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Materials:
- Wood, sheet metal, baskets, lunch boxes, purses - almost anything
can be made into a clock
- Clock parts - clock mechanism, hands, numbers and battery
- Paint or stain depending on the desired finish
- Copper nails or paint used to mark the numbers
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Tools
- Drill
- Drill bits appropriate to the material being drilled into
- Files
- Chisels
- Hammer or mallet
- Compass
- Needle nose pliers
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Clock
made from a silver colored plate |
Clock
made from a metal lunch box |
A
wicker purse clock |
A
rough wood clock |
A
Clock made from a brass plate |
A
clock made from a wicker basket |
Select the item to be made into a clock.
Here's a quick primer on how to drill into a variety of materials:
Ceramic plates etc. - use a glass/tile
drill bit
Metal - use carbide-tipped drill
bits for sheet metal, or a cobalt drill bit for thicker plate
metal.
You may want to lubricate with a little drilling oil, since
the bit gets quite warm.
Also, make a dimple in the metal first using a hammer and nail
or a compression punch.
This lets you start drilling without the bit skating around.
Concrete - use a masonry bit with a hammer-drill, a heavy-duty
tool which pounds as well as grinds into the material.
Wood - use a normal drill bit.
You'll also need sharp chisels to mortise a square hole in which
the clockworks will sit.
Acyrlic or polycarbonate - use a plastic tapping bit.
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Steps:
For
a ceramic clock, mark the center point for drilling |
Use
a ceramic and glass drill bit |
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While almost anything can be made into a clock, the material's
thickness is the only limiting factor. The stem or shaft of
the clock must be able to pass through the chosen material
and a nut and hands put on the front side.
Choose the clock mechanism that fits your selected material.
The common range is from about 1/16th of an inch to about
three quarters of an inch.
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| Drill a hole in the material where the center of the clock
face will be. It doesn't always have to be in the center of
the object, it can be off to one side if desired. |
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A
hole must be made in a thick wooden clock to hold the clockworks
and to let the shaft pass through |
Place the pilot drill of the hole saw on the mark where the
shaft will pass through |
Cut
a hole just deep enough to accept the clock mechanism |
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If a thick piece of wood has been chosen, a hole the size
of the clockworks mechanism will have to be chiselled in the
back at a depth that will allow the stem to protrude enough
to put the retaining nut on it.
Choose a hole saw at least the size of the widest point of
the clock mechanism - about four inches - and drill into the
wood to a depth that will allow the stem to pass through.
The easiest way to determine the depth is to put the nut on
the mechanism and hold it to the side of the wood with the
nut just touching what will be the face of the clock.
With the mechanism still in place, measure the distance from
the front of the mechanism to the back of the wood using a
tape measure or a thin piece of wire.
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Use a piece of wire to test the depth of the hole saw cut |
Chisel the wood out to the depth cut by the hole saw |
Try to get the bottom as flat as you can |
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Place the hole saw's pilot bit over the center mark for the
clock and drill a hole to the depth measured in the previous
step. Use a thin piece of wire to check the depth in the groove
cut by the hole saw. Chisel out the wood in the center, breaking
it along the grain, to the edge made by the hole saw.
Try to get the bottom of the hole as flat as possible. Use
the chisel with the bevel side down.
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For
a sheet metal face, scribe a cut line with a compass |
Tin
snips cut to the left or to the right |
Use
the tin snips that best suit you and cut out the circle
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If sheet metal has been chosen, scribe a circle or other
shape on the surface and cut it out with tin snips. Tin snips
either cut to the left or to the right so choose the one that
works best for you.
Try some cuts on some scrap pieces first. Never cut to the
very tip of the tin snips or it will leave a sharp bend that
is difficult to remove. Instead, make cutting strokes the
way you would use a pair of scissors, never quite closing
them all the way down.
Use gloves and a file to take the sharp points and edges
off the metal.
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Use
a nail or compression punch to make a dimple in the center |
Enlarge
the dimple first with a very small drill bit but don't go through |
Use one or two more intermediate sizes to enlarge the dimple
but don't go through |
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Finally, use a drill bit just larger than the shaft on the mechanism
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Next, find the center of the metal and drill a hole large
enough to accept the stem of the clock mechanism. When drilling
metal it is necessary to make a dimple in the surface to give
the bit some purchase in the beginning or the bit will 'walk'
around on the surface of the metal. Use a nail and hammer,
a nail set and hammer or a compression punch to make the dimple.
It is also necessary to start the holes with a small drill
bit first and use several others graduating in size up to
the desired size. Use the smaller bits to enlarge the dimple
but don't drill all the way through the sheet metal because
subsequent bits will bind and it will be difficult to enlarge
the hole.
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Use
a file to clean up any burrs or sharp edes on the metal |
Use
a grinder to make a decorative finish on the clock face |
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| After drilling, clean up the hole using a round file and complete
any desired surface decoration. |
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Pass the shaft of the mechanism through the clock face |
The
parts used to attach the mechanism |
Slip the brass washer over the shaft and then the nut - tighten
it snugly |
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| Assemble the clock by passing the shaft of the mechanism through
the drilled hole. Be sure to add the hanging clip and the rubber
washer first. Next, slip the brass washer over the shaft on
the front of the clock and then add the brass nut and tighten
it down using needle nose pliers or a small flat wrench. |
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The hour hand goes on first and is pressed into place |
The minute hand is next and has a special slotted opening for
the oval shaft |
Use
the open nut if using a second hand |
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Press the second hand over the center pin on the shaft |
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The hour hand goes on first and is pressed snuggly onto the
shaft. The minute hand goes on over a specially shaped portion
of the shaft. Be sure to align it carefully before pushing
down into place.
A tiny brass nut goes on next. Use the one with a closed
cap if a second hand is not to be used. Use the tiny brass
nut that is open if a second hand is to be used. The second
hand fits over a tiny post in the center of the mechanism.
Press it into place.
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Use the closed finish cap if not using a second hand |
Use copper nails in wood to mark the numbers |
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| The numbers can be attached or painted every thirty degrees
around the face of the clock. Usually the numbers have an adhesive
back with peel off paper protection. |
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Finished ceramic plate clock with stick on numbers |
Finished aniline stained pine clock with copper nails for numbers |
Sheet
metal clock with decorative ground face and painted numbers |
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| Don't forget the battery. |
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Artisans'
work featured on this episode:
(click pics for Artist info and larger
images)
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More topics
Drill from both sides until the hole is large enough to accept
the shaft
