WELCOME BACK !!!!
We are now ready to mount our Clocks in some type of enclosure.
I opted for a side by side configuration right above my computer monitor. I may mount the VU meters above the clocks, but that is a project for another day.
Since we are not a wood working blog, and your needs will differ, I decided this chapter would be more pictures than design. I will give some helpful hints as we go along.
A lot of my woodwork designs are done during the construction rather than before.
I know that is not the correct way, but it's my way.
So here we go.
I am going to start by mounting the two clocks on a large board, so I can get an idea of the cabinet size that will be needed.
If I am clever, I can have a skeleton version mounted, then build the box to put it in.
The first thing to do is figure a way to mount the DISPLAY boards. I opted to mount them right against the Plexiglass. If I can figure out the proper bracket, I can avoid putting bolts through the Plexi.
I 'think' I have an idea.
We also need to come up with a scheme to mount the controller board.
I am going to try to 'hide' the re-set switches behind a magnetic panel that I can remove to set the clocks, then replace it. When I made the VU meter box for my old mixer, I hid all the adjustments behind a wood panel, that I could unscrew to gain access. It worked perfectly.
Then we mount the Clock boards.
We want to keep in mind that we may need to get at all of this for any needed repairs or (or modifications)
The first thing we did was get a large piece of plywood to use as a temporary base. (We will make a nice one later)
One the longest side of your board, measure in about an inch and cut a groove along that side. Make the groove wide enough so the RED Plexiglass can slide in.
Now you should make a set of brackets to hold the display modules.
I took some aluminum stock, cut it to 10".
I then used my metal brake to bend them into a 90 degree "L" One side of the "L" is ___", the other side is ____". We will be mounting our displays on the short part of the bracket,
You can also use a hammer and a vice, but they will not come out right.
You can see the brackets on the right are NOT square, while the ones on the left line up perfectly.
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You can get a metal brake at Harbor Freight. This is the one that I use.
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You might also be able to find some ready made brackets that will suit your needs.
The idea is to get the display right up against the red plexiglass.
Now that we have our brackets made, let's mount up the two display boards.
Take your time and get them LEVEL !!!
Here is a shot of the brackets in use.
We can now proceed to mount the little controller board. It goes underneath the display board. (In the center) Make sure the switches do NOT go beyond the front of the plexi.
When I started to look at mounting the controller, I realized that I did NOT leave any room on one side for the brackets. So I had to re-make them.
Original controller
Take your plexiglass over to a bandsaw or scroll saw, and cut out the area for the switch bank.
We will be placing a strip over the front of the switches to hide them.
Here is my initial idea.
Yes, one of the plexiglass covers is not in the groove all the way. Remember, this is all 'temporary' to get some idea of the sizes and procedure we will use on the main cabinet.
Now we can mount the two boards (temporarily)
At this point I wired it all up and verified that everything was still functioning as designed.
I did make one more change in the design. Since these clocks are going above the computer monitor, I decided on a separate power supply. I still have the original 5 Volt supply from my last mixer project, so I mounted that in the clock box. You can see it in the picture above. It is right above the clock boards.
I will use my console power supply to power the timer in the mixer.
Now that we have some ideas, let's build the box.
As some of you know, in 1990, my wife and I bought an old Victorian home in the Historic District. After three years of renovations, we moved in and lived there until I retired in 2017. And yes, we made a BOATLOAD.
When we were renovating, I saved a lot of original Florida Heart Pine. I decided to use this 125 year old wood for this clock cabinet.
Here are the boards glued up and drying.
When the glue is dry, I will cut to size and sand, sand, sand, and sand some more. This project calls for some real woodworking. I plan to finish the cabinet in a clear lacquer. The redness of the Pine will shine through.
If you want more info on Heart Pine and how to buy it, there is a lumber mill just north of us that specializes in the recovery and milling of old logs. They were featured in an episode of Norm Abrams 'New Yankee Workshop.' Most of the wood for Norm's Heart Pine projects came from here.
It is by far my favorite wood.
Now that the glue has dried, we scrape off the excess with a scraper. Then I will cut it "almost to size" and start sanding.
One I have sanded to my satisfaction, I will trim all the boards to size.
And there you go, a nice cabinet to finish off our clock project....
Let's build up the easy one. A regular up counter.
Now we can move on to our next chapter BUILDING THE CONSOLE TIMER
God Speed, Mother Nature.
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