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You can jump down to Instructions for Assembly and Setting the Time
I've wanted to make clocks for each kid since 2015 when I first began to design and build clocks. But it wasn't easy coming up with a clock design that I thought they would all like. Dots has been fabricated using 4 different materials for the base and top. I've kept the clock made from aluminum and Z, K and E get the clocks made from cherry, maple and walnut respectively.
@ E's and T's
@ K's
@ Z's and M's
To Be Added
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Dots, is another clock that tells time to the nearest 5 minutes and this is explained in the video and animation below. Below are instructions for assembly and telling time and relevant documentation.
How to Tell the Time
At rest the clock "beats" slowly with a single pulsing light as shown in the animation, below [note: in the animation the pulsing LED is show higher up than in the final design]. Dots tells time in 5 minute intervals. Lets assume it's 3:30. To tell time start by waving your hand near the touch sensor (the brass circle on top). Because this sensor behaves more like a proximity sensor you may find that it "triggers" even when your hand comes near the sides/rear of the white acrylic cylinder. Dots starts displaying the hour by sequentially lighting LEDs from the bottom up to the top until 3 LEDs are lit. Once all lit the LEDs soon all darken. Following a brief pause 6 LEDS sequentially light up to display minutes (6x5=30 minutes). These 6 LEDs then all fade and the clock goes back to slowly pulsing with a single dot until the next time it is activated with the touch sensor.
The Animation Shows the Time at 3:30
Assembly Instructions
Start by laying out the parts. Turn the base upside-down and screw the base plate in with 3 screws. Note the alignment marks, and be careful dressing the wires inside as you lower the electronics in.
Connect the LEDs – the connector is color coded and polarized. Be careful not to pull on the connector after it is attached.
Feed the white sensor wire through the white cylinder and pull it out the far end
Connect the light cylinder to the base. Be sure that the LEDs are opposite the buttons on the back.You can adjust the height of the LED assembly by reaching in from the top. You may need to align the LED assembly so it is vertical. The parts should fit together very snug.
Hook the sensor lug under the screw in the top and tighten it by hand, or gently with a Phillips screwdriver. Be careful not to pull on this wire at either end.
Install the cap– it's a snug fit.
Carefully lift the lid off so that you can adjust the height and placement of the LEDs inside the cylinder. BE VERY CAREFUL when you remove the top because the sensor wire is attached.
The touch sensor is actually more of a proximity sensor so if your hand comes anywhere near the wire that feeds up to the top you can trigger it that way too, i.e., you can wave your hand along the side or within 1.5 inches of the top.
The clock is comprised of three sections: the lower and upper portions are constructed from aluminum tube and sheet, respectively and the middle portion is white translucent (40% transmittance) polycast acrylic tube. The outer diameter of the column is 4" and the total height of the clock is 16". Time is revealed using an Adafruit DotStar LED Strip. The strip has 12 LEDs that tell time to the nearest 5 minutes as shown in the animation. A touch sensor is linked to a small brass circle in the center of the top and it activates the display to tell the time. Two time set buttons are located on the back of the lower base which houses the electronics.
Setting the Time
Setting the time can be a bit tricky but it just takes patience. On the back are two buttons; top button is for hours. The buttons advance the time only in one direction, forward, by adding more Dots to the column as you hold the button down. Eventually, if you keep holding either button down it will start all over again at one Dot. So long as the watch battery for the Real Time Clock (RTC) module is good the only setting you'll need to make is hours in fall and spring. To set hours grasp the base of the clock, down by the bottom where your hand won't activate the clock to tell time. In the spring time you'll hold in the hour button until you see all the Dots for the old time come on. Continue holding the button a bit longer until one more Dot is added. Now release the button and check the time to see if you got it right by waving your hand past the clock. If not try again. If you added more dots than you wanted you'll have to hold in the button until you pass 12 and start over from 1 Dot. It's easy to overshoot or undershoot by one dot but eventually you'll get the hang of it.
"DABs Clocks is a unique business that focuses on finding ways to display time in unconventional ways. The goal is to create time pieces that are both functionally and aesthetically pleasing. Please explore the gallery and contact me if you have any questions.