The movement for this London style longcase clock was designed by Alan Timmins and described in a long and detailed book entitled "Making an Eight Day Longcase Clock", which is published by Tee Publishing, Leicestershire, England.

My version includes the following features:

• Eight day going

• Striking on the hour on a bell

• Five pillar design as is usually found in antique London style clocks

• Ball bearings on great wheel arbors and weight pulleys

• Cabinet made from Australian red cedar (100 year old wardrobe)

• Two metres tall to suit modern ceiling height

• Glass door to the trunk

• Home made spandrels using the "lost wax" technique

• Silvered chapter ring and name cartouche

• Separate seconds dial

• Wooden pendulum rod

The case was finished by partially filling the grain, then "french polished". More like shellac with a french accent! The clock has been running since January 2003, although the movement had been "run in" for three years since 2000 while the the case and dial were constructed and other household projects were attended to. It has proved to be an excellent time keeper, much surpassing my expectations. I am only sorry now that I did not fit "maintaining power" since it stops for the 30 seconds or so each week as I wind it. The pendulum still swings during this period of course, but the escape wheel does not advance.

The spandrels represented a special challenge. I wanted to make my own so that they were a good fit to the chapter ring and the arch. To simplify things I came up with a "composite" spandrel design from which any of the three different spandrels could be cut. The design was worked out in CAD, modelled in clay on a perspex sheet, and a silicone rubber mould taken from the model. Wax impressions were then poured into the mould and trimmed to the desired configuration. The excellent brass castings were made from the wax by Palloys in Sydney.