stopped. After that point, I ran through your common troubleshooting steps to no avail. It hung on the wall untouched and not running until a few weeks ago when I decided to give it another crack. I decided maybe my bearings had seized up after running and upon pulling it apart it seems I was at least partially correct. I tried to get the bearings back up to working order but decided they were a lost cause. I also decided at this point that I wanted to print a new clock as I had seen your redesigned B models.
So, I recently printed your SP5B 32 Day Easy Build Wall clock in the 15 day runtime gearing option, thinking that with the smaller geared clock than the prior attempt and your new gear design I would have it running easily. Unfortunately, I hung it yesterday and I haven’t been able to get it to run for more than 2 minutes at a time. I have a little over 5 pounds in my weight shell. I used all the bearing options, no bushings. I threw out my old bearings and got new ones that I cleaned out fully to the point where I could spin them in my hand for a few seconds. I tested the pendulum swing before fully assembling and I had it swinging for about 10-12 minutes before fully degrading. All gears were drilled out and spin freely on their arbors, as well as arbors spin in the frame. All gears appear to have end shake as well. Given all this I am surprised I can’t get it running for even a few hours at least. I am currently testing the weight in free fall, and I have stopped the escapement and it has started up again no problem and quickly. I am also testing the pendulum free swinging while the weight is free falling, and now the pendulum stops before 2 minutes have passed, although nothing has changed from yesterday when I first tested, built, and hung it to today. I have very little guesses as to what to try next. The only thing I can think now is possibly a frame sag issue pinching something when the weight is on the clock, but I don’t know how to address that.
Sorry for the long-winded message, but I’m hoping you can give me some direction as I love your designs, and I would love to get them working!
Thank you,
Chris