Latest Clock Making Video's from Clickspring

How To Make A Clock Part 9 - Etching, Waxing And Silvering The Chapter Ring

6/26/2015

In this episode I use some relatively unusual techniques to make one of the most viewed parts of the clock: The chapter ring.

I show the chemical etching process, using photo resist and ferric chloride, as well as the traditional method of waxing and silvering a clock dial.

5 Comments

Bob Stevenson link

6/24/2015 05:25:44 pm

Hi Chris,

This is light years on from what I'm presently doing with clock faces!........This is a VERY important video for amateur 'clockies'.

Curently I'm trying to duplicate enamelled faces by making up curved face with in infill from epoxy putty which gives an emanelled apearance, then reducing my drawing (dinner plate size) to A4 photocopy then covering with airbrush film and cutting out numbers with scalpel....cutouts are then tranfered to face and blacked in using permanent marker. It's time consuming, nerve wracking, tiring, fiddly, and about a million miles away from what you are showing us here!

....I should have known that there was a photo-mechanical method available but face making is all but gone here in the UK. Just a few emanellers jealously guarding their secrets.

Now I need to work out how to print/etch a white enamel like surface.....Bob

Bob Stevenson link

6/24/2015 05:30:14 pm

.....our club members use our Taylor and Hobson engraving machine to engrave faces but it always looks much to 'mechanical' and clumsy to me.....I now need to translate your method here into a club suitable work-flow...this is REALLY good stuff Chris!

Chris link

6/24/2015 10:02:06 pm

Thank you Bob! I know what you mean about the mechanical look, I have the same feeling about CNC engraved dials. That rounded look from the cutter just doesn't look 'horological' does it?

Thanks very much for your support mate, and all the best to the local club clockies.

Richard T Perry

6/24/2015 09:37:13 pm

Chris -

This video does a nice job of explaining what was long the most obscure part of clockmaking in a very reasonable and easy to follow way.

That having been said, a quick couple of questions about the process you used.

First, the transparency. I'm assuming you used a laser printer with transparency pages?

Also, it appears that the ferric chloride and the photo resist film you're using is the same stuff used in PCB electronics etching - true? Or is there a trick we should be aware of before buying?

Thanks again for another wonderful video.

Richard

Chris link

6/24/2015 10:09:18 pm

Hi Richard,

You're so right about there being so little information out there on dial making - In a lot of ways,the dial is the hardest part of the clock to do well. And it's the part that everyone judges first, compounding the issue!

Yes the transparency was printed with a laser printer, although I traveled far and wide to several different printers until I found one who could print a sufficiently dark print. It makes a big difference to the exposure. I found a domestic printer just wasn't up to scratch.

Yes you are correct the ferric chloride etchant and resist are straight from the PCB process. I purchased the resist on Ebay. A $30 roll gave me more than enough for years of dials.

Cheers,
Chris.

How To Make A Clock Part 9 - Etching, Waxing And Silvering The Chapter Ring

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