Two Hundred years ago in the early 1800s some American clock makers were crafting shelf and mantel clocks with movements made entirely from hardwoods. Gear wheels were carefully shaped from cherry or other hardwoods and assembled with great care so as to ensure smooth running. Many wooden works clocks have survived for two centuries and are now costly antiques. They command prices in the thousands of dollars when they are available. Many collectors who would like to have such a clock can’t afford the high price tag naturally. However modern reproductions of these fine old clocks are available usually as kits or plans.
Even earlier in the 1700s, tall case grandfather clocks with wooden works were being made by many clockmakers. The tall case left room for the weights which drive the clock to fall further so that the clock would run longer before needing to have the weights raised to the top again.
Building a wooden gear clock takes time and care in the workmanship but it is not really difficult to produce a good working clock. The average home crafter with some wood working skills can do it with simple hand tools just as the early clock makers did. The clock will be a family heirloom which will be passed proudly down through the generations.
The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago has on display a rare and beautiful wooden gear shelf clock which was made in the early 1800s. After two centuries this fine clock is still in running order. It has been carefully measured and detailed drawings made. These plans with complete building instructions are available for purchase. They show complete details of all the working parts and how they fit together. The case of the clock is also presented in detailed drawings showing every part as it is in the original antique clock.
Building wooden gear clocks is a great hobby for the craftsman, and anyone can be a craftsman; it only takes careful work. This is not the type of project which can be completed in a few evenings. Rather it is a project for the person who takes great pride in the quality of their work and will spend whatever time is necessary to do a perfect job. The individual parts of such a clock are of very simple design and quite easy to make. To run smoothly each part must be finished properly so that the clock will keep good time.
To summarize, building a wooden gear clock is perfectly within the ability of almost anyone. It is hard to tell a well made copy of an antique clock from a genuine antique at a quick look. Close inspection by an expert will, of course, show the new wood and materials used to build it establishing its origin beyond doubt. But for the craftsman who made it and for all who see and admire it the clock is a thing of beauty which will tick tock proudly in the home for a lifetime and probably many years after that while keeping good time.
Clocks
There are many different types of clocks that can be found in the world today. Each of them has the ability to show what time it truly is, and keep that time so that a person might know it whenever they choose. However, not all clocks are the same. There are several different types of clocks that are important to understand.
Grandfather Clocks
Grandfather clocks are the largest types of clocks that might be seen in a person’s home. These are large, free standing clocks, and are used to keep time. Most of the time, it is possible to see the clock keeping time through the glass door in the front. Most of the time, Grandfather clocks are much taller than the average person. They display the time on the top of the clock, and often have a deep-sounded noise to accompany the changing of the hour.
Mantel Clocks
Mantel clocks have been around for many years. They are decorative clocks that traditionally sat on the mantel pieces in a person’s home. They are clocks that are decorative but are also useful, as they keep time. Many times mantel clocks are quite distinguished looking and beautiful.
Cuckoo Clocks
Cuckoo Clocks come from Europe, and they are clocks that mark the passing of the hour with a bird or another animal that pops out of a door at the top of the clock. These clocks where once seen as novelties, but are very useful as they do keep excellent time. They are also usually found to be highly cultural items, as cultures all over the world have different versions of their own cuckoo clocks. These clocks are smaller than both mantel clocks and grandfather clocks, and are usually hung on a wall. They have tassels which hang down to mark the time as the time passes.
Alarm Clocks
Alarm clocks are most traditionally seen in a person’s bedroom, but can be seen in any area of the house or workplace. They are clocks that have an alarm function. A person can set the time of the alarm on the clock, and when the clock reaches that time an alarm will sound. These clocks are most often used for waking people up in the morning. They can be wind up alarm clocks, battery operated alarm clocks, or plug-in alarm clocks. Newer versions also have clock radios that can be set as well.
The same antique clocks may be called various names by different experts depending on what region of the world they live in, which can get really confusing. For example, what the British call a “bracket clock” is actually identical to what American dealers call “shelf clocks” or “mantle clocks.”
The family of antique clocks can be looked as a collection of specific groups of clocks. You can break it down into several groups, or families. Take beehive clocks, which can either be gothic beehives or ripple beehives. Conversely, the term “drop trunk” clock is actually an umbrella term that comprises schoolhouse clocks, act of parliament clocks, wall regulators, tavern clocks, short drop clocks, octagon clocks, and so on.
Advertising clocks is the collective term for clocks used for promotional purposes that display advertising somewhere on the clock dial or case. The clock might also be used as part of the advertising, as when a clock is incorporated into a larger sign. Most commonly found as wall clocks or shelf clocks; more rarely as Long-case or ‘Grandfather’ clocks. These are great antique wall clocks.
Human beings are fascinated by time, and the passage of time. It is that deep interest that has led to seemingly mundane inventions such as the alarm clock. People’s need to measure time and use time have led to technological advances over 6 millenia.
Invented in the latter part of the thirteenth century, most likely by monks living in central Europe, the earliest mechanical clocks had no pendulums and were situated inside churches. They sounded bells hourly but did not have dials or hands.
In order to make better use of the church bell already in place, these mechanized devices were installed in the church belfry. One hundred years later, dials and hands were added. The clocks from this era were huge, and made from very heavy metal materials forged by local metal smiths. Smaller clocks suitable for homes began appearing around the fifteenth century. Today, these antique clocks are very valuable in the antiques market.