YouTuber builds water clock using 3D printing and publishes instructions

In a new video, British YouTuber Robert Murray-Smith presents a water-powered clock made with 3D printed parts. The mechanical construction uses the steady swing of a water-filled pendulum to move hands via a gear train.

The heart of the mechanical movement is a pendulum made of bamboo, which is set into a stable 4-second periodic oscillation by a continuous flow of water into chambers at its ends.

The pendulum motion is transmitted via rods and a ratchet to a gear train, which provides the required reduction ratio. One cycle of the pendulum corresponds to one minute. A further transmission ratio drives the hour hand.

The gears of the movement were produced in the YouTuber’s own printer according to the 3D models published by the YouTuber. According to the video, the mechanical properties of commercially available filaments are sufficient for a functional prototype.

The 3D model can be downloaded free of charge from Thingiverse.