What if you build a clock that displayed the time not just on its own, but in its shadows as well? [Lewis] from [DIY Machines] has done just that, with a nifty 3D-printed shadow clock build.
The clock itself, based on a design by [shiura], has a hollow rim inside which are the two hands which actually display the time. The hands appear to almost float inside the clock, a tricky visual effect of the design which instantly catches the eye. The trick is simple—the minute hand is physically attached to the outer rotor, which sets its position. Meanwhile, the floating hour hand pivots freely around the center of the clock, with a secret magnet within. This magnet is attracted to a complementary magnet in the hour rotor—as that rotor turns, the hour hand points at the magnets inside.
So far, it’s already a cool clock. The bonus feature is that [Lewis] realized this design could show an even larger clockface on the wall behind, merely by using its shadows. Thus, the clock features an LED light source which can project the clock’s shadows into a much larger display than the desktop timepiece itself.
As for the electronics, it’s straightforward stuff. An ESP8266 devboard runs the show, turning stepper motors and controlling addressable LEDs to make the clock do its thing. It also queries a network time server in order to ensure the displayed time is always accurate to the second.
We’ve featured some other excellent clocks over the years, like this incredible thermochromic build. Video after the break.
As Lewis noted in the description, the magnet-based floating clock mechanism is not his design but mine. My design has been released under a CC BY-NC-SA license, so he has the right to modify and remix it. However, if you mention my designed part (more specifically, the second paragraph in this article), it would be better to point to the original design:
https://www.instructables.com/Hollow-Clock-4/
for better understanding by the readers. Thanks.
Amazing idea, thank you for sharing it.
came to say this isn’t the original, but that was already said.
Will now say THANKS shiura!
Have printed a few of your designs
The link to the original design has been added. Thank you to all of the HACKADAY team!
It looks really cool, but am I the only one who has to count to read a clock without numerals?
Probably.
No you’re right there with Gen Z and Alpha who can’t read an analog clock, make change, write a decent sentence without spell check and AI, and do simple math.
Yeah, you mean the people who are being taught or were taught by YOUR generation?
I can read a clock. Due to ADD it is painful and annoying.
I can make change, well, I can count out what I have so I get back the change I want. Had a bill for lets say 81.18 the other day, gave the kid 101.25, he looks at it and says “its only 81”, I say trust me, it’s less change this way. Sure enough I got a 20 and 7 cents back. Of course that may be the autism, which is separate thing. I’m quickly on my way to being the old guy who ‘helps’ the new staff ‘learn’ the ropes. Actually I’m well on my way if I’ve been ordering the same thing there since before they were born, and I’m only middle-aged.
The only meaningful general comments about entire generations are of the kind “born between this year and that year”, and even those are fuzzy around the edges.
Well if you want to learn just buy some cheap dollar store analogue clocks and sprinkle them around the house, you’ll learn soon enough.
Fundamental question: when can I see the shadow of the clock, but not its face?
I have a golden hour clock that’s similar to the printed one in this project. Shortly after I got it I discovered that you can’t really see the time if the room is dimly lit or dark, so I light up the wall behind the clock which allows me to see the time no matter what the room lighting conditions are. All it takes is an LED and a wall wart. I could light the clock from the front, and that would let me see the time under any conditions, too, but by lighting the wall, I can hit the light source from view.