Help with fixing a TWEMCO QT-30

[sciencethemouse]

Hey all,

I was inspired by the Yoshitomo Walk On Flip Clock to make one with my own drawings, which I made as a gift for my girlfriend who loves the original but costs around $400 usd.

I bought a TWEMCO QT-30 and applied black label-stickers with drawings to each tile with its corresponding time.
However, the clock wont turn when has batteries, and gets stuck often when flipping through it manually (see in video).

Link to photos and a video of the clock: https://imgur.com/a/custom-twemco-flip-clock-04ihzEh

I do not know a whole lot about clock mechanics, but I assume the added weight from the stickers is too much for the motor to flip through.

Does anyone know how I could go about fixing it?
Thanks :]

[Johan de Jong]

Could it be that the tiles get stuck at the bottom of the bezel? At the end of your video it looks like this is happening.

A possible cause is that you assembled the clock lying face down. Try to assemble the clock in the upright position such that the tiles can swing down past the bottom edge of the bezel.

Another possibility cause is that the added thickness of the stickers limits the free movement of the tiles and this may cause the tiles to pile up at the bottom of the bezel.

Hope you get it working. I like your idea to create your own “walk on” clock! The original is heavily overpriced in my opinion.

[Mackey]

You figured correctly!

[flipoclock]

Johan made some goods comments here but I'm afraid that it could (it does not have to be) simply be case of the flaps having become too thick... If that is the case, can you not send them down or perhaps spraypaint them and then draw on them? Good luck and keep us posted because this is indeed a nice project!

[flipoclock]

obviously I meant 'sand' and not 'send' :-)

[royhendo]

I think this is fantastic. The video does look a bit like an old Grayson I have that has warped tiles from exposure to heat. Once they’re swapped out it should work normally again so I’m waiting to try and pick some up - not much help other than to say the problem ‘looks similar’. The tiles occasionally bunch up as the mechanism turns and it prevents them progressing past the ‘tooth’ that holds them in before they flip. And it doesn’t take much curvature.

As an aside on the illustrations (they’re great I think), a family friend used to use a dental drill to illustrate on glass - it does make me wonder if an etching approach would address the thickness thing - the split flap community on GitHub etc have some good examples of experimenting with laser etching tools but they’re just trying to recreate the solari font for digits, numbers and symbols. It’d be niche but it’d be great if there was a service that custom printed and cut flaps for these types of thing.

[Mackey]

Looking forward to getting this clock on the workbench. Should be arriving soon. I’ll keep you posted.

[Mackey]

Well…. I’ve got the clock and have an idea what’s happening. It does have to do with the increased thickness of the tiles. What I think is happening is that the tiles are exerting too much pressure on the back of the tile hold back. The motor doesn’t have enough torque to overcome this. That’s why it will work for a while then not, because of the variable thickness of the tiles as not all are the same thickness. I believe that removing just a very, very small amount of the tile hold back on the backside will fix it.

[sciencethemouse]

Thanks for the update and finding the issue!
I assumed it was something to do with the motor not being strong enough to flip the tiles.
Are you able to fix the issue you described? I understand there are a lot of tiles that might need shaving, but I am more than willing to cover the cost of labor. Please let me know,

[Mackey]

Well, got it done!
I didn't have to modify the tiles. The interior of the clock needed adjusting. Here's the details.

[sciencethemouse]

Wow, amazing work. The video is great and I really appreciate you dedicating so much time to fixing its issues, and finding such an innovative way to make the tiles flip again. I know you stated in an earlier message that you do not charge for repairs but please let me know if I can compensate you for your time and/or materials used. I will send you a private message with my return address and the logistics of paying for return shipping, so feel free to only answer there

[royhendo]

It was fantastic this video Mackey, thank you - so helpful.