Addams Family Movie Clock - Full Size Replica With Animations and Sound!

Addams Family Movie Clock - Full Size Replica

If you've ever watched the Addams Family Movie (1991) then you must remember the amazing clock that appears in the opening scenes of the film. It was a miniature version of the Addams Family Mansion.

The automaton clock was specially constructed by a movie prop company and it cost thousands of dollars to produce, but, it wasn't actually a real clock, it was just a movie prop, operated by technicians on the set.

I've been making clocks for years (I even built a miniature non working version of this clock some years ago) so I thought it would be a neat idea to build a full sized replica that actually worked.

In 2020 I started to design and construct my own version of the Addams Family Clock. I didn't realise at the time how complicated it would be and how long it would take!

If you would like to make your own Addams Family Clock you will need lots and lots of patience. Set aside a year or so and at least $500 and you will be able to create a masterpiece for yourself.

Some experience with electronics and Arduino programming would be desirable and there are many Instructables on this site that can help you with the technical aspects of this build. As far as the woodworking is concerned, putting the clock together is relatively straightforward and detailing it shouldn't be a problem for most crafters.

I have included many of the essential items that you will need to build one of these clocks but there will also be an element of improvisation involved if you want to achieve good results. The SVG files provided will allow you to laser cut the components for the basic structure of the clock, but some 'tinkering' will be needed to fit all the bits together. A full circuit diagram showing the connections to the Arduino is also provided, as is the control program needed to operate the whole system. I have also included sound files, Sketchup drawings and various other resources.

Materials that you will need

• Various laser cut MDF and birch plywood components (cut from the SVG files provided)
• 7" diameter antique looking clock dial x 1
• Quartz clock movement with hands to suit x 1
• Arduino Mega 2560 x 1
• Stepper Motors 5v x 2
• Stepper Motor Controllers ULN2003 x 2
• Servo motors SG90 x 8
• Adafruit Audio FX Sound Board + 2x2W Amp x 1
• Adafruit LED Sequins (Emerald Green) x 4
• Push switch x 1
• 8 ohm Speaker x 1
• 9v power supply x 1
• 5v power supply x 1
• Lots of electrical wire
• Green, Beige & Brown Paint
• Wood for the base board
• Various bits & Bobs
• A great deal of patience

The original movie clock was operated from a huge control panel and, by flicking various switches, the animations could be controlled. It really was just a prop and it did not function as a real clock at all.

When we look back now the technology looks quite crude but in 1991 the best way to achieve the effects required for the film was by manual operation.

The clock was manufactured by a company called Alterian and after the movie ended production it disappeared for a while, only to turn up at an auction in a really dillapidated state. Somebody purchased it a couple of years ago, for an undisclosed sum, but it's not known whether the clock was repaired and put back into operation.

When I first started this project my initial idea was to use an electro/mechanical system to control the various animations. My sketch drawings show what I originally dreamed up.

This seemed like a good idea at the time, however, after many months of design work, sketches and head scratching, I finally figured that a mechanical solution was going to be too complicated to construct and get working.

I therefore scrapped my initial designs and started over.

After a long rethink I eventually decided to power this project using an Arduino processor.

In my new design an Arduino Mega 2560 is connected via its output pins to eight small servo motors. These servos open the shutter doors and animate the various characters. I also use two small stepper motors to bring Morticia and Gomez out of their roof windows. This requires a simple arm mechanism hidden inside the clock that allows them to traverse the roof and join in the front centre.

The servo motors for the characters are built into mechanisms of my own design that push the characters forward at the same time as opening the shutter doors. You can see in the following sections how this was achieved. These mechanisms were quite difficult to get right, but after a great deal of trial and error I managed to get a reliable working solution.

To give a spooky aura to the clock and also to light up the characters, green LEDs are wired in to the circuit to illuminate the characters from above. The LEDs are Adafruit LED Sequins and are wired up in parallel to come on when the shutters open. Fester also has a yellow LED in his mouth which is set to flash when the clock strikes.

The film version of the clock didn't actually have a Fester, but when I looked at the original assembly photographs I could see that Fester had been built into the original clock. I can only think that the film director had Fester disabled when filming. Perhaps the LED was flashing into the lens and causing filming problems. Anyway, I decided to include Fester with his flashing bulb.

