Frame
Instructions
Assembly instructions
Get the images and parts ready, then put the frame together.
Parts inventorycheck that you have everything
Use this visual reference when identifying the printed and non-printed parts.
Frame / Display
Stand
Acrylic
Backing Board
Images
Cover Image
Reveal Image
Roller / Low-Friction Path
Roller
UHMW Tape
Zipper Track
Clock / String System
Clock Movement
One 1 rotation/hour “minute” capstan and one 2 rotations/day “hour” capstan.
Clock String Guide
Fishing Line
Trap Door / Release System
Dry Trap Door Rig
Weight Latch
Weight Rig
Weight
Brad Pin
Assembly guide
Put the frame together
Before following the steps, it helps to understand the little chain reaction inside the frame. The instructions will walk you through the setup, but the mechanism is forgiving. Once you understand what each part is trying to do, you can use the steps as both a guide and a checklist.
Understand the mechanismSee how the clock, string, zipper, latch, weight, and cover image create the reveal.
How the mechanism works:
- Clock mechanism sits inside the frame.
- Capstan presses onto the clock mechanism.
- String ties to the capstan.
- Then runs through the clock/string guide hole.
- And through the top-left eyelet.
- Then ties to the zipper anchor.
- Zipper head supports the latch.
- Latch supports the weight.
- Weight is tethered to the sliding cover image.
- Cover image sits over the reveal image.
- When the timer runs, the clock winds the string, pulls the zipper, releases the latch, drops the weight, slides the cover image up, and reveals the image underneath.
Easy-to-miss checks: Tweezers are strongly recommended for guiding the string and image paper. For stubborn threading, stiffen the end with a tiny drop of superglue or use the supplied wire as a threading needle.
Assembly guide is loading.
Troubleshooting and FAQ
How do I reset the mechanism?
Return to the assembly instructions and repeat the steps that set the mechanism in motion. You will need to redo some of the assembly process, but not all of it.
Threading the string is a nuisance.
It can be. Tweezers are strongly recommended for guiding the string through tight spots and positioning the image paper. If needed, stiffen the end with a small drop of superglue, or glue the supplied tiny metal wire to the end of the string and use it as a threading needle.
I'm worried I assembled it incorrectly and it won't work.
The design and assembly instructions include multiple layers of redundancy. Most individual steps are not essential on their own; instead, they work together to reduce the overall likelihood of failure to below 1%. If you get one detail slightly wrong, the mechanism will usually still work - you have most likely increased the risk of failure only marginally.