MAKING TIME
Bring the past to life with this classic cherry tall clock.
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY NEAL BARRETT
Illustration by Eugene Thompson

When you think of clean lines and minimal ornamentation, the last thing that comes to mind is traditional design. Unless you're a woodworker, that is. Those of us who spend our quality time in the shop know that the Shaker community of the last century pioneered a style of building that was utilitarian and austere, yet elegant and classical. It's with these Shaker design principles in mind that we've created our cherry tall clock.

Of course, an antique Shaker clock would be fitted with a mechanical movement, complete with pendulum hanging in the long case. To simplify and update construction, we installed a quartz clock movement.

Our clock case is constructed of solid cherry, with the back panels and clockface panel of 1/4-in. plywood. Because it may be hard to find wide cherry boards at a reasonable price, be prepared to purchase narrow stock and laminate wider pieces where necessary.

Case Construction

The first step is to glue up narrow stock to produce the wider components. Rip and crosscut the pieces slightly oversize, and use a jointer or hand plane to true the mating edges of each piece. Cut joining-plate slots along the edges, about 8 in. on center. Apply glue to the slots, plates and mating edges of each panel assembly, install clamps and let the glue dry for 20 to 30 minutes before scraping off the excess. When the glue has dried, rip and crosscut the wide panels to finished dimension.

  

Use your router with a straight bit and edge guide to cut the rabbet along the back edges of the upper and lower case sides (Photo 1). Approach the full rabbet depth in two or three passes to avoid straining the router and to ensure a smooth cut.
Use a straight bit and edge guide to rout rabbets on the case sides. Make cuts in several passes to avoid straining the router.

Next, lay out the plate locations for the upper and lower cabinets and the face frame. When you cut slots in the end of a panel, clamp the workpiece to the table (Photo 2). Use the worktable as a registration surface when cutting the slots in the case sides. For slots that fall away from an edge, clamp a straight guide strip to the workpiece to locate the plate joiner.
Use the worktable surface to reference plate-slot locations. Clamp panels down to safely cut the plate slots in their ends.

Assemble the cabinet face frame with glue, and clamp the joints tight. Compare opposite diagonals to check that the assembly is square (Photo 3) and adjust the clamps if necessary. Then, assemble the lower cabinet sides to the top and bottom panels, install clamps (Photo 4) and check for square. Join the face frame to the lower cabinet assembly. Spread glue on the mating edges, in the plate slots and on the joining plates, and then clamp.
Use clamps to pull the face-frame joints tight, and compare opposite diagonals to be sure that the frame is square.
Assemble the long center case by joining the top and bottom panels to the case sides. Clamp until the glue dries.

Use a miter saw or table saw to cut the base molding pieces to length, with 45 degree miters for the corner joints (Photo 5). Cut the plate slots at the miter joints, using the angled fence on the plate joiner to locate the slots. Join the three pieces of base molding and clamp in two directions at each joint to keep the joints properly aligned (Photo 6). When the glue has set, use your router and 1/2-in. rounding-over bit to shape the top outside edge.
Use a slide compound miter saw or table saw and miter gauge for cutting the long miter joints on the clock base pieces.
After cutting the plate slots, apply glue to the joint edges, plates and slots. Then, clamp in two directions to align the pieces.

Lay out and bore pilot holes through the lower cabinet sides and face frame for attaching the base assembly. Note that the rear hole in each case side is elongated to allow for seasonal movement of the side panels. Bore two holes side by side, then use a sharp chisel to connect the holes. Slide the base assembly over the cabinet and fasten it with 1-1/2-in. No. 8 rh screws (Photo 7). Place a washer beneath the head of each screw to reduce friction and provide a wider bearing surface.
Use roundhead screws with washers to fasten the base to the case sides. Note the elongated hole at the back of the case side.

To make the upper case, begin by joining the upper rail to the case inner top. Then, join this subassembly and bottom panel to the case sides (Photo 8). Rout the stopped rabbet along the back edge of the clock's outer top and square the ends with a chisel. Next, round the outer-top edges as shown. Join the outer top to the top of the upper case.
After joining the upper rail to the inner top panel of the upper case, assemble the remaining upper-case pieces.
 

Making The Doors

Lay out the mortise-and-tenon joints on the glass door stiles and rails. Use a drill press to bore slightly overlapping holes to remove most of the waste from each mortise (Photo 9). Finish with a sharp chisel.
To make mortises in door stiles, bore slightly overlapping holes to remove most of the waste. Finish with a sharp chisel.

Cut the rail tenons with a dado blade in the table saw (Photo 10). Clamp a stop to the miter gauge to ensure uniform tenon length, and hold the rails on edge to cut the tenon shoulders. It's best to cut the tenons slightly oversize and pare to finished size for a smooth surface.
Use a dado blade in the table saw to cut the tenons on door rails. Clamp a stop to the miter gauge for accurate cuts.

Assemble the upper-door frame with glue, clamp to pull the joints tight and check that the door is square. When the glue has dried, use a rabbeting bit to rout a 3/8 x 3/8-in. rabbet around the inner back side of the doorframe (Photo 11). Square the corners with a chisel. Cut the lower cabinet door from a piece of solid cherry stock.
Use a rabbeting bit to rout the rabbet along the inner back surface of the upper door. Square the corners with a chisel.

Lay out the hinge mortises using a sharp knife and square to scribe the ends of the mortises, and a marking gauge to score the long edges. Use a chisel to make a series of angled cuts into the face of the mortise and across the grain within the waste area. Then, pare parallel to the surface to remove the waste (Photo 12). Test fit the hinges to see that they're flush with the surrounding surface.
After making angled vertical cuts to hinge-mortise depth, hold the chisel parallel to the stock surface to remove the waste.

