HARDWOOD CLOCKS

    

The M2: Mixed Woods This clock was constructed with various woods to determine machineability and durability of the woods as gears. The clock design was resolved in the creation of the M1 clock (above). That clock was sadly disassembled. M2 hardwoods include maple, swiss pear (the best wood for gears) birch, poplar, gumwood (poor man’s mahogany) teak, koa, walnut, holly, madrone and sycamore. The teak wood is from the former WWII battleship, USS WISCONSIN (BB 64).

M2 Details:This clock runs for two days on a single wind. The weight is 22 lbs. The escapement is dead beat type. The koa wood in the clock face was brought back from Hawaii in USS SHASTA (AE 33) when CDR Maxwell was that ship’s Executive Officer (XO).

The M3: ClassicThis is the first clock built from the ground up, including the table stand. It’s a one-of-a-kind clock constructed with African mahogany, bass, oak and holly. M3 runs for two days on a single wind. Each weight canister contains about 20 pounds of lead. This clock stood proudly in the Rochester Museum & Science Center (RMSC) for one year.

M3 Details:The gears in all of Maxwell’s hardwood clocks are pie construction, meaning they are made from wedges of cut wood glued into a pie form and then machined in the Maxwell-designed gear cutting jig. The ‘pie design’ of each gear enables radial wood grains through 360 degrees and creates strength in every gear tooth.

The M4: Timber Frame

M4 details: This clock was the culmination of a collaborative effort. Hand drawn designs volleyed for several weeks between Dan (owner) and Max (craftsman). The final design (center photo) was agreed upon. The weights were initially large stones that matched the owner’s fireplace. It was agreed that the stone weights needed an update, hence the turned canisters above (left). All Hardwood Clock gears are produced in GearTrude + using a custom router bit, also a Maxwell design.

The M5: ContemporaryThis clock was designed and built for a jeweler located in Valley Forge, PA. The owner’s only request when planning this clock was for a ‘contemporary design.’ The challenge in this clock was to ‘ebonize’ hardwoods as a suitable substitute for very rare and costly Gabon ebony. The table legs and the clock frame are poplar wood with a water base black stain and lacquer finish, hence the ‘ebonized’ woods. The pendulum is oak salvaged from General Eisenhower’s WWII HQs in London (North Audley Street) where I was stationed for three years (2000-2003). The gears are maple and assorted small parts (face, knobs, wheels, etc) are of ebony. The pendulum bob weight is a Swarovski crystal. The weights are 11 pounds each, which provides for a two day run on a single wind.

M5 Details:Here are a few details of gears, bob, weights and the clock face. The finish is hand rubbed tung oil followed by hard wax. This clock was featured in Fine Woodworking Magazine vol. #215 December 2010, p.76.

The M6: Timber Frame Table ClockThis clock was designed and built for a timber frame company located in Dandridge, TN. M6 was intended to sit on a boardroom table. To accomplish this, a shorter pendulum was required. The original gear train from previous clocks was maintained and the escape wheel was changed from 30 tooth to 60 tooth to allow a shorter pendulum length. The 14 pound weights are purposely suspended from the top of the clock to maximize fall distance. The woods are African Sapele and holly. Runtime is one day on a single wind. This clock has been upgraded to accommodate a longer pendulum and a 30 tooth escape wheel. The legs where lengthened to 48” to accommodate the longer pendulum.

M6 Details: This clock features the first use of homemade laminated gears. The original gears of 12 wedge pie construction shrank in the dryness of a Tennessee winter and cracked. The laminated replacement gears are now the standard design for clocks that ship outside of New York State. The lamination process adds a certain beauty to the gear woods in addition to the engineering solution for wood movement.

The M7: Brown SugarThis clock was jointly designed and built for a retired Xerox Executive in Rochester, NY. The clock’s name reflects the multiple brown hue woods used in its construction, including Peruvian walnut, American walnut, maple, Gabon ebony, holly, wenge and cherry. M7 features the first use of an integrated second hand, located just above the clock face. The 18 pound weight drives M7 for two days on a single wind.

