I made this wooden watch with a tight dovetail clasp. Unfortunately, if the
dovetail is too tight she can't connect it with one hand and if it is too
loose it gets disconnected on its own. Anyone have any ideas for a clasp? I
don't want to use magnets or Velcro and would like to avoid metal if
possible.

http://www.gvtc.com/~mellisb/Wooden%20Watch.jpg

Marty wrote:
I made this wooden watch with a tight dovetail clasp. Unfortunately, if the
dovetail is too tight she can't connect it with one hand and if it is too
loose it gets disconnected on its own. Anyone have any ideas for a clasp? I
don't want to use magnets or Velcro and would like to avoid metal if
possible.

http://www.gvtc.com/~mellisb/Wooden%20Watch.jpg

How about a tiny (about the diameter of one of the link pins) thin smear
of silicone caulk in the center of both sides of the dovetail?

That shouldn't interfere with starting the closure, but provide enough
friction to hold the alignment while being worn.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

On Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:33:19 -0600, "Marty" wrote:

I made this wooden watch with a tight dovetail clasp. Unfortunately, if the
dovetail is too tight she can't connect it with one hand and if it is too
loose it gets disconnected on its own. Anyone have any ideas for a clasp? I
don't want to use magnets or Velcro and would like to avoid metal if
possible.

http://www.gvtc.com/~mellisb/Wooden%20Watch.jpg

Easier said than done, but taper both the male and female dovetails so
it only goes in one way and doesn't get tight until it's nearly all
the way in.


-Kevin

I saw your pic on abpw earlier. Nice!

I made an oriental open-shelf cabinet, with sliding shelves, and waxed
everything with Tre-Wax. The ER Cedar was raw, no finish other than
the wax. The shelves slide really easily. I have used Tre-Wax on
other projects, also, for this ease of sliding effect. Your clasp may
be hard to wax, but before any more cutting, maybe try some sort of
wax.

I like the idea of the tapered dovetail.

Split arrowhead, where the arrowhead enters a hole and when it
protrudes out the "back", the split allows the head to open/spring
back, clasping the 2 units. To remove, pinch the arrow head to push
it back through the hole. The barbs of the arrowhead are not quite
coplaner and/or the two halves slide past each other, slightly, when
pinched together.

Make a new clasp and test the ideas, before committing to the finished
one.

Sonny

On Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:33:19 -0600, the infamous "Marty"
scrawled the following:

I made this wooden watch with a tight dovetail clasp. Unfortunately, if the
dovetail is too tight she can't connect it with one hand and if it is too
loose it gets disconnected on its own. Anyone have any ideas for a clasp? I
don't want to use magnets or Velcro and would like to avoid metal if
possible.

http://www.gvtc.com/~mellisb/Wooden%20Watch.jpg

Marty, how about loosening the dovetail and drilling it out for a
spring-clamp style of locking dowel? Lift the pin to separate the
dovetail joint.

_s_-===========| leaf spring with pin on end.
==============|||===|
__|||___| xxx outer dovetailed piece.
|xxx|xxxxxxxxx inner dovetail (sorry, no ascii angles)
--------| xxx (view this with Courier or fixed font)
====================|

--
REMEMBER: The sooner you fall behind,
the more time you'll have to catch up!