Byzantine Sundial-Calendar - Part 5 (Making The Supporting Bridges)

Hi Ken, if you go to the top of the main page (<a href="https://www.patreon.com/clickspring)">https://www.patreon.com/clickspring)</a> and look directly below the circular Clickspring logo, there are a set of "Featured Tags" that will filter out the posts and pull up the posts that match the tag - Cheers :)

Clickspring

Is there any good link to view all of the Patron series videos?

Ken Fraser

Thank you Jerry :)

Clickspring

Sublime video as always Chris, I've gotta say the creative set up work to make the support blocks was particularly impressive. Also, it seems as if you're getting better set up with support equipment, the tool makers clamps and putty for the freshly blued screws. Starting to look like the assembly line at Patek Phileppe.

Jerry Gepes

Thanks for the response, keep up the great work.

Hey David, it serves two purposes: one is aesthetic, and the other is to let down the temper of the steel to something a little less brittle, and so less likely to fracture if forced. It is also widely believed that the oxide provides a small measure of rust protection - Cheers :)

Clickspring

The bluing (correct term?) of the screws in this and the clock build. Is that for aesthetic reasons alone or does it change the properties of the metal in some significant way? Thanks

Thank you Josh!

Clickspring

You have to be proud of your work man, it's so beautiful!

Hey Glen, I do the videos/projects full time now - Cheers :)

Clickspring

Great stuff Chris. Do you have a regular 9 to 5? If yes, what would it take for you to do youtube vids full time... more patreon support?

Glen Ralph

Cheers David :)

Clickspring

Well done again, no excuses to progress now

David Paterson

Cheers Vlad :)

Clickspring

that craftsmanship, the attention to details , truly amazing work. Perfect way to start the week :)

Vlad

Thank you mate!

Clickspring

I had to wait a week from publication to watch, so as to have a quiet half hour to fully appreciate the video. Worth the wait. One of your best!

Matt Waite

Chris, I could watch you blue screws all day :-)

Mat Gardner

Thank you John :)

Clickspring

Yes a custom bit of brass - The screws will get a lot of handling throughout the build and I don't want to scratch the blue finish. A brass blade means I can relax a bit when constantly inserting removing etc

Clickspring

An absolute treat to watch as always Chris. Your craftsmanship is unparalleled.

Hey Chris, why do use that clamping screw driver. It looks really cool. My theory is that it allows for a custom but to match the fastener, but I'm not sure.

Its a universal cutting tool - cuts left, right, trepanning etc Very good all round tool for soft materials like brass and aluminium. Definitely recommend having a go with the grinder, it doesn't take long to figure out what works etc. Grinding your own HSS opens up a whole world of options

Clickspring

Thank you mate! Generally I freehand grind, but I have installed a good rest beneath each wheel to replace the standard one that comes with the machine - makes a big difference to be able to anchor your hands, and occasionally support the tool blank fully on the rest - This one here: <a href="http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=32973&amp;cat=1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=32973&amp;cat=1</a>

Clickspring

Fantastic, once again. Is that a trepanning tool at around 2:34 cutting grooves into the face? I can't seem to find any easily or much information on grinding them. I haven't yet tried to see how far common sense would get me with a grinder.

Harri Haataja

98 comments... I just want to take a moment to point out that Chris has Liked every single one of them, replying and/or answering questions where appropriate. Pretty sure there's a few creators out there who could take a few lessons in "patron engagement" from Chris... good stuff, keep it up mate! :) Note that I'm not calling out any of the creators that I currently support... it's one of the reasons that I'm supporting them. Maybe this comment might prove useful for anyone who is planning to start their own channel... Engagement is Everything!

Chris Talbot

Superb filming and workmanship! You really grind nice lathe tools, do you use a special fixture?!

Axel

Hey Steven, The original BSC is composed of a low zinc brass (approx 85/15) with traces of tin and lead. There are a few examples of the portable sundials, but the AM and the BSC are currently 1 and 2 on the historical record for mathematically geared mechanisms, with nothing similar until European clockwork in the 1300's. The best book by far on the AM is Alex Jones' recent book: "A Portable Cosmos: Revealing the Antikythera Mechanism, Scientific Wonder of the Ancient World" Affiliate link: <a href="https://amzn.to/2NoLgIR" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/2NoLgIR</a>

Clickspring

Perhaps you have said this before but I can't recall. Was this device originally made of brass or bronze? Can you recommend any sources for ancient devices similar to this and the Antikythera device?

Thank you mate :) That is clock oil, mixed with diamantine powder - <a href="https://www.esslinger.com/diamantine-polishing-powder-extra-fine-15-grams/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.esslinger.com/diamantine-polishing-powder-extra-fine-15-grams/</a> - Cheers :)

Clickspring

Will do mate, thank you :)

Clickspring

Thank you mate :)

Clickspring

Love your work as always. I was wondering, what is the fancy stuff in the syringe that you polished with?

m_tini

I just realized that I am no longer getting notified of your uploads by Youtube!! Binged the last few episodes, thank you for linking them here ^-^/ Amazing quality in every aspect as usual Chris, keep on keeping on!

