Show and Tell

Public·46 members

SP13 first run - working well!

I've followed Steve's Clocks for a few years and downloaded (and paid for) a couple of his designs but this is the first one I've actually had time to build. Loving it - such a beautifully designed clock.

Right now I'm just testing the weight (2.7kg and running well) and as I have a some lead ingots but no lead shot, I need to design a new weight shell for my purposes.

Couple of comments - Steve's instructions use 3mm stainless bar, and 1.5mm music (piano) wire for the arbours. From my engineering understanding, brass is a better option as it's self-lubricating. I found both 1.5mm and 3mm brass rod for cheap on Amazon in the UK (search for Sourcing Map Brass Rod).

I also found some low cost low friction bearings on Amazon which I'm using successfully without flushing first (my pendulum has a free swing time of 9…

70 Views

Steve

May 16

Looks good. This is an easy clock to get running.

I specify music wire for the 1.5mm rods because it is always hardened. The brass you linked is listed as high hardness, which should be good. Brass can also be listed as soft, half hard, ultra machinable, or unspecified. Some of these might be too soft for the smaller diameter arbors.

I saw a guy on YouTube melting lead ingot using a pot with a small hole drilled in it. He held the pot over a tray of water to cool the lead as it dripped out. Of course, do this outdoors and use other safety measures when working with lead.

steve.fensome

9 days ago

My Sp16 Running great!

24 Views

Steve

May 16

Looks great. This is the first posted picture of the clock that I know of.

Gianpietro Vairo

March 4, 2026

SP15 - Medium Moon Phase Clock

I've printed most of Steve's clocks, but I think the SP15 is the most beautiful!

It's not as huge as the SP14, which I also built, but it looks great in my studio.

I've attached a video of it running perfectly: I built it 8 months ago and it's never stopped!

Very precise, max a couple of minutes a week.

One small detail: it runs with just 2.5 kg on the pulley!!!

182 Views

steve.fensome

Mar 04

Looks really good !

mkeveney

February 4, 2026

My SP13

Just completed my SP13 a few days ago.

One minor hiccup was that the heads of the #6 screws on the ratchet were running into the spokes of the ratchet wheel. I solved the problem by boring the countersunk holes on the clicks a bit deeper, just by manually applying an 8mm drill bit. Otherwise it went together without issues. Nice design! I did very little additional prep before hanging it up and testing. It ran OK for a few days with a 4lb 6oz temporary weight (no pulley). Then it stopped and refused to restart. So, now on to the tuning. The bearings I had on hand all had metal seals. I soaked them in a little cup of "Goo Gone" to try de-greasing, which seemed to mostly work... but I'm getting new bearings tomorrow with rubber seals, so I can do it by the book. Got some graphite lub…

135 Views

Steve

Feb 04

That is the first time hearing anything about the click screws rubbing. Flat head screws should sit nearly flush and have enough clearance. You have a solution that also works.

The pendulum support bearings are easy to check by running the free swing test. Anything greater than 10 minutes should be OK.

The escapement characteristics after the clock stops can tell you a lot about what to debug next. Does the escapement still spin? If not, then look for defects on the gear teeth where they are meshing. Also check for end shake on all the arbors. If the escapement is sluggish, then look for friction. Make sure every gear spins freely on its arbor.

You need to hold the clock level when running without the pulley. It is a simple way to double the effective weight, but the balance is off so the frame wants to tilt and the clock will be out of beat unless the clock is held vertical.

Your clock should be very close to running perfectly.

See All Members (46)