Semi OT: Shop wall clock

NAST555 · Jul 19, 2017

So since moving into my new shop I no longer have a siren for tea/lunch breaks and don't plan on getting one for the foreseeable future. My employees tend to "steal" time by making as if they do not know what time it is so I want to put up a shop wall clock purely for time. Looking for something that can be seen from a distance of about 20 metres and something that is also aesthetically pleasing would be a bonus.

I did some googling and have seen a few large clocks and also LED style one's but what do you guys use? The LED one's seem pretty damn pricey for what I will be using it for.

DDoug · Jul 19, 2017

At the T.V. station we had a large LED clock made with 6" high numerals of individual red LED's

As it was for actual station time, it was a 6 place unit, so the seconds were constantly wizzing by.

That'll keep it in perspective for 'em eh ?

NAST555 · Jul 19, 2017

digger doug said:
At the T.V. station we had a large LED clock made with 6" high numerals of individual red LED's

As it was for actual station time, it was a 6 place unit, so the seconds were constantly wizzing by.

That'll keep it in perspective for 'em eh ?

HAHAHAHA yeah I actually spotted one with seconds count on my search... My first thought was that it would probably endlessly pee me off if I see it with the corner of my eye ticking the seconds over

daryl bane · Jul 19, 2017

I have found the battery digital wall clocks to be iffy, some seem to last forever but the majority like to go crazy at some point, usually non-fixable. Not to sound retro, but the best wall clock I have ever had is a big..like big old analog GE wall clock that you plug in. I got it from a drugstore that was closing when I was a kid! I am 60. And it had been in that drugstore since...who knows. I cleaned it up and put a new cord on it, and it keeps perfect time. The only drawback is if you have a power outage. But this one has alittle window that pops red when there is an outage.

DDoug · Jul 19, 2017

daryl bane said:
I have found the battery digital wall clocks to be iffy, some seem to last forever but the majority like to go crazy at some point, usually non-fixable. Not to sound retro, but the best wall clock I have ever had is a big..like big old analog GE wall clock that you plug in. I got it from a drugstore that was closing when I was a kid! I am 60. And it had been in that drugstore since...who knows. I cleaned it up and put a new cord on it, and it keeps perfect time. The only drawback is if you have a power outage. But this one has alittle window that pops red when there is an outage.

I kind of collect those...the magnetism of the motor holds the red flag out of the window.
Power goes off, flag goes red in the window, even if power is restored (walk in and see your clock running, but the red in the window means the power had gone out)

Resetting it in so natural as well, when you crank the knob to set the time, naturally pulling it down
puts the flag back up.

Plus these motorized clocks don't make a loud click every second....the new battery operated ones
are loud enough in the hallway to keep me awake.

Mud · Jul 19, 2017

daryl bane said:
I have found the battery digital wall clocks to be iffy, some seem to last forever but the majority like to go crazy at some point, usually non-fixable. Not to sound retro, but the best wall clock I have ever had is a big..like big old analog GE wall clock that you plug in. I got it from a drugstore that was closing when I was a kid! I am 60. And it had been in that drugstore since...who knows. I cleaned it up and put a new cord on it, and it keeps perfect time. The only drawback is if you have a power outage. But this one has alittle window that pops red when there is an outage.

I have one of those in my shop, was my grandfather's, I thought it was old 50+ years ago. Still keeps perfect time and lets me know when the power blinked.

DDoug · Jul 19, 2017

...ooh better !

Paravel Systems WallTime

Chip Chester · Jul 19, 2017

Grab the LCD monitor/TV off your secretary's desk and throw it up on the wall. (Buy her a new one, because she deserves it.) Wire it up, and display computer system time on it, enlarged to your desired size, with your desired degree of precision.

Or, aim a junk camera at the office wall clock and show it on the screen.

(I realize you're not stateside, so may not have low-resolution video or computer stuff lying around surplus. Or a secretary/receptionist.)

Why not re-institute the alarm/buzzer/siren?

Chip

Scottl · Jul 19, 2017

When I was in school every classroom had a large plug-in analog wall clock. There was a special socket high on the classroom wall and the office staff could reset them all for things like daylight savings time with some kind of centralized controller. As I recall they increased the frequency to those sockets while watching an identical unit in the office to "fast forward" the clocks to the new setting.

