UGEARS Wooden 3D Puzzles for Adults - Astronomer Table Clock with Tourbillon Model Kit - Mechanical Clock Kit Functional DIY Miniature Kit Wood Crafts for Adults - Gifts For Puzzle Lovers - 338 Pieces

The media could not be loaded. Background:This is the second UGears model that I have assembled and just like the first one (Steam Locomotive U-460), the plywood quality felt very good and hefty and the engineering put into the model was very impressive.I purchased this clock thinking that all the lessons I learned from building the Steam Train would make getting this clock smoothly functioning in a jiffy. I was extremely wrong in this assumption.Assembly:My kit was missing the cardstock for the clock dials, but I contacted UGears's customer service and they mailed me the parts to me with no charge. Very nice!It took me 3 days to assemble since I spent the time to wax and sand for a soft finish on every surface (it is imperative that a 90 dollar kit should look and feel good). The build was very complex but satisfying to engage with. I however do recommend buying your own set of quality round toothpicks as I found the ones provided to be of quite low quality. Also, consider buying own your supply of paste wax as you will need a lot more wax than what the kit provides.The instructions for installing parts were clear, though I had to look online to understand some of what was happening when it came to the moving/calibration steps - the descriptions there were a bit lacking. Fortunately a QR code in the manual pointed me to videos that I found helpful.Tuning:It was daily process of fiddling with the tourbillon to figure out what needed sanding or further lubrication. After assembly without tuning, the clock would run for a minute at a time before seizing - which wasn't up to my standards.Learning how the mechanism works before fiddling with it and sanding down actual geometries is vital for not bricking this expensive puzzle. I did craft some parts myself, such as a cleaner pallet lever with lower friction gems and a longer guard pin essentially get near perfect performance. It runs as advertised now, keeping up power for 2ish hours before stopping. I am now extremely familiar with the Swiss lever escapement mechanism.If I had some final tips - it would be that friction is the enemy, and always know how things work before deciding to make permanent modifications.Conclusion:This is a very nice kit and the plywood is of good quality. Costumer Service was helpful in proving me with missing parts and had a fast response time. The toothpicks and wax provided are insufficient in quality and amount so it would be best to purchase your own. The Clock is unlikely to work well right after assembly and will require to be taken apart for further tuning. Perfecting the clock is time consuming process and requires a passing level of knowledge or mechanical intuition but doing so will result in a clock that runs as advertised. I recommend this to anyone with a passing interest in these sorts of things and the patience to back it up.

The media could not be loaded. This was a challenge, but really cool. I honestly did not think it was going to work even though I really worked on the sanding and smoothing the gears and various parts. I used a lot of wax. I read a ton of reviews and the more I got into the build the chances of it actually working got slimmer and slimmer. I figured it looked great just sitting there and if it didn't work that would be fine with me. In the reviews I read about some of the various modifications people were making. I only used one of part 128 instead of two. In some of the reviews they really seemed to know what they were talking about so I tried a few things. I had a heck of a time with the balance spring. I could not get it leveled out for my life. I didn't quite understand how to "reseat" the tourbillon. I played with it for about an hour or so but didn't really know if I did it correctly or not. After reading the comments on the flat spiral spring in regards to pulling the lock out after the initial install. I didn't know if it was going to fall apart or rip one of my fingers off. When I finally cranked it up to see if it worked I would have bet more than I care to admit that there was just no way it was going to go for a few seconds let alone a few minutes...but it really worked! Like the reviews said, it ran longer and longer each time. At this point it runs a little over an hour before it needs a little nudge. I never thought I would hear what it sounds like running in "real life" as opposed to hearing it on the videos. The entire build took about 12 hours(+-). I would work on it an hour or two every day or so. When something didn't feel right I would put it down and come back to it later. I've only done five puzzles total. The first four were the moon buggies and rovers. After that I built the Wood Trick Wooden Marble Run. Watching one of the videos on that is where I saw this. I decided to go ahead and give it a try. Like the reviews said, TAKE YOUR TIME and enjoy the process. I had a great time with the build, that it actually works is a huge bonus for me.This thing is great, however it is not for kids. The laser work is extraordinary and the quality is impressive. All I know is that it works and I have never attached a video to a review...till now. At 66 I never thought I would enjoy a "toy" as much as I did at this point in my life.

This is definately a kit for an advanced builder, but it can result in a pleasing conversation piece that works and is fascinating to watch. After some analysis and rework I have my clock running 3 to 4 hours on a fully wound mainspring. Other builders may have better results since I am relatively new to the wood kit hobby but I am a home shop machinist, so I do have some tools and some skills. The escapment does allow for some error correction which impressed me since this is a wooden clock kit. I would buy another kit from this brand.

Between my wife and i, we have purchased every single wooden clock and several other wooden puzzles. Yougears seems to make the best ones. I have all the clocks this is one of two that actually works, it's really cool once it's all done and once you get it all dialed in. It takes a while to get it dialed in, and it only lasts for about 3 or 4 hours before you have to rewind it. But this is my favorite wooden puzzle I have put together thus far! It's a great centerpiece on your table