| 1) The first step in building this
Mission Style Clock is to cut the sides. The sides should be 3/4"x23/4"x31". 2) Next cut the top and middle to 3/4"x23/4"x11".
3) Third cut the bottom to 3/4"x31/8"x15". Now is a good time to bevel the sides of the
bottom piece. Remember that you want to bevel the front, left,
and right sides of the bottom piece (but not the back). The beveling can
be done with a number of different tools. Among the possibilities are:
- Router with a chamfer bit - This is how we beveled our clock.
- table saw - Set the blade to 45 degrees and trim the edges
- Plane - There are numerous planes designed to cut a chamfer on the edge of a board.
4) The next step is to biscuit join the parts of the clock's frame we
cut in step 1. This will make it easier to test fit and shape the rest of the parts
later.
A) Biscuit join the top in-between the side pieces at one end.
B) Biscuit join the middle 11" inches down from the top (inside of
top to inside of middle). This is the area where the 10 7/8"
face will fit.
C) Biscuit join the bottom to the end on the side.
D) Insert biscuits and lightly clamp to hold the frame together. DO
NOT GLUE!
5) Now we are going to cut a 1/4" groove around the inside of the
bottom chamber (where the pendulum swings) for the plywood. To accomplish this we will put
a 1/4" blotting bit in the router and cut a slot around the inside
of the bottom chamber.
This can be a tricky cut so be careful. The router might try to catch and kick as you
rout the inside of the corners. The cut should be inset about 1/4" from the edge of
the back of the frame. Before starting the cut make sure the frame is square, level, and
that the clamps will not interfere with the router's movement.
Another problem you will encounter is that the edge you are running the router along is
only 3/4" wide. This can make it difficult to keep the router from tipping and
gouging the wood. To solve this you could mount the router in a router table or on a board
that will span the clock's width. |
