There are a wide variety of objects that use mechanical gears for movement including analog wall clocks. Despite technological advancements, mechanical woodworking is steadily popping out as a rewarding hobby for DIY enthusiasts. What may seem simple at first glance often comes out as highly complex, as evident in this cool project by YouTuber Müjin. The Detroit-based creator has taken the challenge of building a fully functional wooden mechanical clock from scratch, complete with gears.
When there are plenty of clock options available on the market, making a mechanical novelty clock may not seem like a practical idea but the real appeal lies in the tactile experience of the gears working together to drive the entire system. Once you observe it in motion, there is no going back as one gets completely petrified by the ASMR movement going on.
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The project includes not only crafting the gears using CNC machine but also the entire movement system. You’ll be more intrigued after knowing that the DIY clock replicates a seven-segment digital display to show digits. Unlike electronic LEDs in a digital clock, this one operates using a complex system of gears, cams, and segments made of plywood.
The clock uses four stepper motors to display each digit composed of seven physical segments that are individually controlled by a multi-lobed cam. As the cam rotates, it pushes against a spring-loaded cam follower, causing the segment to flip up into view or drop back down, allowing the clock to display numbers. The movement of these cams is precisely timed to the current hour and minute.
This DIY wooden mechanical clock is built to function without any electronics, relying entirely on mechanical gears and cams to keep time. The wooden movement system provides a kind of physical feedback that connects the user to the clock while sound makes the experience even more immersive.
Via: Hackster