M7 Details:Note that the large 60 tooth gears (far right photo) have thin maple detail inlays separating the individual wedges of Peruvian walnut. The clock face is comprised of figured walnut, wenge, ebony, figured maple and holly. The hour and minute hands are hand carved maple and wenge. The pendulum bob is multiple layers of thin cut hardwoods.

The M8: ‘912’ Tall Case ClockThis clock has a distinctly Americana flavor to it. Inspired by radio talk show host Glenn Beck, M8 features an icon of the ‘912 Tea Party’ movement -- George Washington kneeling in prayer at Valley Forge -- etched onto the pendulum bob. At the base of the clock is another important 912 icon, the divided snake representing the 9 Principals and 12 Values that inspired our founding fathers to stay the fight for freedom against British government tyranny. In the crown of the upper case is an inlayed compass rose with sunburst representing our Creator, the object of George Washington’s prayer request to preserve the cause of freedom under the banner of The United States of America. This clock is made with common American hardwoods , cherry and walnut. The twin 6 pound weights drive M8 for 1-1/2 days on a single wind.

M8 Details:The pendulum bob is laser etched with a praying George Washington. This image was adapted from a bronze relief located at the Federal Hall in New York City where George Washington made his inaugural speech. The image is etched onto holly wood and mounted in figured walnut. The clock face of M8 features hand carved hour and minute hands of cherry on wenge hardwoods. The wire rope that supports the brass cylinder weights is 30 feet in length and allows for 36 hours of runtime on a single wind.

M8 Details:From left to right: The source image of George Washington praying at Valley Forge; the “UNITE, or DIE.” panel, hallmark of the Tea Party movement to preserve U.S. Constitutional rights; the sunburst compass rose signifying our Creator from which our “… certain unalienable rights …” originate.

The M8 Tall Case Clock features a walnut pendulum bob with a laser etched image of George Washington praying at Valley Forge on holly wood. The image is taken from the bronze relief located at Federal Hall in New York City. The inscription reads, “The time is near at hand which must determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves.” George Washington. Artistic adaptation accomplished with support from George Perzel, LaserArts, Victor, NY.

The M8 Tall Case Clock features a figured cherry base with a laser etched image of a symbol of revolutionary America – UNITE, or DIE (right). UNITE, or DIE was adapted from Benjamin Franklin’s original “JOIN or DIE” political cartoon. Franklin created the "Join or Die" cartoon in 1754 to unite the colonies for 'management of Indian relations' and defense against France. Later, in 1765, the icon “UNIT, or DIE” was used to unite the American colonists against the British. Artistic adaptation accomplished with support from George Perzel, LaserArts, Victor, NY.

About Max: Max retired in December 2006 after 25 years of service with the U.S. Navy, eager to pursue his passion for fine woodworking. He married his unquenchable appetite for fine woodwork and his lifelong attraction to all things mechanical to launch Hardwood Clocks.  He has no formal clock training (MS-University of Wisconsin-Madison and EMBA University of Rochester), only a fascination and passion for wooden clocks that began when he visited a museum at Cape Cod in 1982. That is where he first saw a six-foot skeleton clock  constructed entirely of American walnut.  The impression that this one-of-a-kind kinetic work of art made on him was so lasting that he decided to dedicate his first post-navy career woodworking project to designing his own version of that beautiful clock, albeit 25 years after the fact! It took the better part of six months to design his first working, all-wood clock, from the ground up. He has since perfected an all-wood gear drive train and is now dedicated to improving the aesthetics of his numerous custom designs.

Awards: Max was awarded the ‘People's Choice Award’ in his first showing and has been subsequently invited to display his clocks at renowned national arts and crafts shows as well as galleries.

Max was honored to be published in Fine Woodworking Magazine in December 2010’s Readers Gallery, p.76. The M5 – Contemporary Design caught the eye of the FWW Magazine editor.

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