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The best starting point for a traditional mechanical 3D-printed clock is UCL Connected Environments’ TIME: its creators designed it to reduce the usual sourcing and finishing work while still producing a weight-driven clock with a deliberate tick and tock. It is not a print-and-go build: it uses off-the-shelf bearings and rods, and its parts list is specific to that design. For more designs and customization, consider the more advanced MrBunsy library; for guided assembly and troubleshooting, look at Steve’s Clocks. If you want a compact demonstration of gears rather than a pendulum clock, choose the Educational Mechanical Clock. A connected split-flap display is a separate electronic project, not a mechanical-clock substitute.
Which 3D-printed clock project should you build?
Choose by the kind of clock you want and the help you need during assembly, not just by whether the parts are printable. A complete mechanical clock, a gear-teaching model, and an internet-connected display have different mechanisms, hardware, and skills.
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| Project | Best fit | What to know before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| TIME, UCL Connected Environments | A maker seeking a traditional mechanical wall clock and a design intended to be replicated. | The design aims to reduce sourcing and finishing work, but still uses bearings and metal rods. Its one-second tick/tock is a design goal. |
| MrBunsy 3DPrintedClocks | An experienced maker interested in a library of designs, configurable clocks, and escapement options. | Clockmaking familiarity and Python/CadQuery knowledge are useful; the author says the documentation is incomplete. |
| Steve’s Clocks | A builder who wants assembly guides and help diagnosing friction or startup problems. | Select a specific design and use its current guide; the creator recommends newer designs because they incorporate later revisions. |
| Printable Clock Project | An OpenSCAD user seeking a working printable clock with a stated share-alike license. | Check the repository’s current files and activity before committing to a design. |
| Educational Mechanical Clock | A shorter build that makes planetary gearing visible. | It is an educational gear demonstration, not a weight-driven pendulum clock. |
| Split-Flap Display | A maker who wants a large display with moving printed characters and network connectivity. | This is an electronic project involving an ESP8266 and local network connection, not a purely mechanical clock. |
Which 3D-printed clock is easiest to build?
“Easiest” depends on what you find difficult. TIME is the strongest first candidate for a conventional mechanical clock because UCL Connected Environments says it was designed to reduce the number of special parts to source and the amount of cutting or sanding. You still need to align bearings, fit rods, assemble the gear train and escapement, and tune the finished movement. If your priority is the fewest mechanical variables rather than a working pendulum clock, the Educational Mechanical Clock is simpler in concept: it demonstrates planetary gearing, recommends PLA, and says supports are unnecessary. It is not a weight-driven timekeeper, so it should not be compared with TIME on runtime or timekeeping.
Steve’s Clocks may be the easiest route for a novice who expects questions during assembly. Its guides and debugging material address symptoms such as excess friction or a clock that will not start. MrBunsy can be straightforward for an experienced maker, but its library approach and incomplete documentation make it less forgiving as a first clock.
#1 Best Overall
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Can I build a mechanical clock with a 3D printer?
Yes, but the printer makes many of the clock’s parts rather than every part. Mechanical designs still rely on project-specific hardware and careful assembly; a print alone does not provide the bearings, shafts, rods, line, springs, or other components a design may require.
That distinction is central to choosing a build. UCL’s TIME team says it set out to reduce the burden of sourcing extra parts and cutting or sanding them, but its design still uses off-the-shelf components. The project’s author, Andrew Hudson-Smith, wrote: “It should have a proper 1-second tick/tock sound – this was important.” That is an intended sound and design goal, not a claim that every assembled clock will keep time to a specified tolerance.
Which project has the best instructions?
For hands-on assembly guidance and debugging, Steve’s Clocks is the strongest fit in this group. MrBunsy offers a wider design library, but its author explicitly cautions that documentation is lacking and assumes some clock knowledge.
Choose TIME for a replication-minded first mechanical build
UCL Connected Environments’ 2025 article describes TIME as an open-source 3D-printed clock project and explains the design priorities: lower the difficulty of obtaining extra parts, reduce finishing work, and preserve a distinct tick/tock. That makes it a reasonable first candidate if you want a traditional mechanical clock and prefer a design whose goals are explicitly explained.
Confirm the current author-controlled files and instructions before printing. The TIME article described a 2025 release with GitHub files forthcoming at that time; a later marketplace listing mirror identifies files and parts, but that listing is useful for parts context rather than a replacement for current build documentation. The mirror lists a 346 mm width, 1.3 m height, and roughly 36 hours between windings for the separate clock described there. Those are details from a third-party listing, not specifications to apply to every TIME-based build.
