Ron Walters makes mechanical clocks with intricate wooden parts. Recently, we linked out to his process for gluing up round wooden blanks with “ideal” grain patterns from which to cut gears to maximize their long-term environmental stability. Ron has also experimented with using traditional plywood for gears, and got interested in making his own because he couldn’t find commercial ply having the right color, grain, and quality to suit his taste.
He makes the plies using a small portable wood planer modified with a custom table riser to allow access to the really thin sections (e.g. 0.060″) that he needs. The process is meticulous, and the size of the resulting panel is limited to the width of the planer feed, but the results are impressive, and it’s pretty fascinating to watch how carefully Ron works. His method is very well thought-out, and if you have a project that requires a small piece of custom plywood this series of videos could be just the thing you’re looking for.
Plywood Clamping Jig – Making Plywood Part 1
Plywood Clamping Jig – Making Plywood Part 2
Plywood Clamping Jig – Making Plywood Part 3
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