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Tag Archives: mantle clock

Curved Panel Small Clock

24 Jan

Craftsman clockAs per my previous post, I made a small clock with curved two panel sides, as a technical challenge. It’s now in my stable of clocks for sale.

I’m happy with the results; the curved sides add a unique flair you don’t see a lot in clocks – especially Mission or Craftsman style clocks (hence the name of my shop – NEW Mission Workshop).

The hardest part was of course the curved panel sides, but I made a jig for a router that makes pretty quick work of those side panels. Essentially, the router rides over a long crescent; the I rip the crescent down the middle, and voila! I have the two sides of the clock. That’s not quite the whole deal, it’s a bit complicated to explain in this blog, but that’s the gist. The paper clock face was my design as well; it’s done on archival quality paper, very thick, and then sprayed multiple times with poly to protect it.

All in all, I nice technical challenge with a nice result.

craftsman clock

Oh, the name of it? Childwold. It’s a very small blip of a hamlet in the Adirondack mountains, near to our summer cottage, and the name just came to mind for this piece.

You can see a close up of the side in this shot. It’s maple and cherry. You’ll note I didn’t put a “rail” on the bottom of the curved panel to firm up that panel look; I tried it, but it just didn’t look right to me.

 
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Posted by on January 24, 2012 in BlogNotes

 

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Sketchup & MockUp: Powerful Tools

24 Jan

I’m developing a small mantle clock with a low price point for the Christmas season; I’ve been made aware that could be what people are looking for. Low price point, handmade, good styling – should translate to sales.

One tool of the trade I use often is Google’s Sketchup program. Usually, I’ll just work up the piece in that, and go right to building the piece. However, sometimes things don’t translate right, or I don’t see things in Sketchup that I see in a real piece; this is speaking from the experience of past projects.

SO, this time, I made the Sketchup drawing, produced a rough prototype, and lo and behold, found some things that needed to be changed, both technically and aesthetically. So, made the changes in SU (Sketchup) and will now go right to a finished piece.

Between those steps, however, is yet another. Since this mantle clock will be a small run production piece, efficiency is important; I don’t want to have to mill 8 different kinds of thicknesses, for instance. So I have to make sure the parts in the SU drawing have a minimal amount of different thicknesses, and will also make a cutting diagram to minimize waste and time. Like the saying goes, time is money, and the more quickly I can make these mantel clocks, the more money I make per piece. I actually need a play book – what I’m going to cut, how to buy the lumber (milled or rough), and so on.

 
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Posted by on January 24, 2012 in BlogNotes

 

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The Keene Craftsman Clock

23 Jan

craftsman clock

$495

A lighter character with a touch of the forest is at the heart of The Keene. It’s towering presence is built with maple matched with Paduak. The resulting complimentary contrast is spectacular.

Inset is a locally hand-crafted ceramic tile with a reverse-embossed real leaf pattern (tile may vary slightly – ask for details).

Materials: Maple, with Paduak embellishment; 4”x4” tile.

Dimensions: Approximately 17“H x 9“W x 5“D

Finish: Clear shellac with three coats of Briwax.

“Mr. Ashley’s clocks are literal works of art! The materials are of the highest grade and the workmanship is outstanding. Not only are the products of top quality, but the service provided by Mr. Ashley is unmatched. He truly cares about quality; both in material and service.” – Charles, Minneapolis, MN.

“There are not enough superlatives to describe how beautiful and wonderfully made this clock is and what a delight the artist is. And Patrick made this just for me! Such care and craftsmanship – it is truly a work of art. All materials are exceptional and the whole is a treasure for generations. I adore it and will be a repeat customer. Enjoyed the whole process. Thanks, Patrick!” – Karen in Georgia

Keene Mantle ClockKeene Craftsman Clock

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Materials: Maple, with Paduak embellishment; 4”x4” tile.

Dimensions: Approximately 17“H x 9“W x 5“D

Finish: Clear shellac with three coats of Briwax.

Price: $495

Warranty: Movement is guaranteed for 3 years.

 
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Posted by on January 23, 2012 in Craftsman Clocks

 

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The Concord

22 Jan

Concord Mission Clock New 3$495

Simple sophistication with comforting tones is The Concord. A mighty presence, The Concord is not just about height, but a more evolved mission style. Embracing the traditional and dramatic quarter-sawn white oak, with it’s sparkling ray fleck, The Concord is perfectly matched with Paduak (“pa-dook”), an African hardwood, deep red in color.

The quarter-sawn white oak is fumed; this is the traditional method often used by Stickley and others early in the Arts and Crafts (or “Mission”) style. Fuming is the process of placing the piece in a confined space with industrial strength ammonia for about 2 hours, which causes a chemical reaction with the tannin in the wood, changing it’s color to an ashen gray. Once a top coat (shellac, in this case) is applied, that beautiful, rich mission-brown color comes through. The color won’t fade or change at all, because it is a chemical reaction, and not a dye or stain. Even if it is sanded, the color is still there – up to 1/16th of an inch deep. Fuming also allows for a consistent color all over the piece – if all the pieces came from the same board(s). It can be a technically tricky finish to use, but the results are outstanding. Top coat is a polyurethane – either satin, or semi-gloss with wax.

Inset is a complementary 4”x4” leaf ceramic tile, made by a local artist (style subject to availability; contact New Mission Workshop for more info).

“Mr. Ashley’s clocks are literal works of art! The materials are of the highest grade and the workmanship is outstanding. Not only are the products of top quality, but the service provided by Mr. Ashley is unmatched. He truly cares about quality; both in material and service.” – Charles, Minneapolis, MN.

“There are not enough superlatives to describe how beautiful and wonderfully made this clock is and what a delight the artist is. And Patrick made this just for me! Such care and craftsmanship – it is truly a work of art. All materials are exceptional and the whole is a treasure for generations. I adore it and will be a repeat customer. Enjoyed the whole process. Thanks, Patrick!” – Karen in Georgia

Materials: Quarter-sawn white oak, with Paduak embellishment; 4”x4” tile (varies)

Dimensions: Approximately 17“H x 9“W x 5“D

Finish: Amonnia fumed oak; Paduak; Polyurethane topcoat

Price: $495

Concord Mission Clock New 1

 
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Posted by on January 22, 2012 in Craftsman Clocks

 

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