Author Topic: Strutt Epicyclic Train Clock (maybe?)  (Read 39736 times)

Online Kim

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Re: Strutt Epicyclic Train Clock (maybe?)
« Reply #195 on: April 07, 2026, 11:43:26 PM »
Those look great, Kvom!   :ThumbsUp: :popcorn:

Kim

Offline kvom

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Re: Strutt Epicyclic Train Clock (maybe?)
« Reply #196 on: April 08, 2026, 07:56:49 PM »
Plates have issues based on my failing to read the book carefully.  The front plate's arbor hole needs to be 1/2" in diameter while the rear hole is supposed to be only .080".  As it is the diameters cut would be 3/16" after reaming.  Smith had the front at 3/16 in order to use a shop made punch to mark the rear plate.    :hammerbash:

While I do have sufficient material to have the rear plate remade, my plan to to ream the rear hole .186" and press in a piece of 3/16" brass rod that's pre-drilled.  Enlarging the front hole will be done by using successively larger reamers.

Offline kvom

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Re: Strutt Epicyclic Train Clock (maybe?)
« Reply #197 on: April 09, 2026, 08:20:05 PM »
As stated in tbe previous post, the rear plate was reamed .186" and a length of 3/16" brass rod was pressed in with my arbor press.

Then the front plate's center hole was enlarged with reamers each 1/32" larger than the previous.  Final diameter was .501.


Offline kvom

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Re: Strutt Epicyclic Train Clock (maybe?)
« Reply #198 on: April 10, 2026, 08:20:07 PM »
I made 6 small, easy parts that took surprisingly long to complete.  The ring wheel pillars are just 3/16" brass rod, .300" long, and with a 0-80 through clearance hole.  They do need to be the same length fairly precisely with no burrs.

These pillars attach the 6-legged ring spider to the ring wheel with 0-80 steel panhead screws.  The ring wheel is tapped.  I ordered a package of 25 1/2" screws from Amazon for $5.  Total length needed is .488" given the thickness of the spider and wheel.

The centers of the spider and wheel must be concentric; with no center point of the wheel to check, the assembly can be verified only when complete.  I'm holding off on machining the spider as I have several alternate ways to consider.  I'll be away from home most of May, so that part will be put off until I return.

I clarified something mentally that had been bugging me.  The great wheel has has 120 teeth and its pinion has 10, so one turn of the wheel and fusee turns the pinion 12 times, and with it the center arbor.  The minute hand is attached to the end of the arbor.  It just dawned on me that the fusee has two grooves per day, so the wheel turns two times per day, not 1.   :facepalm:
« Last Edit: April 10, 2026, 08:28:25 PM by kvom »

Offline crueby

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Re: Strutt Epicyclic Train Clock (maybe?)
« Reply #199 on: April 10, 2026, 09:13:04 PM »
I'm following along, good progress!   :popcorn: :popcorn:

Online Kim

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Re: Strutt Epicyclic Train Clock (maybe?)
« Reply #200 on: April 10, 2026, 11:11:18 PM »
The centers of the spider and wheel must be concentric; with no center point of the wheel to check, the assembly can be verified only when complete.  I'm holding off on machining the spider as I have several alternate ways to consider.
That does seem like quite the challenge! Looking forward to seeing how you do this.

I clarified something mentally that had been bugging me.  The great wheel has has 120 teeth and its pinion has 10, so one turn of the wheel and fusee turns the pinion 12 times, and with it the center arbor.  The minute hand is attached to the end of the arbor.  It just dawned on me that the fusee has two grooves per day, so the wheel turns two times per day, not 1.   :facepalm:
The fusee on the clock I'm making is the same - 1 turn is 12 hours.  I wonder if that is a standard of some kind?  Or just an accident of our two builds.

Kim

Offline kvom

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Re: Strutt Epicyclic Train Clock (maybe?)
« Reply #201 on: April 11, 2026, 07:50:42 PM »
Some more smaller "housekeeping" parts.

The dial is attached to the front plate with 4 pillars made of 3/16" brass rod.  The holes in the dial are tapped, and those in the plate are clearance.  The pillars are tapped 0-80 on both ends, and for the dial side will have threaded brass rod loctited into the end.  The length of the threads is to be such that the end will be flush with the dial.  I have temporarily inserted 1/2" screws into the dial end, and will cut off the extra once the dial is made.

The great wheel has three holes that needed to be tapped.  The smaller ones are 0-89, and will fasten the clickspring.  The larger is 6-32 and holds the click stud around which the click can rotate. 

The click stud was made from 1/8" diameter drill rod threaded on one end 6-32. 


Offline kvom

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Re: Strutt Epicyclic Train Clock (maybe?)
« Reply #202 on: April 15, 2026, 09:10:15 PM »
Test of shop-made depthing tool with great wheel and center pinion.

Since the mounts have 1/8" through holes, wheels or pinions with different diameters will need an adapter.  In the case of the great wheel, the ccenter hole is 5/16", so I turned a length of brass rod and drilled/reamed it.

The great wheel needed to raised to center on thge pinion.  I used some washers, but I think a wider support would be necessary when it comes time to measure for real.  In addition, the adjustment screw is pushing against the threads of the clamp, so I think it will ne better to machine away that portion of the threads.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CJfYtHtC6O0

I wanted to imbed the video but the [youtube] gadget didbn't seem to work.
« Last Edit: April 15, 2026, 09:18:04 PM by kvom »

Offline crueby

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Re: Strutt Epicyclic Train Clock (maybe?)
« Reply #203 on: April 15, 2026, 09:37:45 PM »
Coming along nicely! 
As for youtube videos, I usually just past in the youtube address to them, and have noticed that for 'shorts' videos it just puts in the link, think its something about how youtube hosts it.

Online Kim

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Re: Strutt Epicyclic Train Clock (maybe?)
« Reply #204 on: Today at 04:18:33 AM »
Nice job on the depthing tool!  It's fun to use it for the first time, isn't it?  :ThumbsUp: :popcorn:

On the YouTube video, as Chris said, it's a 'short'.  You can see that by the URL they give you for it.  It says "short" in it.  And you can't embed shorts, for unknown reasons.  But you just can't.

I have found no way to get YouTube to change the 'short' designation of any video it has decided is a short.  Apparently, any video that isn't very long and is recorded in portrait mode is automatically designated a short.  No way out.

The way I have found to get around getting the 'short' designation is to record my videos in landscape mode.  For some reason, YouTube doesn't make any landscape video a 'short'.  Also, if I record a video on a non-phone or tablet device (like my Nikon camera that is capable of recording videos, or a Camcorder) those videos don't get designated as shorts either.

I've heard that if you make your videos long enough, they won't automatically be designated a short.  I used to think that limit was one minute.  But I've had videos longer than a minute be regated to 'short' status.  Besides, I like to keep my videos short anyway (just not a YouTube short  ::) ).

So, the moral of the story: record videos on your phone in landscape mode if you want to keep them from being shorts.  YMMV.

Kim

Offline kvom

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Re: Strutt Epicyclic Train Clock (maybe?)
« Reply #205 on: Today at 11:40:15 AM »
Thanks for the hint.   Future ones will be in landscape.

 

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