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Kirt's Lorraine Grandmother Clock Projects

I am in the process of building a Lorraine grandmother clock from plans and mechanics purchased from Klockit. For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to build a floor model clock, and this one will fit well in our rather small (940 sq.ft.) house. The wood chosen is hickory both because it has beautiful grain and color variation, and because then I can say that I have built a "Hickory Dickory Clock!"

The hickory was bought from Summit Hardwoods, just a few miles south of Erie, PA. Thus far I have cut out most of the rectangular blanks. I'm in the process of squaring everything and exacting the dimensions, then the detailed shaping, drilling, routing, sanding, etc., will begin.

Although I enjoy the building and finishing process, I can't wait to hear the tick-tock of the weight-driven clockworks, and the hourly chimes. My obsession with the passage of time is pacified for the time being with a refinished antique wall regulator, but this will be my piece pièce de résistance.

Update November 12, 2010

Well, I thought all the blanks had been cut, but after reading through all the plans pages, I found about 20 more pieces that were not shown on the main cut-out drawings. Most were pieces that had at least one dimension less than the stock 3/4", so it required running the wood across the jointer to trim it down to 1/2" or 1/4" as specified. I just bought a Craftsman 4-1/4" jointer, and man do I ever appreciate that machine! The last time I used one was in high school woodshop back in the mid 1970s.

Now that all the blank slabs have been cut and sanded to precise size, the next step is to begin doing all the mitering, jointing, routing, and assembling. I also bought a Craftsman router and router table to make the job easier. The table saw or radial arm saw could be used, but the router table setup will be much more precise when handling the relatively small pieces in the clock. Building a cabinet or bed frame would be a more appropriate size for using the saws.

Well, Melanie and I just signed a contract on a different house here in Erie, and we're due to close on it at the end of November, so unfortunately that means packing up everything and moving before getting back underway.

The house has 1,500 sq.ft. as opposed to our current 910 finished sq.ft. (plus full unfinished basement - see photos here). The new house is a split foyer type, so the workshop will be downstairs on the garage level It is about 25 years old, but in very good condition. One of the best features is that it is one of the very few panoramic views of Lake Erie, from a vantage point high on a ridge line. The only thing better would be to live right on the shore, which, of course, I cannot afford. I will post pictures later.

Whereas the workshop here is just kind of thrown together, in the new place I will build wooden work benches and tool stands permanently into the lower level, and there will be ample overhead lighting along with a distributed dust collection system - nothing too elaborate; just enough to keep from having to move the shop vac around all the time.

So please check back around the end of December 2010 for an update. Have a Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas!


Here are some of my other woodworking projects from over the years.