Choose MrBunsy for range, not hand-holding
MrBunsy’s 3DPrintedClocks repository is a library rather than a single beginner project. That breadth suits makers who want to explore configurable designs and different escapement options, but it comes with a higher learning burden. The repository’s own notes say documentation is incomplete, so expect to interpret design files and apply clockmaking knowledge rather than follow a fully guided beginner walkthrough.
Python and CadQuery familiarity can help when working with the designs. The repository also warns that slicing gears takes care. If you are new to clock mechanisms, select a specific design only after checking its available documentation and whether you are comfortable troubleshooting gear geometry and assembly.
Choose Steve’s Clocks if troubleshooting support matters
Steve’s Clocks publishes design guides as well as debugging material, including help with friction and startup problems. That matters because a clock can fail to run even when its printed parts look complete: the build must work as a connected mechanism, and instructions that help diagnose where motion is being lost can be more useful than a larger catalog.
Rank #2
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Pick a specific design and follow its current guide rather than assuming every project uses the same parts or assembly sequence. The creator recommends newer designs because they include later revisions.
Choose the Printable Clock Project if you use OpenSCAD
The Printable Clock Project repository describes a working printable clock built with OpenSCAD and identifies a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license. OpenSCAD is relevant if you want to inspect or work with a model in that CAD environment; the repository description alone does not establish how complete or recently maintained each available file is, so check the actual project contents before starting.
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Choose the Educational Mechanical Clock for visible gearing
The Educational Mechanical Clock on Printables is centered on planetary gearing and is a better match for a compact, explanatory mechanism than for someone seeking a pendulum movement. Its listing recommends PLA and says supports are not required. It also says no extra materials are required, while noting optional choices involving an M3 insert or screw. That makes it useful for teaching gear relationships or introducing a young maker to mechanisms, but it does not answer the question “Which clock will run for a week?” because it is a different type of object.
Choose the Split-Flap Display for an electronic clock-like display
David Kingsman’s Split-Flap Display uses printed flaps to form a large moving display. The Printables listing describes a 10-unit design measuring 513 × 136 × 138 mm and calls for an ESP8266 connection and local network connectivity. It is a substantially different project from a mechanical clock: plan for electronics, firmware or configuration, power, and network setup as well as printed parts. Choose it for animated digits and a visible display, not for a silent, weight-driven pendulum movement.
What parts do I need for a 3D-printed pendulum clock?
Use the chosen design’s own parts list; there is no standard hardware kit for all printable clocks. Bearing numbers and shaft sizes differ between projects, so do not order parts based on a list for a different clock.
TIME and other designs using 683ZZ bearings
A marketplace listing mirror for TIME specifies two 683ZZ bearings, one 624ZZ bearing, 3 mm steel rod, 3 mm brass rod, and M4 screws among its required extras. The Benjamin Franklin Clock remix on Printables separately lists six 683ZZ bearings and 3 mm stainless rods. These are two design-specific examples: the shared 683ZZ bearing size does not make their parts lists interchangeable. When shopping, search for the exact designation, such as “683ZZ ball bearings,” and verify the quantity, shield style and dimensions against the selected files.
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A pendulum-clock PDF by MrBunsy, hosted on Printables, specifies a minimum 200 × 200 mm print area and PLA. Its parts and workshop requirements include three 608 bearings, steel shafts or nails, nylon line, a 6 mm wooden rod, springs, and common workshop tools. The manual’s figures belong to this design; they do not describe TIME, the Benjamin Franklin remix, or every project in the table.
The 608 bearing is a useful warning about substitution. It is a common bearing, but common does not mean compatible: changing bearing diameter changes hole fit, shaft height and gear alignment. Likewise, a 3 mm steel rod, a 3 mm brass rod and a 3 mm stainless rod may have different stiffness or surface behavior even when their nominal diameter matches. Follow the designer’s material recommendation where one is given.
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- Check the exact bearing designation and quantity against the selected design.
- Match rod, shaft, screw, line, and wood dimensions to that design’s list.
- Confirm the printer’s usable build area against the largest part, not just the clock’s assembled dimensions.
- Check whether the instructions call for optional inserts, screws, springs, weights, or other items that are not included in the printed files.
- Separate one project’s shopping list from another’s; a mixed cart is an easy way to create an unusable build.
What will a 3D-printed clock cost?
