Wait for it....!!!!

Verge and Foliot Clock

The striking mechanism is done, the bell rings twice an hour now.  Just need some finials and a few finishing touches and then to decide what to do next! 

A cautionary tale....

Never, NEVER leave chasers pitch in your car!!!!  Its easy to forget how hot your car can get when the sun shines on it all...day....long.  I should have taken a picture, most of the pitch had run out of the bell and into a tool box enveloping a couple of my gravers, a hammer, file, etc. just like encasing bugs in amber.  I felt like an archaeologist chipping my tools out of it.   What a mess! at least it didn't make it out onto the car seat itself!

clock bell chasing/engraving

Started engraving on the bell today, the pitch worked well so I could hold it and rotate in a vise. The text is part of a line from the Roman poet Virgil "Sed fugit interea fugit irreparabile tempus" which basically means 'meanwhile it flees: time flees irretrievably'  

Verge and Foliot Clock bell

The frame for the bell is built, the bell is just kind of hanging there.

I want to try to engrave/chase something on the bell, so I filled it with pitch.  It is a weird shape to deal with, as I want to work on the edge.  So another experiment to see if I can hold onto it....

Verge and Foliot Clock Bell

After a 2 (or 3?) week break, I started making the bell.  Its just laying on top at the moment, there will be an arched frame-work that holds it up.

Still have to decide on how to finish the sun for the face.