The steel pencil holder was designed as a cylindrical component intended to organize pencils while securely attaching to the clock base using an internal threaded feature. Steel was selected because of its strength, durability, and ability to maintain dimensional stability during repeated use and assembly.

The component was manufactured using manual machining operations including facing, turning, drilling, boring, internal threading, and finishing operations. The internal cavity was designed to provide sufficient clearance for standard pencils while maintaining adequate wall thickness around the threaded region to preserve structural integrity.

The internal female threads are one of the most important functional features because they directly control attachment to the clock base. Proper thread alignment and depth are necessary to ensure smooth assembly and prevent cross-threading or instability. Concentricity between the threaded feature, internal cavity, and outer cylindrical surface also contributes to improved machining quality and visual symmetry.

Flatness on the mounting face and perpendicularity between the threaded axis and datum surfaces are important to maintain proper alignment during installation. Surface finish requirements were also considered because the pencil holder contributes significantly to the visual appearance of the final assembly. The design follows the principle that function drives form by applying tighter controls only to features that directly affect assembly, fit, alignment, durability, and usa

The brass pen holder was designed as a cylindrical storage component intended to securely hold pens while attaching directly to the clock base through an external threaded feature. The component serves both a functional and aesthetic role within the assembly because it remains highly visible in the final product. Brass material was selected because of its machinability, corrosion resistance, and polished appearance.

The pen holder was manufactured primarily using manual lathe operations in the EMEC shop. Machining processes included facing, turning the outer diameter, drilling and boring the internal cavity, cutting external threads, and applying finishing operations to improve surface quality. The internal cavity was designed to provide adequate clearance for standard pens while maintaining sufficient wall thickness around the threaded region for structural strength.

The external male threads are one of the most critical functional features because they secure the holder directly into the clock base. Proper alignment between the threaded axis, outer cylindrical surface, and internal cavity is important for both assembly performance and visual symmetry. Geometric controls such as perpendicularity and positional alignment help ensure smooth assembly while reducing the possibility of angular misalignment during installation.

Surface finish requirements were especially important because the pen holder is one of the primary visible components within the assembly. Smooth machined surfaces improve appearance while reducing visible machining marks. The design follows the philosophy that function drives form by tightly controlling features that directly affect fit, alignment, usability, and appearance while allowing greater flexibility on noncritical geometry.

The clock base serves as the primary structural component of the clock assembly and supports both the brass pen holder and steel pencil holder. The component was manufactured to provide rigidity, stability, and accurate mounting locations for the attached assemblies. Since the base acts as the central support structure, dimensional accuracy and proper geometric control are important to ensure proper fit and alignment during final assembly.

The base was machined from aluminum using manual machining processes completed in the EMEC shop. Operations included cutting raw stock to size, milling the outer geometry, machining the center slot, drilling and tapping threaded holes, and applying finishing operations to improve appearance and surface quality. The bottom surface of the base functions as the primary datum because it establishes stability when placed on a flat surface and serves as the primary reference during inspection and assembly.

The threaded mounting holes are critical functional features because they control the attachment and alignment of the pen and pencil holders. Position tolerances were applied relative to the datum structure to maintain accurate alignment between all assembly components. Additional geometric controls such as flatness, perpendicularity, and parallelism were applied to improve assembly quality while still allowing practical manufacturability.

Surface finish requirements were also considered because the base remains visible in the final product. Exposed machined surfaces were designed to maintain a consistent machined appearance while minimizing visible tooling marks. The design follows the principle that function drives form by applying tighter controls only to features directly affecting assembly performance, alignment, and usability.