This post is from a suggested group
Clock Design Guidelines (pdf)
Steve has released the book we've all been waiting for on Minifactory: we immediately purchased it!
Now it's time to study.
23 Views
top of page
Groups Feed
View groups and posts below.
This post is from a suggested group
SP15
Just finished SP15 and it works great! Thank you for a highly thought out and engineered design.
49 Views
Phil Smailes
4 days ago
Congratulations! If you’re as happy as I am, you’ll be delighted.
Mine has settled down now, I had trouble when I first assembled it. Stripped it down, rechecked all bore diameters & cogs for elephant foot etc, reassembled . I’ve been away 6 days, just got home to find clock gained just over a minute!
Should have done it right first time, or read Steve’s instructions fully!
This post is from a suggested group
SP10 clock runs a little over an hour slow per day.
The clock runs slow. I changed the jumpers from 0010 to 0001 as per the chart in the instructions. Now I can use the clock as a fan it is going so fast ok, sleight exaggeration, but not much. Although I do like how fast the gears are turning, but I would like to know how to adjust it for the proper time. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you
27 Views
Steve
Nov 18
Does the second hand move at the proper rate? If the clock is losing an hour per day. then the second hand would only move 57 seconds per minute. That much of a discrepancy should be detectable with a stopwatch. If the second hand is accurate, but the clock still loses time, then maybe the friction clutch is slipping. This would indicate not enough pressure in the spring or friction in the minute and/or hour hand gears.
Also, is there a blinking LED on the board? One LED is always on indicating power. The second LED should blink if the RTC is tracking properly. A non-blinking LED indicates a non-detected RTC and the rate will be off.
One additional error occurred on my mom's clock caused by a bad 5V USB power source. 5V power would drop out every minute or two and the clock would briefly stop and have to start up again. This error was noticeable by the non-smooth motion on the second hand. The clock would also make a ticking sound when the stepper motors power up again.
This post is from a suggested group
Added 6 V to SP7 as suggested...no joy!!
Help. As suggested in other post regarding the pendulum not swinging far enough, I added a 6V power plug and still have the same issue. The pendulum swing is close but just not far enough. Can anyone suggest a fix for this?
115 Views
hoppy
Nov 05
I am sure you know that the magnet must be as close to the coil as possible and I used a rare earth magnet (neodymium) because they are much more powerful than
the iron type. The new magnet would increase the swing. I can't remember if your present magnet must be installed with a polarity or not but it may be worth while to reverse the magnet and give it a try. It also may be that the pendulum may be too heavy not allowing the magnetic pulse to push it far enough. One other thing I noticed is the ratchet wheel is allowed to move backward with the paw. This would also require more swing from the pendulum .
Edited
This post is from a suggested group
Just built electromagnetic clock. Can't get the ratchet to work right.
I have tied several pawls and clips trying to get this clock to ratchet correctly. I got it to the point where the pendulum swings twice before advancing the ratchet gear. It seems that the pendulum is not swinging far enough. What is happening is when I put the pawl and clip at the top most hole the pendulum swing a wide arc. As I move the pawl and clip down the pendulum arc becomes less and less resulting in the same pendulum swinging twice before advancing the gear. I don't understand why the pendulum arc is less the further down the holes I go. Doesn't make sense to me.
91 Views
This post is from a suggested group
SP5B Troubleshooting
This is a forum post by csn030696 made just before Wix shut off the forum. I copied it here to "Groups" since it may be relevant to other builders.
Steve
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…
132 Views
Steve
Oct 16
Hi Chris,
It seems like there are two issues here. SP4 received the same upgrade as SP5 to improve reliably considerably. You can download the updated SP4B design as long as you can still log into MyMiniFactory using the same account used to purchase SP4. Unfortunately, I believe it is mostly a complete rebuild. The new gears have to be completely replaced. The new gears and winding key require a new frame. So the entire clock needs to be reprinted. The weight shell and pendulum might be the only re-used parts.
