Exciting New Woodworking Projects!
Hearth & Home Cabinet & Snack Trays Plan
Even though I have been “officially” retired for 4 years now, I have been fortunate to continue to develop new kit and plan products for Klockit.
Although coming up with new clock kits and plans continues to be an important part of my design focus, adding new furniture and other home accent kits and plans is becoming an important factor in Klockit’s mission to provide customers with new woodworking projects they can complete and sell, give as gifts, or proudly display in their own homes.
I am excited by the totally new and unique components Klockit continues to add to their product line that help me create new kit and plan products for our customers and, better still, provides our Klockit customers an opportunity to purchase the new components and make their own unique product designs.
I have been designing kit and plan products for Klockit since 1983 and I have to say, based on the “TOP DO” design list I get from the New Product Development Group, Klockit is 100% committed to remaining the industry leader in offering customers the components and ideas they need to keep them very busy in their home shops.
So, here’s the deal! I’ll keep designing and our Klockit woodworking customers will continue to build products that far exceed my expectations in craftsmanship.
Do You Know If a Storm is Rolling In?
AcuRite 08560 Weather Alert NOAA Radio/LED Flashlight with Hand Crank
April showers, bring May flowers… and lightening, thunder, tornadoes and more. Many of us enjoy thunderstorms, watching them role in and the excitement of the pending storm. However, given the strength of the severe weather we have experience now more than ever we need to be prepared.
I recently moved into an area where the trees block my view of the surrounding area. I cannot see a thing and sometimes have no clue a severe storm is coming. Once a storm is in full force, I have very little radio reception and my satellite goes out with even the slightest bit of downpour rain. Now I am in the dark, without a clue to the size of storm we are getting. I cannot hear tornado sirens in my area and I rely on friends and family for notifications, that is if we have cell phone reception.
My problems have been resolved with the Weather Alert NOAA Led Crank Flashlight. This handy radio digitally tunes in to NOAA Weather Radio NWR which provides continuous weather and emergency information including warnings, watches, floods, disasters, wild fire, earth quake, nuclear power plant, radiological, biological, chemical hazard, Amber alerts, public announcements and more. Warnings come from National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service, Dept of Defense and Weather Radio Canada. Specific Area Message Encoding (S.A.M.E.) makes sure you only get alerts in your area. A loud siren sounds when emergency conditions occur. The hand crank provides emergency power by recharging batteries. Other features are local weather report anytime, time/date with automatic Daylight Saving adjustment, headphone/accessory jack, volume control, low battery indicator and automatic strong signal channel selection. There are no subscription fees or other costs for the alerts. Set up is easy. Be prepared for whatever the weather brings your way.
Klockit is On Pinterest!
Have you heard about the new social media site, Pinterest? Are you as obsessed with pinning as we are?
As always, we’re looking for new ways to interact with you and we’re excited Pinterest gives us a fresh way to inspire you with new projects and products from Klockit. As a work in progress, our Pinterest page is a guide of different project filled boards of inspiration. We’re showcasing our products and giving you ideas of different ways to use them such as using our clock hands to make them into jewelry and fun DIY wall clocks using our clock hub. We have a great Father’s Day idea using neck ties and our round circle hub! By following us, you’ll be the first to see some of our new products before anyone else. You’ll also find different furniture projects and other unique ideas found around the web. And because we’re a clock company, we like to keep you entertained with a board of all different kinds of Cuckoo clocks and random, unique clocks from all over the world. As we’re laying out our new Pinterest page, a benefit of being a follower of Klockit, we’re coming up with new contests and programs for just our followers to interact in; look for announcements in the future. We’re also excited to get to know you better by following your Pinterest page as well. We look forward to learning what new projects you’re working on.
If you’re not already a member of Pinterest, you can go to www.pinterest.com and sign up for an account. Pinterest is by invite only, so if you apply for the waiting list directly from the site, you may be waiting a couple of days. We suggest if you are on Facebook or know a friend already on Pinterest, ask them to send you an invite so you can get to pinning right away. (Trust us, once you’re on, it’s addicting). Once you’re in, follow us today and be inspired with Klockit!
Kit-Cat Clocks Celebrate 80 Years of Fun
Black Kit-Cat Clock
The Kit-Cat clock has been in American homes since the 1930s. The cat clock was designed by Earl Arnault in Oregon during the Great Depression. The clock brought happiness during this period with its wagging tail, rolling eyes and infectious smile. The wall clock experienced immense growth in the 40s and 50s when a new design change was enacted, giving the cat top paws and a bow tie.
The 1990s finally brought the clock into limited color edition Kit-Cats. And the lady Kit-Cat clock was first introduced in 2001, changing the bow tie to a pearl necklace and adding eye lashes.
White Lady Kit-Cat Clock
The famous Kit-Cat Clocks are now 80 years old in 2012. To celebrate this achievement, the cat wall clocks were featured in the 2012 Pasadena Rose Parade. The wall clocks are also featured in movies and television. Kit-Cat has created a new Pinterest board that showcases their sightings.
