Really Big Digital Clock Finds Use For Really Big 3D Printer

What does it take to make a really big digital clock? If [Ivan Miranda]’s creation is any gauge, it takes a really big 3D printer, an armful of Neopixel strips, and a ton of hot melt glue.

It looks like [Ivan]’s plus-size clock is mainly an exercise for his recently completed large-bed custom 3D printer, in itself a project worth checking out. But it’s a pretty ambitious project, and one that has some possibilities for enhancements. Each of the four seven-segment displays was printed separately, with a black background, translucent white for the segments, and recesses for five RGB LEDs each. The four digits and colon spacer are mated together into one display, and an ESP8266 fetches the time from a NIST server and drives the segments. What’s really interesting about [Ivan]’s projects is that he constrains himself to finishing them each in a week. That explains the copious amount of hot glue he uses, and leaves room for improvements. We’d love to see this display built into a nice walnut case with a giant red diffusing lens. Even as it stands it certainly makes a statement.

We’ve featured other outsized seven-segment displays before, but few as big as this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viqP5sbzNGM

[via r/arduino]

22 thoughts on “Really Big Digital Clock Finds Use For Really Big 3D Printer

  1. So what’s the new site name, Clock Porn Weekly? Horologophiliacs Fetish News? Titillating Timepiece Tribune? Watch Watch? Coquettish Chronometer Chronicle? Hourglasses and Houris Herald?

  2. I’ve built large clocks for track & running events using strips of 7 individual bright LEDs to form the segments. Didn’t have access to a 3d printer, so I used 1/4″ wood to mount the LEDs, sandwiched with a 1/2″ wood and then diffused with two layers of florescent light differs.

    6 digit clock
    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B15YgWdV0RiCR3VaM3A5Q085Q0E/view
    5 digit clock at the track
    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B15YgWdV0RiCeEhFNHE1Nno3Qm15ZUQwdmhGcUdOeTlBTTZj/view

  3. 3D printing and hot”glue”, what a combo. I have seen it seperate with no stress at all. Please guys, leave that stuff for dried flower arangements where it’s bonding strength is up to it.

  4. Nice one!
    I’m currently building a big clock as well. I used mdf and my cnc router to cut out the holes for my 3d printed led mounts. Because I didn’t want to mess around with hotglue, I printed them with screw holes :) They fit in really well!
    Hope to get this project finished within the next 2 weeks. I want to conver everything with a translucent panel for a high end looking!
    https://www.instagram.com/p/BMm2kbgAnKv/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/BMfIzcLg_lu/

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