Popular Woodworking 2004-08 № 142, страница 61

Cringe if you want, but I like quartz movements. They're reliable, require little upkeep and are simple to install. I know this from installing and adjusting several mechanical movements in clocks over the years. Do whatever makes you happy on this point.

When working on narrow stock such as the door rails, it's safer to cut your joinery on a slightly wider board (this one is about 4" wide) and cut the part free when the joinery is complete.

Here's how I trim my doors, though there are many ways to do it: First true one stile on your jointer and rip the door to width, taking equal amounts of material from each stile. Then crosscut the door so it's just a hair longer than necessary. Finally, after installing the hinges, plane the top and bottom of the door to get that perfect VW-wide reveal.

The hinges are a snap to install because they require no mortise. If you lack confidence when installing hardware, here's a simple trick you can use: Screw the hinges in place on the carcase. Mix up some five-minute epoxy and put a few dabs on the hinge leaf that attaches to the door. Position the door right where you want it, tape it to the carcase with painter's tape and allow the epoxy to set. Open the door and drive in the hinge screws for the door.

After your proj ect is finished, install the M^-thick glass. The most handsome way to do this is with glazing moulding that you machine yourself. This moulding is simply ³/8"-thick x Vz"-wide moulding with a chamfer machined on it. Because you'll finish the project before installing the moulding, now is the time to machine and sand it.

Install the Shaker knobs and

the catches for the doors (I used a simple hook and screws), then disassemble the project for finishing. Break all the sharp edges with #120-grit sandpaper.

To give the piece an aged look, I chose to finish it with two coats of garnet shellac. Then I followed that up with two coats of a dull-sheen spray lacquer (shellac is very glossy). This finishing process mimics the look of the original clock quite well.

With the project finished, you can install the glass with a bead of silicone in the rabbet, then miter

the glazing moulding and secure it with silicone and brads as shown in the construction drawing.

The original clock is hung on a traditional Shaker peg. You could build yourself a "peg board" and array it with a number of Shakerlike accessories. Another authentic option is to hang the clock on a single forged iron hook.

No matter how you hang it, whenever you check the time, you'll be reminded that it takes a little perseverence and (yes) time to get any project designed and built so it's just right. PW

You need to compress the joint vertically as well as join the pieces horizontally, so you need to clamp both simultaneously as shown.

A CLOSER LOOK AT ISAAC YOUNGS

The Shaker faith arrived in the United States from northern England in the late 18th century. One of the earliest communities existed in New Lebanon, N.Y., and it was there that Isaac Newton Youngs made a name for himself in the early 19th century.

Born in 1793, Youngs joined the Shakers when he was just 14 years old. While the Shakers didn't permit watches (they were deemed "an unnecessary indulgence"), they did value clocks to support punctuality. Many clocks were kept in dining areas and common rooms.

Youngs would grow to become one of the group's chief clockmakers, building more than 20 of these projects over the course of his lifetime. His clocks clearly illustrate the Shaker principles of simplicity, purity and utility. Many follow what has come to be known as the Shaker style - namely, they are straightforward, functional and modest.

Along with his clockwork, Youngs delved into another passion while at the community - music. He helped develop the guidelines of small letteral notation that included material on the importance of melody, rhythm and meter. He knew it was important to teach this system of notation, to provide examples for students to study and to encourage a uniform system for the entire community. Youngs died in 1866.

At its peak in the mid-19th century, there were about 6,000 Shakers living in the United States. But after a long, slow decline in membership throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries, there now exists only one active village, located in Maine.

—Michael A. Rabkin

popwood.com 59