The Kit-Cat Clocks are now sold at Klockit in 3 colors: Black, Red and the White Lady. Also available is a Lucite Stand that allows the clock to be placed on a desktop or mantle.
The Kit-Cat Creed
- Put a smile on everyone’s face;
- Love in everyone’s heart;
- Energy in everyone’s body;
- And be a positive force in everyone’s life!
Troubleshooting Pendulums
As moderator of the clock forum, I am seeing an increase in the number of people experiencing problems with pendulums not swinging (or not continuing to swing after being started). In most cases, this occurs after a clock has been moved from one location to another. Before a repairman is called, here are some initial things that can be done to possibly correct the issue.
Begin by making certain the movement (within the clock case) is perfectly level front to back and side to side. Once you have ensured that the movement is level, you may perform beat adjustment. Beat adjustment is the process of making certain the clock is in proper beat (characterized by an even “tick-tock” once complete). This process balances the verge, a see-saw like lever near the top of the movement, which controls the action of time train (escape gear). Note that newer movements may allow for automatic beat adjustment, but older movements may have to be adjusted manually. For auto beat adjustment, simply over-swing the pendulum (diameter of the pendulum bob + 6”-8”) to one side. Release the pendulum and allow the movement to self correct. If you do not know if your movement is equipped to self adjust, perform manual beat adjustment as described below.
Manual beat adjustment is a bit more involved, but is certainly not anything too complicated to do. Looking at the back side of the movement, the pendulum will hang from a piece called the pendulum leader. As you travel up the leader, you will notice an arm that sticks out through the rear movement plate. This arm, called the crutch arm, inserts through the pendulum leader just above the pendulum.
Remove the pendulum from the leader, and then remove the leader from the crutch arm. Take note of how these items are removed so that they can be replaced by reversing this process. Swing the crutch arm from vertical center to left, until you feel slight resistance. Return the crutch arm to vertical center and swing it to the right until you encounter slight resistance. For an even beat, the crutch arm MUST swing an equal distance from center to left, as it does from center to right. If the swing is shorter on one side, push through the slight resistance to adjust until the swing from center to left and center to right is equal. Re-mount the leader, re-hang the pendulum, and then start the swing. Note that further adjustments may be made if necessary.
Design for Your Family
I absolutely enjoyed designing (and building) the new furniture items that Klockit has recently introduced as plan products. Little did I realize, however, that, as family members and friends viewed the models in my home of the Hearth & Home Cabinet, Snack Trays, Prairie Bookcase, Prairie Sideboard, Sofa Table, Side Pop-Up Table, Wine Rack, Garden Patio Bench and even the Studio Space Saver Cabinet , I would be deluged with multiple requests to build these items.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love working in my woodshop and goodness knows having multiple projects to make, helps me justify to my wife why I need all of the new “Toys” (jigs/fixtures, etc.)! It is just trying to figure out who will get what and when that is a bit confusing.
Because I do not think our Klockit woodworking customers should be out fishing or golfing while I am busy working in my shop, trying to keep peace in the family, I am encouraging all of my fellow woodworkers to build one or more of these furniture items and put it on display in your home. You’ll see just how popular you become with your family and friends!!!
Now I hope you realize I am just having a bit of fun with everyone but I am very serious about how much fun it is to build these items from Klockit’s plans and you (as well as your family and friends) will truly admire the finished items in your home.
Celebrations Keepsake Box
Celebrations Keepsake Box Plan
Now that Christmas is over, its time to start thinking about the next season. Spring is coming fast, which means showers, weddings and graduations. We have the perfect plan and components, our Celebrations Keepsake Box.
Serving dual purpose, during the event it can be a card holder and after the event it can be a keepsake box. During the event, guests can put cards into the card slot on the top of the Celebrations Keepsake Box and it keeps cards securely inside with a lockable lid. Also the lid can hold a 5″x7″ picture or a special note to your guests. You can decorate the 3 panels of the box with either 8″x10″ photos, invitation, poems, etc. The 4th panel holds a Celebrations clock dial or you can customize the dial to match the décor of your event with different colors, names, dates and/or pictures. The box spins 360° to view all panels. Components include a clock movement, hour and minute hands, Celebrations dial, side & top glass and all hardware. The plan contains dimensional woodworking drawings for each wood piece.
This will fit perfectly in your home décor after the event to hold all the memories and treasures from the special event with the outside dimensions of 13 9/16” height x 11 7/16” width x 11 7/16” depth.
New Kitchen Cabinet Plan
Hearth & Home Cabinet & Snack Trays Plan & Components
As our Spring 2012 catalog is hitting homes, we’re excited to introduce our new products and expanding line of furniture plans. One of our favorite new items is the Hearth & Home Cabinet & Snack Trays plan.