I have no idea where such an item could be found today or I would suggest putting multiple synchronized clocks at several points in the shop so they can be read at a reasonable distance.

From the situation you describe a siren seems like the best option for both cost and compliance.

DDoug · Jul 19, 2017

Scott,
I have come across a "IBM clock Fan" page, explained a small circuit to build to run them.

Failing finding it, here is for others (not IBM though)
Wall Clocks, Time Systems, Clock Parts | American Time

TDegenhart · Jul 19, 2017

Chip Chester said:
Grab the LCD monitor/TV off your secretary's desk and throw it up on the wall. (Buy her a new one, because she deserves it.) Wire it up, and display computer system time on it, enlarged to your desired size, with your desired degree of precision.

Or, aim a junk camera at the office wall clock and show it on the screen.

(I realize you're not stateside, so may not have low-resolution video or computer stuff lying around surplus. Or a secretary/receptionist.)

Why not re-institute the alarm/buzzer/siren?

Chip

The computer system clock is not synchronized with the power system. It will drift over time.

Tom

Limy Sami · Jul 19, 2017

KISS plain 8'' battery operated sweep hand ''kitchen'' type wall quartz analogue clock, like this Unity Radcliffe Silent Sweep Wall Clock, Black: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home

Mine was £0.50 (about 65 cents) from a fleamarket 15 or so years ago, and a single AA battery lasts <> 18months.

Bobw · Jul 19, 2017

I think a red digital wall clock would drive me bat shit crazy.. When I get
suckered into going to better half's classroom, the one they have on the wall
drives me nuts.. I'm always looking at it, because I always catch it with the
corner of my eye... If it was old school digital watch style, black on gray,
I think that would be fine....

Clock guts are cheap.. Make something "machine" oriented.. Something stupid like
making the "12" out of ALL THE PARTS JOE SCRAPPED LAST WEEK!!

My wall clock.. Found it while googling around for parts, I had to have it.

cg285 · Jul 19, 2017

it don't matter what clock you put up as it won't change your employee's habits. employees get real clever when it comes to goofing off and other such venues.

Limy Sami · Jul 19, 2017

cg285 said:
it don't matter what clock you put up as it won't change your employee's habits. employees get real clever when it comes to goofing off and other such venues.

True, .....I've tried several new fangled ideas, but still reckon a cattle prod and razor wire take a lot of beating.

Tyrone Shoelaces · Jul 19, 2017

A pal of mine started work at a new job. When it was break time on the first day the owner slammed a 10 minute " egg timer " down on the lunch table. He said " When the sand runs out I want to see you back at work ".

My pal lasted two days.

Regards Tyrone

Limy Sami · Jul 19, 2017

Tyrone Shoelaces said:
A pal of mine started work at a new job. When it was break time on the first day the owner slammed a 10 minute " egg timer " down on the lunch table. He said " When the sand runs out I want to see you back at work ".

My pal lasted two days.

Regards Tyrone

I'd have walked out there and then, fact!

Larry Dickman · Jul 19, 2017

My gramps had a little bar in his basement, with a clock that read, "House Rules, No Drinking until after 5", and of course, all the numbers on the face were "5"

Maybe not a good idea for the shop, though

Tyrone Shoelaces · Jul 19, 2017

Limy Sami said:
I'd have walked out there and then, fact!

It took him two days to find his next job !

Regards Tyrone.

nerdyrcdriver · Jul 19, 2017

If you are trying to be picky down to the minute they leave for lunch and come back, a digital one might be better than trying to count the number of ticks from across the shop. Personally, I have always preferred normal analog clocks.

The computer thing was my first though too. Someone expressed concern with it drifting over time, but there are websites that have the national times accurate. Bonus, you don't have to screw with it for daylight savings. Could use an old computer or something like a raspberry pi to display the time on an old tv.

Also, if anyone is using the E2 Shop System time clock function, make sure it is on a non-admin account on the computer. Employees can easily change the computer time, which then changes the time in E2. Fast forward to noon for lunch, clock out, set back to 11:45. Get back at 12:45 and rewind to 12:30, clock back in, fast forward to 12:45 again.

Semi OT: Shop wall clock

Stainless

Diamond

Stainless

Titanium

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Stainless

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Titanium

Diamond

Aluminum

Similar threads