Progress on Dome Clock Stand

[JamesHuntsville]

Assembly time again. I still have some pieces of top rail to cut out and then I can attache all the rail and apply the finish of 50/50 BLO and Deft Lacquer. This project has been more trouble than the clock was. The patterns were very poor quality and none of the dimensions matched. Had to do a lot of remarking and measuring on the patterns. The wood preparation was a chore also. This is 100% cherry from North Carolina and I had to mill all of it from 5/4 rough sawmill stock. There was a lot of resawing, planing and sanding to get the boards ready for cutting on the scroll saw. Had a lot of warpage in wood but plenty clamps corrected that problem so glue up is as close to square as I can get it. The base is 3/4" thich. panels 3/8" thick, and the top floor 1/4" thick. I will post a picture when complete with and without the clock on it. This stand is 29" long, 15 1/4" deep and 11" high. Hope you enjoy pictures.

James (Huntsville, TX.)

[jttheclockman]

James

Must say the effort is paying off. It looks great. Noticed the good job with the door hinges. I am guessing you have the dome clock made from cherry also. Like to see when completed. What chime did you go with in the clock? Did you put a light kit in the clock and will you put one in the base as well?? What size and type blades did you use to cut it?? Thanks for showing.

5/4 cherry now that is some nice stuff. Just a little tidbit about cherry. It needs to acclimate to a room temperature and when planed it is one of those woods that you must plane both sides and sand both sides evenly. All woods need to do this but cherry more so. What I like to do is resaw to close to right thickness and plane just a bit more than what I need and then leave it stickered on a bench overnight and then run through my surface sander to the correct dimentions. If I am not going to use it I will sticker it until ready for use. But boy is some nice wood to work with.

[JamesHuntsville]

Dome Clock Stand

John T.

Here is a picture of the clock I am making the stand for. It is made from the same cherry from the same saw mill. I usually purchase around 300 to 400 BF of rough lumber from a local mill outside Hendersonville, NC every year or two when we go visit my wife's mother in Asheville. The cherry has been in my garage for about a year now. I used a FDSR-No. 3 blade to cut the stand out. I spent many hours running this cherry through my 16/32 Performax drum sander. I use a 1" micrometer to get the thickness within .002 t0 .005 of the required thickness. Most people wouldn't go to that much trouble, but I have worked with precision tools over 30 years and I am just that way. I have several thousands dollars of precision tools and this is the only use I have for them anymore.I hope the stand will turn as rich looking as the clock did. The older the clock gets the darker the cherry becomes. It really looks nice in the deep redish color. Thanks for looking. Have a good day. No I didn't make the woman. I turned the mesquite goblet though.

James (Huntsville, TX.)

[jttheclockman]

James

The women looks great and ehh the clock doesn't look bad either. Just kidding, great job on th clock. Yes cherry get richer and richer with age. Now if only I can only figure out a way for me to do that also. Ha HA I can relate to the percision thing. I am a stickler when it comes to that stuff also. I am also very fussy about my cuts and that is why I never will be a speed cutter. I too have that same drum sander and it is a workhorse in my shop. Could not do without it. I resaw a lot of material also. The turning thing that is something I am going to get into this winter. I am buying a jet mini lathe to start. Just do not have the room for a large one. As it is this one is going to have to share a bench.

Keep up the fine work and will be looking for the completed project.