No single price applies because the projects differ in size, hardware and electronics, and the cited project pages do not provide a verified, comparable total. Budget for filament or other specified print material, bearings, rods or shafts, screws, line, springs, a weight or winding hardware where required, and basic tools. A split-flap build adds an ESP8266 and the associated wiring and power components. The Educational Mechanical Clock listing says no extra materials are required, with an optional M3 insert or screw, so its purchased-hardware burden is different from a pendulum clock’s.
For a realistic estimate, first count the printed parts and their material, then price only the exact nonprinted items in the current bill of materials. Do not use the 683ZZ list from TIME as a proxy for another clock, and do not assume the 200 × 200 mm pendulum design has the same filament usage as a tall wall clock. The largest potential expense may be time and failed prints rather than a single component: incomplete documentation, incorrect gear slicing, or a bearing mismatch can force reprints. A project-specific cart is more useful than a generic “3D-printed clock kit” price.
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Start by verifying the current files and documentation, then work outward from the design’s actual hardware list. This avoids a common source of wasted effort: printing a set of parts only to discover that the required bearings or rods have the wrong size.
- Choose the format. Decide whether you want a mechanical pendulum clock, a visible planetary-gear model, or an electronic split-flap display. Do not treat them as equivalent builds.
- Open the project’s current files and instructions. Prefer the creator’s current project source over a third-party listing when deciding what to print and how to assemble it. For TIME, the later marketplace mirror can help identify parts, but current author-controlled instructions should govern the build.
- Check the printer envelope. Compare the largest individual part with the machine’s usable print area. The 200 × 200 mm minimum belongs to the cited MrBunsy pendulum-clock manual only; other designs may have different requirements. A clock can be much taller or wider after assembly than any single printed part.
- Inventory nonprinted materials. Record each hardware item, its dimension, and quantity from that project’s own list. Keep the separate TIME and Benjamin Franklin 683ZZ lists distinct, and do not substitute 608 bearings simply because another manual uses them.
- Review the assembly and troubleshooting material. If you choose a project with incomplete documentation, decide whether your existing clock and CAD knowledge is enough to fill those gaps before printing. For a design with a debugging guide, keep it accessible during assembly.
- Prepare the print files carefully. MrBunsy specifically cautions that gears need care when sliced. Inspect tooth profiles, orientation and clearances in the slicer, and avoid silently applying settings from a different design.
- Print and assemble according to the selected design. Use the project’s recommended material and support settings where stated. Remove only the finishing material the guide calls for; unnecessary sanding can change a bearing seat or gear profile.
- Check motion before adding the driving load. Turn each assembled train by hand where the instructions permit, looking for rubbing, tight bearings or misaligned shafts. A freely moving train makes later troubleshooting more informative.
- Test the finished mechanism using its own instructions. If the design will not start or keep moving, consult its troubleshooting material rather than assuming that the clock is defective or that a single adjustment applies to every mechanism.
- Record your build. Note the file revision, material, hardware substitutions and adjustments. This helps reproduce a successful build and makes license-compliant sharing of modifications easier.
Printer size, material and finishing pitfalls
Printer-bed size is a project constraint, not a statement about the assembled clock’s footprint. The separate MrBunsy pendulum-clock manual calls for at least 200 × 200 mm, while the third-party TIME listing describes a clock 346 mm wide and 1.3 m high. Those numbers answer different questions: one is a minimum print area for a specific design, and the other is an assembled dimension from a listing. Measure the largest file in the current download and leave room for your machine’s margins.
PLA is explicitly recommended by the Educational Mechanical Clock and the cited eight-day pendulum manual. That does not prove PLA is suitable for every project. Use the material named by the selected designer, especially for parts whose fit, stiffness or wear affects the escapement. Supports are said to be unnecessary for the Educational Mechanical Clock; do not generalize that setting to a complex pendulum design. Similarly, a design intended to reduce sanding still requires clean edges, accurate holes and careful bearing installation.
How accurate and long-running are these clocks?
There is no comparable independent accuracy test across the projects described here. One project manual makes a specific performance claim, but that number should be read as the creator’s claim for that design, not as a benchmark for printable clocks generally.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThe MrBunsy pendulum-clock PDF says the clock can run for one week with a 79 cm drop and claims accuracy of up to 30 seconds per week or better. The manual does not supply a publication date in the cited listing. Those figures are useful when evaluating that particular design’s stated aims, but they do not establish how a different build will perform or how the designs compare under matching conditions.
The TIME marketplace mirror separately describes roughly 36 hours between windings for the clock in that listing. Again, treat that as a third-party listing detail for that described clock, not a universal TIME specification. Runtime and accuracy depend on the exact gear train, weight, drop, friction, pendulum adjustment and assembly quality.
