DABs Clocks is a collection of hand made, one of a kind devices that each display time in unconventional and interesting ways. These time pieces are both functionally and aesthetically pleasing. I design and build some of my clocks without any assistance. For others I turn to Guy Marsden for the engineering and fabrication phase. In these situations I bring a concept to Guy and through an iterative and collaborative process I'll eventually create a 3D representation of the clock that Guy will build.
Lux:
A "Light Cast" Analog Clock
Lux (2021) is a single hand analog clock and it's my 7th! collaboration with Guy Marsden. This is our first clock that incorporates mechanical elements, i.e., a motor. The clock mechanism is comprised of a thin disc that is controlled by a stepper motor. The disc has pattern of cut outs that represent the hand. The disc is back lit and light passing through the cut outs is "projected" on to a screen made from 1/8" thick clear Satinice acrylic. The disc makes one complete rotation every 12 hours.
The Krenov inspired clock case was built by John Rogers. Photos of John's build can be found HERE.
Below is is an animation (running at 144X actual speed) made from a 3D rendering I made based on Johns's sketch.
Introduction
Lux (2021) is a single hand analog clock and like a sundial Lux is based on the principle of casting a shadow. The "sun" is replaced with a LED ring of lights and its movement is replaced by an opaque disc with a slot through which light passes. The slot of light represents the hour hand and the disc rotates at a steady rate of 1 step every 13.5 seconds so that after 12 hours it's completed one full rotation or 3,200 steps. You could make the argument that Lux is actually the inverse of a Sundial since it is a slot of light that tracks the movement of the disc.
The case was built by John Rogers. Photos of John's build can be seen HERE.
Original Concept
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Green buttons are time set, yellow buttons are brightness.
Clock Mechanism
Shows aluminum disc with 1/8" wide slot, Satinice screen and a circular array of 8 LEDs (1 Watt each!)
Shows stepper motor, extension shaft and coupler for attachment to back side of aluminum disc. As there may be some drift in the motor there is a re-calibration that takes place at the end of every 12 hour period. The shaft adapter can slide in and out over a quarter inch to bring the clock hand close to the face.
Videos Demonstrating Clock Function