The main structure of the clock and all the internal components and mechanisms were designed with Sketchup.

My design was based on photographs that I managed to find on the Internet of the original clock when it was being made. I scaled these photographs up and estimated the size of the finished clock from the original images.

The main walls of the clock (shown in pink) are made from 6mm MDF and the other pieces (shown in white) are 3mm birch plywood.The roof pieces (shown in grey) are 3mm mdf.

All the pieces slot together with tabs to make assembly easy. Holes are cut in the various pieces to allow for wires and cabling to pass through to the servos.

Using Sketchup software enabled me to quickly design 'on the fly' and make any necessary changes as I progressed. It also ensured that all the component pieces, when cut, would fit together correctly.

I have attached my Sketchup design files which will show in great detail how all the parts fit together.

When the design work was finalised in Sketchup the component pieces were then exported to SVG files

These were used to laser cut the components in 6mm MDF and 3mm birch plywood. I used a commercial company to do this for me, but if you have your own laser cutting machine you can of course do this yourself.

ADDAMS01.SVG contains sub-assemblies, shutters, roof cresting and mechanisms to be cut from 3mm birch plywood, ADDAMS02.SVG contains the main structural parts of the house and tower to be cut from 6mm MDF, ADDAMS03.SVG contains the roof dormers and mechanisms for Morticia & Gomez, to be cut from 3mm birch ply, ADDAMS04.SVG contains shutter hinge pins and shutter brackets to be cut from 3mm birch ply, ADDAMS05.SVG contains backing boards for the Addams family characters, to be cut from 3mm birch ply and ADDAMS06.SVG contains the front door frame and various shutter frames again from 3mm birch ply.

NB. The SVG files contain just one cut layer and no engraving.

Main Carcass - Assembly Sequence

1) The main structural parts of the house were glued together (with UHU glue) and the other component parts were assembled separately as sub-modules. (please refer to the photographs)

2) The clock tower was assembled but NOT glued onto the main structure. The tower should be left as a free standing item in order to gain access to all the electronics for maintenance in the future. It will click into place and stand quite safely on its own. The same is the case with the main roof assembly and the clock tower roof assembly, which should be glued together but NOT glued down to the main house structure. Again this is for access purposes.

3) Strips of 3mm thick ply were fitted around the base of the house to form the pedestal. (These are pre cut for you)

4) L shaped 10mm plastic moulding was applied to the vertical external and internal corners of the house and the overhang.

5) The windows and shutters that do not open were assembled, painted brown and applied to the sides of the house.

6) The windows that have shutters on them that open (Fester, Pugsley and Granny) were painted brown and assembled but not fitted. The places on the side of the house were they would eventually go were marked.

7) The front doors and door frame were painted green and assembled but not fitted.

8) The house walls were covered with 10mm horizontal balsa wood strips to give a realistic effect of weatherboarding. The strips were at their ends cut to fit around the windows leaving a small gap. (See the photographs)

9) Where the opening shutters were located, the balsa strips were cut short in the same way, so that the windows with shutters could be fitted later. (See the photographs)

10) The walls of the house were then painted in a beige colour and distressed to make them look old.

11) The corbels (I think that's what they call them) were assembled, painted green and applied under the eaves of the house and clock tower as shown in the photographs.

12) The roof was tiled with cardboard strips (cut to a tile shape) to give the effect of real tiles and then painted grey. The roof of the clock tower was also tiled and painted.

13) The upper roof shutters were painted brown and fitted into the roof assembly including the dormer openings for Gomez and Morticia

14) The Conservatory and bay windows were assembled and painted beige with grey roofs but not yet fitted.

15) The front porch canopy and steps were constructed and painted grey and beige but not yet fitted.

16) The roof cresting was painted grey and applied to the roof as per the photographs.

17) The chimneys were made and painted grey, brick paper was applied but they were not fitted to the roof.

The final detail in the clock will be entirely up to you, you may choose to modify/improve my designs to make a better finish.

The clock sounds and animations are controlled by a custom written control program.

