Frank Rehill, designer/builder of this contemporary Shaker-like wall clock, is an engineer by profession and a hobbyist cabinetmaker who resides in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He is originally from New England.

"I built my first clock in 1992. It was a mail order kit; three pieces of wood and a quartz mechanism insert. As simple as it was, I really enjoyed making it. Shortly thereafter, I had the itch to really build a clock. Events led to other events, as life goes. However, I started on the one presented here, my second clock, over the winter of 2003."

A cover of a past issue of the Taunton publication Fine Woodworking caught my eye this winter (issue #157, July/August 2002). I studied the plan, thought a while, and did some bppk and Internet research on similar clocks, all Shaker wall clocks from Isaac Newton Youngs. My plan included digressions from the original as follow. I do not need to hear the ominous marking of time all the time, or, maybe I knew I'd be too lazy to wind it. Regardless, this led to a double clock mechanism; one quartz mechanism with pendulum only requiring a C cell battery change each year (it runs the hands on the face), and one for, as the Pennsylvania Dutch would say, 'just for nice.' That mechanism is a German Westminster chiming Frantz Hermle eight day mechanical. The Hermle has a lever which engages the chimes, or not. I thought it might be nice to hear chimes once in a while, and to run that mechanism for guests who do like to listen to the passing of time. It also is nice to see, hence the side lights. The quartz mechanism is hidden from view by a surround.

The original Shaker designs have a full field glass face. They also have heavier stiles and rails for the lower door. For my eye, these features made the top look big. I chose to add a pendulum bob window to the lower panel, and a circular opening in wood for the face, rather than a square glass panel. I also went with a less serious face than the traditional Shakers offered. Knobs were replaced by embedded rare earth magnets. The doors have an ever so slight edge for fingertips.

A design challenge was to keep the depth of the case a shallow as was practical. The Shakers were only four inches deep. It was a must to mount the mechanical mechanism in line with the quartz movement. I added glass lights to the sides of the case to showcase the fully exposed Hermle mechanism.

Materials follow. Wood came from Willard Brothers Sawmill, North of Trenton, NJ. The clock is made of spalted maple, with choc-te-coc accents, including a skunk stripe centered on the bookmatched back, and the chime block support shelf. All clockworks are from Merritt's, in Douglasville, PA. Thanks to John Huyett – Clock Supply Manager who spent a snowy February morning teaching me about clocks, and suggesting mechanisms. John's help was invaluable. He has since retired, yet Merritt's continues to be a perfect source.

Hardware came from Knobs and Knockers in Lahaska, PA. They have an exquisite brass selection, including the American made hinges finally chosen.

The finish is a medium luster polymerized tung oil, cooked up by Sutherland Wells. I spend half my time on finish, including sanding. I finished this by rubbing with an old piece of copper wool in worn burlap.

The design, procurement and actual work took ten weeks by the calendar.

Links

Willard Brothers Sawmill
Fine Woodworking Magazine #157, July/August 2002, Shaker Clock Article
Merritt's Antiques
Sutherland Wells Polymerized Tung Oils
Knobs 'n Knockers