Art Deco Flip Clock (Bioshock)

cults3d

No, I am not going to 3D print entire flippin' mechanism. This is Art Deco Bioshock-inspired flip clock that uses thrift shop-purchased Sony clock internals. If you ever disassembled such clock, you will know there's no electronics involved. It's a purely AC Synchronous motor timed by the 50/60Hz AC frequency and tons of gears. Actually, it's pretty awesome mechanism and one that only improves with time - our 50/60Hz is precise, unlike AC frequencies of yesteryears. If your motor doesn't turn freely, it's probably full of dust. Don't put any oil in it; just dip it in alcohol for ten minutes or an hour or so and it will run as new. Look on YouTube - lots of people are reviving those things. Or just get one that works right away, like I did. I paid $3.99 for the whole Sony clock radio at Value Village. The clock keeps very precise time. This is a nice craft project that requires few screws and some glue. It's a two-color assembly printed on a one-color printer where different colored inserts snap together and stripes are simply glued in place. The glass is a flexible magnifier from a dollar store, which looks magical. Also, see how to orient the pieces on the bed - there are a few that require support, like the bottom and one of the sides. To save time, I printed the bottom with multiple processes, not even printing the underside solid but leaving honeycomb with only solid-printed washers for screws as a second process. For some items, orientation on the bed matters (see last pics). For attaching parts together, I found out hot glue guns work totally great. Similarly, cable connectors are hot-glued inside a "firewall" box. Two amber LED lights were added inside with some amber foil over them to diffuse the light. There's no transformer for the LEDs inside; just a second cable with a small wall adapter from the back. The clock mechanism was stripped of all switches or any parts non-essential to the clock itself. The knob for setting time - you will need to re-drill the hole it with a 7/64 drill bit (2.7mm) or #36 gauge bit and it's then a tight fit. I didn't want to gamble, so I made it smaller. The original design had white highlights on the opening window, but I decided against them for a sharper look. The white is printed with glow-in-the-dark filament, but then finished in fake copper for the final clock to have the Bioshock look. This clock is very precise - it's a great mechanical wonder.