Rank #4
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What does open source let me reuse?
“Open source” is not a single license. The cited projects identify different terms, and the permission to share or modify files depends on the license attached to the specific design you use.
- The Printable Clock Project repository identifies a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license.
- MrBunsy’s repository identifies CERN-OHL-S v2 for its hardware source. Its notes explain that distributing derived STL files or printed products triggers source-location or source-code obligations under the author’s interpretation of that license.
- The Benjamin Franklin Clock remix listing identifies CC BY-SA.
Check the license accompanying the exact files before redistributing modified files, selling prints, or sharing a remix. Preserve required attribution, identify changes where the license asks for it, and provide the required source or source location. Do not assume that the license for one clock applies to another project or to a separate remix.
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Which project is best for teaching?
The Educational Mechanical Clock is the clearest teaching choice when the goal is to see planetary gears move in a compact assembly. Its PLA and no-support recommendations lower the setup burden, and the optional M3 insert or screw gives a small hardware decision to explain. It does not teach the full energy path of a weight-driven pendulum clock.
TIME and the eight-day pendulum design are better demonstrations of how a weight, gear train, escapement and pendulum interact, but they require more hardware and tuning. A split-flap display teaches a different lesson: electromechanical actuation, printed moving surfaces and networked control. Choose the mechanism that matches the concept you want a learner to understand.
What should you choose?
For a traditional mechanical wall clock and a project designed with replication in mind, start with TIME and verify its current official instructions and parts. Pick MrBunsy if you want a library and are prepared to work with less complete documentation; choose Steve’s Clocks if assembly guidance and fault-finding are priorities. For a gear-focused teaching build, the Educational Mechanical Clock is the closer fit. Choose the Split-Flap Display only if you want an electronic, network-connected display rather than a conventional pendulum mechanism.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a resin printer for one of these clock projects?
The project information described here does not establish resin-print compatibility. Check the chosen design’s current files and creator instructions for the intended printing process before substituting a different printer or material.
Do I need to know CAD to build a printable clock?
It depends on the project and how much you want to modify it. The Printable Clock Project uses OpenSCAD, while Python and CadQuery knowledge can help with MrBunsy’s library; a builder following a specific, complete assembly guide may need less design-tool experience.
Can I sell a clock I print from an open-source design?
Not based on the phrase “open source” alone. The applicable project license controls the conditions, and some licenses impose obligations when you distribute derived files or printed products; read the license attached to the exact design before selling.
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Are all 3D-printed clocks fully printable?
No. Mechanical projects commonly require bearings, rods or shafts, screws, line, springs, weights and other hardware. TIME’s listing names 683ZZ and 624ZZ bearings plus 3 mm rods and M4 screws, while the separate eight-day design uses 608 bearings and additional hardware.
Can I substitute 608 bearings for 683ZZ bearings?
Do not assume so. Bearing sizes are design-specific, and changing them can alter fit, shaft position and gear alignment. Buy the designation and quantity specified by the selected project.
What printer size do I need?
The cited eight-day pendulum-clock manual specifies a minimum 200 × 200 mm print area for that design. Other clocks may differ, so check the largest individual file in the current project download rather than relying on the assembled clock’s height or width.
Does the Educational Mechanical Clock keep time like a pendulum clock?
It is presented as a planetary-gear educational model, not a weight-driven pendulum clock. Choose it to show gearing, not to obtain the runtime or regulation behavior described for a pendulum design.
How much maintenance will a printed clock need?
The pages cited here do not provide a universal maintenance schedule. Expect to follow the selected creator’s assembly and troubleshooting guidance, keep moving parts aligned and inspect for friction or startup problems. Maintenance requirements vary by mechanism and hardware.
Is the split-flap display a mechanical clock?
It is a distinct electronic display project. The described 10-unit version measures 513 × 136 × 138 mm, uses printed flaps, and connects through an ESP8266 and a local network.
Which project has the longest stated runtime?
The cited MrBunsy pendulum-clock manual claims one week with a 79 cm drop. A separate TIME marketplace listing says roughly 36 hours between windings. These are creator or listing claims for different designs, not independent comparative tests.
The Bottom Line
Start with UCL’s TIME for a replication-minded mechanical wall clock, MrBunsy for configurable designs, and Steve’s Clocks for the most troubleshooting help. Use the Educational Mechanical Clock for a compact planetary-gear lesson and the Split-Flap Display for an electronic networked display. In every case, verify the current files, project-specific hardware list, printer size and license before printing or sharing.
Quick Recap
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