Since it's a mechanical clock, 12 hours is the full cycle test. If it makes it past 12, there's no sticky bits anywhere in the gear train. Interesting... just hit me that since such clocks are typically meant to be wound every day, each windup is n=2 full cycles.
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If it makes it, I'll do a final light tightening of all wobbly bits, maybe paint some fluorescent numbers on the dials and hands, and put it up on a shelf.
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Dammit. Stopped at 4.5h. And now cat is rubbing aggressively against table it’s on. Not out of the woods yet.
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I'm going to have to resist the temptation to fight this endlessly. I mean this is laser-cut wood, push-fit assembled. Still, getting it to run a full spring-wind-down seems like not too much to ask. I don't need perfection. Just outlast the unwind.
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Rube Goldberg Chindogu idea... attach an arduino meta-control loop that notices if it stops via optical sensor interrupted by the pendulum, and gives the rocker a li'l kick if it does
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I think the cat is jealous of the clock
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Anyone who gets this kit built and ticking smoothly on first attempt is some sort of mechanical genius. I’ve gone: 10s, 30s, 55s, 5 minutes, 25 minutes, 55 minutes, 4.5 hours, and now back to 20-30 min range.
I suspect it’s the spring force wind-down.
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Yup. Rewound to full tightness and it’s going steadily again. I may be down in the noise zone of friction. It’s not a specific sticking point. To test this, I’d have to note all gear positions at each stall. Should be uniform random?
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I’ll measure this, but after first stall at 4:30, with each gentle impulse on rocker it went for a shorter interval each time. By the time it was ~1 minute, strength of initial impulse was determining the duration so pendulum was driving, not spring.
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Yes, it’s the same... I’m trying to see how far I can push it

