Blame it on whatever you want (old age???)...but I don't ever recall doing something so spontaneously and crazily as what I did a couple months ago when I, on the spur of the moment, saw this on Facebook and bought it on the spot.
Not only the clock but a locomotive and tractor, too. All three! For Christmas, I said, for both of us. Astrid immediately said I should do the clock...and she'd do the locomotive and tractor. Deal.
While she was finishing up a fisherman's sweater for me (a later post), I started the clock a couple weeks ago and finally finished it this past weekend.
It's actually a 3D puzzle of 170 pieces.
And if it does what it's supposed to, it actually tick-tocks like a...clock...when it's put together!
[Google image]
There were 5 wood laser panels with the pieces to punch out in a certain order,
following the instruction manual. [Google image]
Oh, and it says age 14+. (Maybe it helped that I'm 73, or not?)
And that it takes 5-8 hours to make. (Probably double that?)
You have no idea how totally up my alley this was!
If you understand how time stands still during such a project for me, you "get" it.
If you understand how time stands still during such a project for me, you "get" it.
I organized myself on our back-of-the-couch work table on 6 December (the day after Sinterklaas!).
The instructions start with the 9 gears and once I got the hang of the first one,
it all started making sense, followed by the frame and then gear insertion.
it all started making sense, followed by the frame and then gear insertion.
I ended up working on the assembly off-and-on 5 different days...
finishing the project on 16 December.
OK, it only runs 5 seconds at a time right now but at least it works!
I'm not sure if tweaking it will help, but for this moment in time (!)...
Merry Christmas to me!
And till we meet again next week,
MERRY CHRISTMAS
to you as well.
I'm not sure if tweaking it will help, but for this moment in time (!)...
Merry Christmas to me!
And till we meet again next week,
MERRY CHRISTMAS
to you as well.
I can see how this is your thing, totally! It's beautiful, and it must feel wonderful to accomplish its assembly!
ReplyDeleteYou know me, Ruth! And yes, it was pure bliss for me! :)
Deleteyay!!! you did it!! it's sooo beautiful, and something like that would have driven me nuts lol i'm more the theoretical type myself... it's all in my head, not my hands!
ReplyDeletebut YOU, you look soooo calm while making it... it's lovely to see!
I have always loved intricate, minute details with my hands, Elaine, mostly because my hands are small and can handle tiny spaces. This was pure joy and bliss for me! Thanks.
DeleteIt was great to see you work on it and that you could make it work... What fun this is. I know you love this kind of assignments. IHVJ.
ReplyDeleteYou were here "beside me" from beginning to end, Astrid, rooting for me all along the way. Thank you. :)
DeleteOh my gosh...I don't think I would ever have the patience for something like this, ha! But I can so see this as something that interests you and what a great job you did! YEAH!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Robin. Totally up my alley, yes. Astrid is now putting a locomotive together that is even more complicated than this. Guess you could say we're two peas in a pod. HA!
DeleteI got one for Christmas as well. I spent two days working on the assembly. When I was done it required a bit of tweeking to get it to run smoothly, but it seemed the more I ran it, the better it got. Mine will operate for about 5 hours straight now, and actually keeps pretty good time. Loses about a minute per hour. I love it!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great testimony to the joy of such a fun toy! Thanks for sharing.
DeleteI finished putting mine together. I can’t get it to run. Sometimes when I wind it up it just unwinds rapidly. Other times it winds successfully, but I can’t keep the pedulum going. It seems like the gears on the right side move whereas I can’t get the gears on the right side to move. I’m very frustrated and angry that the “instruction” manual is so unhelpful. Can anyone advise me as to what I should do.
ReplyDeleteI really wish I could help you, Rachel. I found it interesting that after we had our in the closed china cabinet (for viewing), it seemed to run better and longer. That indicated to me that humidity might have been a problem before it was encased? Have you written to the place where you ordered yours? We had very successful help with our contact person.
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