Clock Design with Exploded Views

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DESIGN

I designed the clock in SOLIDWORKS and took advantage of exploded views so I could see how pieces would line up. This was important for this project because The clock needs to be easily opened up for occasional battery replacement.

CUT

I cut out the pieces out of walnut on the shop bot (CNC router) that we have in the 3DEXPERIENCE Lab. My design is pretty simple for the CNC so I was able to cut all the pieces using vector files that I exported from SOLIDWORKS. I find that the CNC can cut much cleaner paths if you are able to supply it with a vector file instead of a 3D file. The result is a cleaner part that needs minimal post processing!

ASSEMBLY

Most of the pieces can be clamped and glued together with wood glue but the back panel has to be removable so the batteries can be replaced easily. I could have added some threaded inserts so the back plate could be easily screwed on and off but I decided to make it more fun and use some tiny magnets! I drilled 4 holes in the middle piece for the magnets to fit into and super glued magnets on to the back plate. It easily pops on and off!

FINAL

This was a great beginner CNC project and I’m super happy with how it came out. The simple clock mechanism fits perfectly inside of the clock and the batteries are easily accessible.

Alexandra Miller

I am an engineering intern at the Dassault Systèmes Fab Lab in Boston and a Mechanical Engineering Masters student at Boston University. I am most interested in the intersection of Art and Engineering and am passionate about STEAM education. I am an avid maker and am always looking for the next craft to dive into!

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