The initial programming for this project was done using Tinkercad software from Autodesk. This is a free program that can be accessed online at www.tinkercad.com.

Tinkercad allowed me to design the initial circuit layouts and the program code that would be needed to run the clock. Once I had a base system working I expanded it manually to suit my requirements, slowly adding features as I worked through each part of the system in turn.

My Arduino control program sends signals to the Adafruit Audi FX Sound Board to set the music and sound effects going. The sound effects and music are synchronised with the animations. The program also operates the stepper motors to bring out Gomez and Morticia and it opens the shutters and switches on the green LED lights, whilst operating the various animations.

I have included my Arduino sketch which runs the system. Feel free to use this and/or modify it in your own projects.

If you have not programmed an Arduino before I would highly recommend that you watch some of the Instructables on this site before you start with this project.

Electrical Components - Assembly Sequence

1) The push to start switch was wired up as a first step, in order to test the system as each new component was added.

2) The Arduino controller was fixed in place with offset fixings so that it stood proud of the base. The power strip and stepper motor controllers and the sound card got the same treatment. (See the layout diagram)

3) The Arduino was connected to a power supply via the 9v jack plug and the power strip was connected to a 5v power supply making sure the polarity was correct.

4) The Arduino program was uploaded to the board in preparation for the installation of the following components.

5) The rotating mechanism for bringing out Gomez and Morticia was connected to the Arduino and tested, then placed in the main structure.

6) The animation sub assemblies for the roof shutters (Gomez and Morticia) were then placed on the clock. They were then wired up according to the circuit diagram ensuring all wires were connected to the correct pins.

7) The animation sub assemblies (Lurch, Granny, Fester and Pugsley) were also placed on the clock. They were then wired up according to the circuit diagram ensuring all wires were connected to the correct pins.

8) The green LEDs were wired in parallel and powered from the power strip with one wire to the Arduino for signal.

9) When all of the electrical work and wiring was was completed and working the final bits of the clock, namely the conservatory, the bay window, the front porch and steps and the chimneys were affixed.

This process of assembly and painting took a good deal longer than anticipated, but I think the results turned out fairly good in the end.

Arduino Mega

The Arduino Mega is eminently suitable for this project. You can purchase these from Amazon or eBay for very low cost. There are a number of cheaper models available from Chinese manufacturers that have the same spec, but you are probably better of buying a genuine unit.

Stepper Motors

The two 5 volt stepper motors are readily available on Amazon or eBay and usually come with a stepper motor control board ULN2003

Servo Motors & Power

The eight SG90 servos are powered by just three wires, two for power and one for the control signal. The servos must be powered from a separate power source and not from the power pins on the Arduino board. This is because the servos draw too much power when operating and this can cause problems if connected to the board directly. The Arduino in this project is therefore powered by a 9 volt power transformer and the servos and LED lights from a 5 volt 2amp separate unit. A small power distribution board was constructed to make it easier ro run the power to the servos and LEDs.

Sound Board

Sound for the clock was generated by an Adafruit Audio FX Sound Board + 2x2W Amp, a low cost sound generator with an in-built stereo amplifier. I recorded a number of sound effects, edited them with Audacity, and saved them on the sound board in WAV format. The sounds are then triggered from the Arduino by bringing a digital pin LOW. Only one speaker was needed to give the sound required.

The most important parts of the clock are the mechanisms that operate the shutters and animate the characters.

Lurch, the butler, has to emerge from behind the front doors and sweep his broom from side to side. Pugsley has to 'hang' Wednesday from a noose and pull her up and down and Morticia and Gomez have to come out of the roof windows and emerge onto the front of the clock and hold hands. Fester has a lightbulb in his mouth which flashes on and off.

Shutter Mechanisms

The mechanism that pushes out the characters and opens the shutters took a great deal of time to perfect. You can see from the images above that the servo motor rotates 180 degrees and pushes out the pink coloured sliding piece by way of a stiff connecting wire, and the secondary wire arms push open the shutters at the same time. Image one shows the mechanism closed up with the shutters shut and image two when everything is opened.These connecting wires need to be just the correct length or the whole mechanism jams up completly. After many hours of trial and error I got everything working correctly. The hinges on the shutters are important as well. They went through several design changes, eventually ending up being hinged with small dressmaking pins.

