While I would like to get going on the actual building of the clock case, there are important preparatory steps that will help me avoid any disappointments. For example, selecting the best walnut lumber pieces for the clock case is critical. I've learned that the best pieces to join are from the quarter-sawn wood - of which I have plenty. Quarter-sawn wood will shrink the least in the width thus helping to keep the joints together. Quarter-sawn means having the grain run close to 90-degrees with the flat side. See examples below:
As I was planning-out the building tasks, I realized that I would need as many as 9 pieces of walnut that formed a large "cove" molding. Router bits this large are pricey, so I opted to get an antique wooden cove molding plane. I will need to glue-up several pieces of walnut to accommodate the required needed size. So, more testing on this before I proceed with that step. See pics below showing the curve of the plane bottom [note that the blade is not extended]:
Finally, I need a place to carry-out much of the build OTHER THAN the garage floor. And so, tomorrow I will be getting some 2X4s to build a work bench. I'll show some pics over the next few days. Enjoy!