It is a great item to place in your home due to its endless storage possibilities. Our team was so excited during the planning process, coming up with ideas where to place this cabinet in their home. We kept leaning towards the idea of how to organize your spices and increase storage within the kitchen, but as it developed, we realized this could really go anywhere in your home. Staying true to the original design concept, it was designed at counter-top height,. If placing in the kitchen, it adds that extra little space for baking and mixing. The storage beneath is also convenient for organizing all your essential baking items. Store mixing bowls on the shelves, along with a hand mixer, etc. In the storage boxes on the door, organize each box with your most used baking ingredients, such as oil, vanilla extract, and frosting, making everything within reach.
The cabinet can also be used as a storage unit in your living room. Keep board games, video game systems, toys and movies organized and hidden. The shelves make a great hideaway for DVDs, video games, even books and the storage boxes keep controllers and remotes within reach. If you’re not interested in building the snack trays, we find that guitar controllers are a nice way to fill the space, allowing them to be stored upright.
We also made the outside customizable. In addition to varying the shelf height, you can remove the center panels of the doors, sides, and back allowing you to fill them with the décor of your choice. Some ideas would be decorative glass, bead board, or punched tin. The front can even be made a message center by using a chalkboard, chalkboard paint or magnetic paint.
The possibilities are indeed endless. Building this plan? We would love to hear your uses for the Hearth & Home.
Mechanical Movements
Hermle 451-030 Slim 'n Trim Westminster
You finally have received that Grandfather Clock you always wanted, complete with a mechanical movement. Now that the initial investment is made, it is a good idea to learn how to care for your movement to maximize the life span of your investment. A mechanical movement is much like an automobile. Proper maintenance care will insure your movement, like a car, will last for many years to come.
You would not run your car without oil, and a mechanical movement is no different. Movements should be oiled every 1 to 3 years in order to prevent wear of gear pivot points. Dry or arid locations should plan to oil the movement every year. Note that new movements are factory pre-oiled, and should not require application of oil for another year or two. There are a variety of clock oilers and maintenance kits available, however the oil selected should be specifically for clock movements. Do NOT use spray lubricants (such as WD-40) or sewing machine oil. A drop or two of clock oil is applied into each gear pivot point. Be careful not to apply too much oil. If the oil runs out and down the plate of the movement, it will pull all the oil out of the pivot point with it. This leaves a dry pivot which would be susceptible to eventual wear. If this should happen, wipe away all oil from that pivot point and re-apply oil.
Clock Oiler Kit
Dust is the major enemy of any mechanical movement. Dust will collect and mix with oil to form a destructive grime that can quickly wear away pivot points of the movement. Cleaning is the best way to ensure that grime does not cause eventual movement failure. Cleaning should be performed every 3 to 5 years (more arid climates should plan to clean the movement at least every 3 years). Dusty environments may warrant more frequent cleaning. Use mineral spirits and a small brush to clean the movement (especially pivot points). Clean the inside of the works as well, cleaning the gear teeth and brushing away dirt particles from pivot points. Wipe the brush on a clean cloth sporadically to remove dirt collected. Once clean, wipe the movement with a clean, dry, lint-free cloth. Use a hair dryer (on low) to help dry the mineral spirits. Once dry, proceed to oil the movement so that all pivot points are (once again) well lubricated.
2011 – A Year of Innovation and Ideas from Klockit
Wine Rack Plan
2011 was a great year for Klockit. We introduced some great new plans this year including the Wine Rack Plan (#49049) that holds 24 wine bottles and an optional wine glass display stand that can hold up to four wine glasses and an optional bottle cradle display stand to showcase a treasured bottle of wine. We also introduced the Pop-Up Sofa Table’s (#34780) companion, the Side Pop-Up Table (#49888). The side table piece extends functionality beyond its original predecessor. The front portion of the table features a lift top which can extend over a sofa or chair arms.
As the Summer warm months came around, the AcuRite 00617 Deluxe Wireless Pool & Spa Thermometer (#16094) was a big hit. With this wireless thermometer, you can monitor the temperature of your pool or spa from up to 100 feet away. The AcuRite 00325 Home Comfort Monitor (#16080)was another big seller this year. Monitoring the humidity of your home can be important to your skin, prohibit allergies and other health benefits by inhibiting the growth of mold, bacteria, viruses, fungi, mites and other asthma inducing agents.
Acu-Rite 00325 Home Comfort Monitor
We at Klockit are continually trying to help our customers learn new methods of woodworking and to increase your efficiency in the workshop. So in the past month we have uploaded three new woodworking videos created by the Woodworker’s Guild of America. In these videos, methods are taught to create your own base molding, curved molding and leg to rail joinery.
As 2012 rolls in, expect to see more great introductions into our product line, and other exciting promotions including our 2nd Facebook Photo Contest. The new Spring 2012 catalog will be mailing in January!