Getting SP4 running again often requires finding what may have changed regarding friction. Sometimes the bearings need to be cleaned. Also check for end shake on the central arbor and escapement arbor. A very tiny bit of side thrust can stall the escapement. It may help to add grease to the pinion teeth. Only a tiny bit is needed and it will work its way through the main gear teeth. PLA seems to be resistant to most greases and solvents. The only other advice is to do the debug checklist that you have already completed. Double check that all gears spin on their arbors and all arbors spin in the frame. This is especially true for the gear 3 arbor since gear 3 is attached to the arbor (or at least it is in the SP4B implementation).
Since you also have the new SP5B, maybe it would be best to focus on debugging that clock. If the pendulum swings for 10-12 minutes, why does the clock stop running in less than 2 minutes? Is the escapement rotating freely? Or is it getting in the way of the pallet and slowing down the pendulum? Move the pendulum back and forth manually. The escapement should start spinning immediately when the pallet clears the escapement teeth. Any lag in the escapement starting to spin will prevent energy from being transferred to the pendulum. Check for end shake on the central arbor, the gear 3 arbor, and the escapement between gear 3 and the shaft collar.
The easy build clocks do not suffer from frame sag like the other vertical oriented clocks. You probably don't need to worry about it as long as the frame was printed with 3-4 walls for strength.
Steve
This post is from a suggested group
CAD
Hi Steve,
Firstly wonderful website and designs, I bought a 3d printer just so I can start printing some of these clocks. I have always loved clocks and mechanical devices and this seems like a really cool way to get into it.
I found the video you did on the gear optimization fascinating I am ok in programming and looked at SCAD and BOSL2 for designing gears and might go down that tangent but I wondered what you used for CAD, you mentioned gearotic but I did not catch the CAD program you used.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge :)
Herbert
99 Views
Herbert Kelly
Oct 14
I read lower down that you use Turbocad man did that bring back memories and make me feel old. I have not used turbocad in decades. I am South African so have some memories of being proud that it was developed there haha. I will probably invest time in the new kid on the block then Fusion 360 :P
This post is from a suggested group
The Fascinating World of Atomic Clocks: Precision Timekeeping at Its Finest
Introduction to Atomic Clocks: The Ultimate Timekeeping Devices
Atomic clocks are the most precise timekeeping devices in existence, relying on the consistent vibrations of atoms to measure time. Unlike traditional clocks that depend on mechanical parts or quartz crystals, atomic clocks use the resonance frequencies of specific atoms, such as cesium or rubidium, to define a second with extraordinary accuracy. These clocks are essential for various applications, including GPS navigation, global communication networks, and scientific research. Their ability to maintain time with minimal drift is crucial for synchronizing systems worldwide. Since their invention in the mid-20th century, atomic clocks have revolutionized how we measure and perceive time, enabling advancements in technology and science that require unparalleled precision.
How Atomic Clocks Work: The Science Behind Precision
Atomic clocks operate based on the principle that atoms oscillate at incredibly stable frequencies. Cesium-133 atoms, for example, oscillate approximately 9,192,631,770 times per second, defining…
136 Views
This post is from a suggested group
SP5B pendulum arbor
I came across an old video of yours (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbh_vp3qcRU) when I doing some experiments on friction with various arbor sizes. You say that smaller arbors have smaller friction. I was wondering why you went with a 3mm arbor for the pendulum in SP5, as it is the place where friction (or energy loss) matters the most. Wouldn't 1.5mm have given lower energy loss and hence allowed a lower driving weight.
(Long and probably tedious details follow.)
My experiments consisted of setting up a standalone pendulum and timing how long its swing took to decay over a specific range. I did this with 1.5, 2 and 3mm arbors, and I also compared cases where the arbor was held tightly in the pendulum head and where it was loose. It was always loose in the frame. I also tried bearings versus a smooth and deburred hole of a size a little larger…
115 Views
Mark Holcomb
Nov 02
great discussion. I reprinted you latest clock SP5b and had immediate success with run times into the weeks. .. then it would stop and restart once a day. I think i is friction in the center gear 4 and 6 clearance issue ...reduced clearance in the assembly (compressed everything ) and now it is working .. amazing engineering !
Edited
bottom of page
Weirdly it does I can't download the PDF just gives a blank page might just be timing ill check again later. Excited to read this.