Magik Eh

Cheers:)

Ralph McCoy

Thank you mate! I generally make the sizes that are the most expensive to buy - mostly thick round and flat bar stock. The raw stock for the riser sections in this video for example were made from bar stock made from recovered scrap - Cheers :)

Clickspring

Chris, One of your best videos, planing, the work, the whole enchilada . You stated that your scrap gets melted down. What shape is or do you make small blocks ? You cant make sheets or rods. And what about turning the brass into a different "grade" from heating. or could you make your own half hard brass ??? Ralph

Ralph McCoy

The Japanese sure do know their stuff when it comes to small-scale precision engineering. I'm not much of a "horology historian" but the documentary sounds fascinating, thanks for the mention.

Chris Talbot

It's Diamantine polish mixed up with a few drops of light oil. You can have a read about it here (3rd post down, June 8th Update): <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/status-june-2018-19281148">https://www.patreon.com/posts/status-june-2018-19281148</a> Chris posted a nice little unlisted timelapse video (linked in the update post) here : <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgCngv3o71E&amp;feature=youtu.be" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgCngv3o71E&amp;feature=youtu.be</a>

Chris Talbot

I've been thinking about what could possibly be a good suggestion for the next series of videos. At first I was thinking about some type of model engine. Thinking maybe a stirling engine, but that might be to simple of a thing without adding extra stuff to it, or possibly a regular gas engine; although these are not clock type videos if that is what you are wishing to stay with. But then I recently watched a video on youtube called In Tune with Time - Watchmaker Masahiro Kikuno, if you haven't seen it I really highly suggest it. In it Kikuno-san talks about his inspiration, Hisashige Tanaka. Tanaka-san had built a clock, called the Myriad Year Clock, that had a lot of functions. Kikuno-san was wanting to turn one of the clock faces into a wristwatch. This clock face would change the positions of the hours to match the actual length of day as the year went on. Very cool and interesting mechanical work to get that done. Would love to see you tackle something like that.

Clayton Anderson

Awesome! So happy to see another video, only to have it end so soon; boy time flies when watching these. :) Question, what was the white powder, and stuff put into it, to create the polishing paste?

Clayton Anderson

Cheers mate :)

Clickspring

Awesome :)

Clickspring

Awesome mate, so pleased - A little time on stainless, but zero on Ti - Cheers :)

Clickspring

So pleased you're enjoying them Kenneth :)

Clickspring

Ha ha! I had to get another one in there before the end of the build Jeff!

Clickspring

Thank you mate, so pleased to hear that :)

Clickspring

thank you &lt;3

daniel poole

I'd like to see this too. Plus one on tool maintenance, especially for the humid tropics, which is a rough climate for some tools.

Sean Kirby

Downloaded the video this morning, and showed great restraint in not watching it immediately. Then went and picked up my new glasses. Then straight home to watch the video. Well worth the wait. :)

Sean Kirby

Made my day (which kinda sucked), you and Tony have a real knack for doing that... (fairly off-topic) Have you ever tried working with stainless steel or titanium? Can't wait for the sound track... :D

Clifton Ballad

I love these videos. Such amazing craftsmanship and extraordinary production value!

Kenneth Carlile

Astounding work as always! Its awesome to see this mechanism coming together, I love the way you turned the eccentric curves, and also 🙌🙌🙌SUPER GLUE ARBOR🙌🙌🙌 😄

Jeff, Practical Renaissance

Your shop and machines are pristine for every cut, unlike the typical grimy metal shop. You really must do a video on your daily cleaning/wipedown to keep everything looking like new.

Chris, I'm at loss for words. The craftsmanship is simply unbelievable. So enjoy your videos.

Eric Hobbs

Thank you mate :)

Clickspring

My main priority in this regard is always to make things clear in the videos - the scrap goes in the pot for a future melt anyway, so no waste - Cheers :)

Clickspring

You give parts generous margins and then cut them out of the middle of your brass sheet. With the generous extra size to the parts, why not group them all against each other and against the side of the brass material so you have larger bits left over for other parts in other projects? It does make things very clear in the videos but it seems like a waste of material. Oh yeah, and I love the way you work on everything. The work is clean and precise and always turns out amazing!

David Rector

Ha ha! will do :)

Clickspring

It comes down to there being too little material to accept a fastener thread without penetrating the bowl surface. Splitting the support structure into two parts and bonding the riser section to the bowl provides the necessary depth of material to form the thread, and keep it hidden - Cheers :)

Clickspring

Mind Blown ... how in the WORLD can you file that close and precise I have no idea. Serious skills and mastery.

