![]() ![]() His newest clocks are called the W1, L1, and B1. But now, he’s developed some new designs that he will make multiple pieces of. Hale said up until recently, he’s only made one-off pieces for collectors. “It’s a relief to see it start ticking when everything is put together,” Hale says and laughs. It’s an extremely time-consuming process. Then he hand-shapes the pieces over the course of months. Hale said he uses power tools from the 1960s and 70s to make the initial cuts in wood. “It’s amazing to me that the simplest method can yield results that last for centuries.” The clocks made in the early 1700s are still going today without ever having to be re-bushed or they have only been re-bushed once,” Hale says. “It’s a relief to see it start ticking when everything is put together.” Walnut and distressed-hickory gear. Harrison, a favorite of Hale’s, used lignum vitae as wood bearings in his clocks. Lignum vitae contains natural oils that make them perfect to be used as self-lubricating clock parts. He also uses lignum vitae, the national tree of the Bahamas and a historically important material in clockmaking. He works with Michigan hardwoods such as walnut, cherry, maple, oak, and hickory. Once he’s figured out the engineering of a piece, Hale spends between 400 and 800 hours building each clock. The simpler you keep the mechanism, the fewer parts there are and the fewer things that could go wrong over time.” Lignum vitae. Even though they’re visually simple, they’re mechanically more sound pieces. “I try to do everything as simply as I can. That said, complications aren’t too far behind. Hale said his clocks have had very simple mechanisms -no chiming, no complications, and very simple gearing. Each swing releases the clock’s gears to move forward, advancing the hands at a steady rate. The mechanism -invented by clockmaker John Harrison in the early-1700s -gives the clock’s pendulum periodic pushes to keep it swinging. Hale said he uses a variant on a grasshopper escapement for nearly all of his clocks. That time includes determining how it will look and how it will function. ![]() He spends 40 to 80 hours designing a clock. Hale describes his clocks as “minimal,” though they are far from simple. I want it to cause them to look closer and get more interested in it.” “I don’t want the overall first impression of someone looking at my work to be overwhelmed. “I put a lot of care into each component,” Hale says. The exposed wooden gears, beautiful craftsmanship and flowing lines put Hale’s clocks more in the realm of art than timepieces. Whether they be large-scale wall clocks or small tabletop clocks, Hale’s creations are mechanically and visually remarkable. Hale said he strives for a balance between science (incorporating clock mechanisms), method (building the pieces) and aesthetic (creating a visually beautiful piece).
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