Can't get clock straight on Scooby Doo Mystery Mansion (75904)

TyresOFlaherty

Grabbed this set at Target earlier this week, and was so stoked to put it together, I just wondered if there was any way to get the clock to align perfectly at XII and have the rotating platform face perfectly forward. Might not be possible with the Technic axle and the gears (4565452). I've taken it apart and rotated the gears several times at this point but still can't seem to get it to work:



At least Lego is being honest about it, it's not straight in the instructions:


So do I need to let my Lego OCD go on this one and chalk it up to "look, this mansion has a broken portico, and slanted eaves everywhere....why would the clock line up perfectly?" 

MattsWhat

The picture on the front of the instructions has it perfectly lined up - I'm just trying to work it out but haven't built my copy yet :s
The instructions suggest that turning the brown handle at the back will make any time possible, is that not how it works?

TyresOFlaherty

@MattsWhat You're right, the clock is lined up, which is deceiving, because the platform doesn't seem to be aligned....

 

MattsWhat

So does your hand not turn at all, or will it not sit straight up (rests slightly either side)?

Edit: No wait, I see what you mean, you want 12 o'clock when the platform underneath is straight... hmm, I should have read better.

MattsWhat

My final guess is you can't, as the part 32270 (black) and the 6589 (tan) both have the teeth aligned directly at the end of the technic axle.  To align one facing front and one straight up you would need to align tooth to tooth rather than tooth to gap.
If it really upset you I would just remove the front 6589 and then the handle at the back would turn the platform and you could turn the clock with your finger.  You may have to swap it for a bush so the clock hand didn't hang out or spin down or anything.

TyresOFlaherty

Yeah, I've tried reversing/rotating the gears/technix axles, etc. I think it's a lost cause, but I wanted to see if anyone else figured it out or at least was as bothered about it as I am :)

tallblocktoo

Hmm I think that would drive me a little crazy but I haven't built mine yet either.  I don't think enough to be bothered to change it though.  

Dedgecko

What if you reverse the placement of the dark gray 2x2 round tile with hole and the yellow technic rod spacer?  Also I'm not sure how the clock face secures itself to the tower, but what I'm getting at is decouple the clock face, and rotate it.  Sure 12 O'clock wont be perfectly at 90 degrees, but you'll be able to align the "hands" to the clock face.  Maybe put a tile with hole  behind the clock face?

TigerMoth

The problem is that one axle must be connected squarely to the platform, and another squarely to the hand of the clock. Their relative orientation is determined by the gears.

You can achieve what you want by replacing the axle that drives the hand by a bar - passed through a pin or half-pin where it goes through the "wall". A bar wont "drive" so positively because it's relying on just friction, but it doesn't actually have much to drive and the hand can be adjusted to any angle you want.