Peter Larsen

Yes certainly Jim - A big part of the prototyping stage is working out all of that stuff so that I can present a reliable process in the video. I will often try out a few different approaches to see if there is a better way of getting the job done, with maybe less steps, less waste, easier setups etc Very often for the more difficult parts I'll write out the steps, so I can fully lock down the procedure in my head before shooting it. One of the things I love the most about machining is that its so procedural - its very satisfying refining a process, getting it down to a solid sequence of steps - Cheers mate :)

Clickspring

Awesome, so pleased :)

Clickspring

I bought the sets new a few years ago - cheers :)

Clickspring

Ha ha! Cheers Marcus :)

Clickspring

Yes, very much so - Cheers mate :)

Clickspring

Thank you Rich, I was thrilled with the way these ones came out :)

Clickspring

Thank you mate!

Clickspring

Ha ha! Awesome :) Yes on the brass chips where practical.

Clickspring

Yes that made me pause for a while before I decided on an approach that I was happy with - For the second cut, the issue is a little more difficult to manage. A cap screw cannot go through the part, and a toe clamp (or similar) from the outside starts to introduce a balance issue that then also needs managing. The part is at a much reduced radius of rotation to the first cut, so I decided I could manage the risk by simply remaining clear of the chuck arc and getting on with it - Cheers :)

Clickspring

Cheers mate :)

Clickspring

Cheers mate :)

Clickspring

Thank you Mike :)

Clickspring

So pleased you enjoyed it Brian :)

Clickspring

Ha ha! that little vise comes in so handy! Cheers mate :)

Clickspring

Cheers mate :)

Clickspring

I'm surprised you didn't mill these parts from one solid piece.

Dylan T

do you sharpen your helical bits, or do you buy new ones?

Dylan T

Those Screws... I think i got a bit Hard during the Vijeyo.

I believe it is one of Chris' hand-held chamfer tools. He has a few details in the projects section on his website about them, but they are made to a John Wilding design.

Rob C

They are tapered clock pins. In the UK you can get them in sets from CousinsUK. If you look there, you should find enough information to search some in your location.

Rob C

Fantastic work Chris! It must be very satisfying to see it all coming together so well.

Rob C

Stunning work as always. The blue on those screws is beautiful

Rich Nixon

Yes. Yes they are.

Leo G.

You've gotten *really* good at making screws. They really look amazing!

Sondre Ninive Andersen

What is the tool used at 9:21?? Been looking for something like that for a while now!

Nothing like good porn to watch first thing Monday morning over a cup of coffee :-) . Quick question Chris: Do you try to reclaim the brass shaving s from the lathe to melt down to ingots later?

Chris Muncy

Marvellous like always! But why did you only fix the risers with super glue when you formed the inside diameter on the lathe (from 3:14 in the video), when you were (probably rightly so) concerned with fixing them with screws for forming the outside diameter? I don't see why the lateral cutting force should have been any smaller? I would hate to see you getting shot by your own part coming off the lathe^^

CommanderTomalak

Beautiful work and impressive technique! as always, truly inspiring, thank you!

Ludovic MOUROUVIN

Chris, this spectacular video was loaded with brilliant techniques I'd never seen before. Thank you for that! I have tried unsuccessfully to find a source for those tapered brass pins you use. Can you point me in the right direction?

Ken Condal

Chris, I hope that you get as much relaxation from doing the work as I do watching your videos. You might want to drop in on Tony's channel. He's got an air file that needs to be converted to a proper file :)

Michael Lloyd

All your videos are so oddly soothing to watch. Keep up the excellent work!

MSM2

I'm just curious. Do you ever have false starts on making the pieces? Trying a method which in the end doesn't work very well, then having to start over on that piece using a different approach?

Jim Trowbridge

Superb!

John Saunders (NYC CNC)

I agree with Mr. Talbot - the choice to mount the supports diametrically opposed to each other on the superglue arbor for both balancing and ease of measurement was pure genius. Thanks for the continually amazing work!

Mike Michelizzi

Amazing. I have to admit it's a small thing but the wave of joy that came over me as I saw those screws lapped to a mirror finish and blued was palpable :D

PeetieGonzalez

Wow, absolutely delightful stuff. (I also second Chris Talbot's motion about an awful night in Sydney)

Brian Ballsun-Stanton

It's a horrible cold and wet night in Sydney, after a long and busy day... what a nice way to end it! :) One thing that always strikes me Chris, is not just the overall quality and attention to detail in the work but the way you think through your process for maximum efficiency, convenience, safety, and prevention of any error creeping in to part shaping and placement in the overall mechanism. I'm no machinist, but I reckon that is some really clever stuff, and you seem to have it down to a fine art. :) It's always a good video when there's hand finishing and blueing of fasteners involved... but hey, did I miss a Fragments video on your Period-Authentic Screwdriver or what?? :) Thanks for another very interesting entry in the series mate.

Chris Talbot

Does anyone else read these posts in Chris' voice lol

Giovanni Viscardi

Yay! New clickspring :D

Giovanni Viscardi

It looks absolutely amazing, especially with the mirror finish blued bolts. I can't wait to see the final result

wolph

Thank you mate, so pleased you enjoyed it :)

Clickspring

Amazing work as always.

Stronghold Armory

Thank you mate!

Clickspring

Really cool to see the way you went about turning those arcs on the supports. Great stuff!