Check that the installed doors will have a 1/16-in. clearance around their edges. Use a hand plane to shape a 5 degree bevel on the opening edge of each door to provide clearance for opening and closing. Install each door using only the center screw in each hinge leaf and check that the doors will work (Photo 13). Cut and install the cleats behind the glass door in the upper case (Photo 14). Then, remove the doors.
Install the doors in the case to test their fit. For the initial installation, use only the center screwholes in each hinge leaf.
Attach the cleats to the top case with screws. Countersink the pilot holes so screwheads fall below the wood surface.
 

Finishing Touches

The clockface is glued to a 1/4-in. plywood panel with spray adhesive. Place guide lines on the panel to locate the face so it's centered on the panel, and mask the edges with tape. Spray the adhesive on both surfaces (Photo 15) and let it dry slightly before mounting the face. Bore a 3/8-in. hole through the panel using the hole in the face as a guide.
Mark the position of the clockface on its 1/4-in. plywood panel. Mask the edges and use spray adhesive to glue clockface to panel.

Secure the clock movement to the panel with the brass stem nut (Photo 16). Fasten the hands with the brass cap nut, and screw the panel to the stops in the upper case (Photo 17). Clamp the upper and lower cases together and secure them with 1-1/2-in. No. 8 screws.
Install the brass nut on the stem to hold the movement to the panel. Then, attach the hands with the brass cap nut.
Screw the completed clockface panel to the back edges of the upper-case cleats using 3/4-in. No. 8 rh woodscrews.

Cut strips of 3/8 x 1-in. cherry for the molding under the top case. Round one edge of each strip on a router table, using a featherboard to hold the strip against the fence. Miter the molding to length and install it with 1-in. brads, using glue at the miter joints. Set the brads and fill. Cut 1/4-in. plywood panels for the upper and lower case backs and install each with 3/4-in. No. 8 rh screws (Photo 18).

Before finishing the clock, remove the back panels and clockface. Also, prepare the stops for holding the glass panel in the door. Bore and countersink pilot holes for screws, but don't install the glass until after finishing. Bore holes for the doorknobs and glue them in place.

Sand all case parts with 120-, 150-, 180- and 220-grit sandpaper. We completed our clock with several coats of a penetrating oil finish. Apply the finish according to the instructions. After the final coat has cured, reinstall the clockface and case backs, mount the glass in the upper door and hang the doors.


MATERIALS LIST--CLOCK
A 1 13/16 x 6 x 6 5/8" cherry (top rail)
B 1 1 3/16 x 6 5/8 x 9" cherry (bottom rail)
C 2 13/16 x 3 x 54" cherry (stile)
D 2 13/16 x 7 3/16 x 54" cherry (side)
E 2 13/16 x 6 15/16 x 11" cherry (bottom/top)
F1 2 13/16 x 8 13/16 x 10" cherry (base side)
F2 1 13/16 x 10 x 14 1/4" cherry (base front)
G 1 13/16 x 2 3/4 x 12 5/8" cherry (upper rail)
H 1 13/16 x 7 3/4 x 12 5/8" cherry (inner top)
I 1 13/16 x 8 9/16 x 12 5/8" cherry (top base)
J 2 13/16 x 8 13/16 x 16 3/16" cherry (top side)
K 1 13/16 x 9 5/16 x 15 1/4" cherry (outer top)
L 2 13/16 x 1 1/2 x 12 1/2" cherry (door stile)
M 2 13/16 x 1 1/2 x 11 1/2" cherry (door rail)
N 1 13/16 x 6 1/2 x 38 7/8" cherry (lower door)
O1 2 13/16 x 1 1/4 x 12 5/8" cherry (stile cleat)
O2 2 13/16 x 1 1/4 x 11" cherry (rail cleat)
P 1 1/4 x 12 5/8 x 12 5/8" plywood (clockface panel)
Q1 2 3/8 x 1 x 8 3/8" cherry (side molding)
Q2 1 3/8 x 1 x 13 3/8" cherry (front molding)
R1 1 1/4 x 12 1/8 x 50 1/4" cherry (lower back)
R2 1 1/4 x 13 3/4 x 16 11/16" cherry (upper back)
S1 2 3/8 x 3/8 x 10 1/4" cherry (glass stop)
S2 2 3/8 x 3/8 x 9 1/2" cherry (glass stop)
T 1 1/8 x 10 3/16 x 10 3/16" glass (pane)
U 4 1 1/2 No. 8 fh brass screw
V 6 1 1/2 No. 8 rh brass screw and washer
W 12 1 1/4 No. 8 fh brass screw
X 28 3/4 No. 8 rh brass screw
Y 12 3/4 No. 4 fh brass screw
Z as reqd. 1" brad
AA1 48 No. 20 joining plate
AA2 4 No. 0 joining plate
BB 2 7/8"-dia. Shaker knob, No. 76KW15*
CC 2 pair 11/4 x 2" brass hinges, No. 107H6P*
DD 1 clockface, No. 7415S**
EE 1 clock movement, No. 00047**
FF 1 clock hand set, No. 4870X**
Misc.: Spray adhesive; glue; 120-, 150-, 180- and 220-grit sandpaper; 4/0 steel wool; oil finish.
*Available from Whitechapel Ltd., P.O. Box 11719, Jackson, WY 83002; 800-468-5534.
** Available from Woodcraft Supply, 210 Wood County Industrial Park, P.O. Box 1686, Parkersburg, WV 26102.
Install the plywood backs. The upper back panel can be easily removed for access to the movement or to change batteries.