Pugsley & Lurch Animations

In the same way, the animations were powered by servos using stiff wire to connect the control arm on the servo to the back of the characters. The Pugsley and Wednesday animation uses a servo that creates the up and down movement needed to 'hang' Wednesday and the Lurch animation moves him from side to side sweeping his brush.

Gomez & Morticia Movement

Gomez and Morticia come out from their little roof houses by way of two stepper motors which slot into the top part of the house structure. You can see from the images where they are located and also the curved cutout that allows the mechanism to bring them out smoothly. The rotating mechanism arms that attach to the stepper motors underneath (see photo) were made from bits of Meccano (I think you call it an Erector Set in the US) The Gomez and Morticia characters were glued on top of the arms where the bolt sticks through the top piece. A little bit complicated, but you should be able to figure it all out from the photographs and the main video.

Uncle Fester

To animate Fester and make him more interesting I used a yellow LED in his mouth which is driven from the Arduino. You will need to put a resistor in the circuit for the LED to operate correctly.

The clock wouldn't be much good without music and sound effects.

The Adafruit Audi FX Sound Board plays WAV files that are triggered by the Arduino. Just copy the files below on to the sound board (using a micro USB cable) and you will be good to go.

T00.wav is the tick tock sound, T01.wav is the Addams Family theme tune in the style of an old clock, T02.wav is the Addams Family Theme tune but jazzed up a bit (Choose which theme you want in the Arduino code), T03.wav is the rumbling noise that you hear when Gomez and Morticia come out of their little roof dormers, T04.wav is the clock chime and T05.wav is the tune that plays at the end of the sequence. Watch the video and you will understand what each one of these sound files does.

If you want to use your own sound effects you can easily change these files to suit.

The main clock dial on the clock tower is a battery powered 7" quartz movement that I sourced from eBay.

It would have been simple to integrate a DS1307 RTC clock module (or similar) into the circuit, so that the DS1307 triggers the clock to chime on the hour and set off its animations, just as a real clock would do.

However, I decided that having the clock chiming and operating the animations every hour would be so annoying, so instead, the animations and chimes were put on a 'push to start' demo button and they only operate when required. The number of chimes for the demo can be altered in the program code. If you build your own clock you could easily include a DS1307 RTC and change the program to chime on the hour and maybe put a 'silent' switch that disables the feature when not needed. 

An automaton clock needs characters, right?

The original clock had sculpted 3d characters which unfortunately I was not able to reproduce. If you have the skills to carve, mould or 3D print characters then this would be a better option. I had to make do with 2d characters which actually look quite good on the clock as they only face forward anyway.

I can't draw to save my life so I had a friend of mine, who is a graphic designer and artist, draw some characters for me. I have attached these for you. You need to print out the file on colour glossy photo card and then cut out the characters to fit the wooden backing boards that you laser cut from ADDAMS05.SVG.

You might notice that there is a Cousin Itt character amongst the Addams Family members. I was originally going to have him pop out of one of the roof windows and squeak in a funny voice, but I decided not to use him. Probably for the best I think!

The finished clock now sits proudly in my study.

Although the clock took me almost three years to complete I think the end result is quite realistic. It isn't an exact replica of the original movie clock, but it's very close.

The main thing is that my grandkids love it and they are enthralled by the characters popping out from behind their little shutters. It's also a great talking point if anyone visits.

If you want to make your own clock please be aware that it will take you a while to construct. What seems simple always turns out to be complex. Although I have done a lot of the work for you, there will be a lot of improvisation and technical skills needed to finish this project to a good standard. It is definitely not a beginner's project.

If you don't fancy having a go at this complicated build, I have instructions for a smaller version of this clock on Instructables. It doesn't chime or have animations, but it does tell the time and it makes a nice halloween feature. Check out my other projects to find out more.

Anyway, must dash, I've just been watching The Munsters and it's given me an idea for another crazy clock! :-)

Here are two short videos of the finished clock

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qlar66oXitQ

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MrCsVxrC6sA