I can’t believe I’ve gotten to this point in my life without ever making a clock. Maybe because my parents never sent me to arts and crafts camp or because I quit Brownies after one year, I never fulfilled a basic craft right of passage. Until now– hooray! My first clock, done.
My clock-making journey started when I found out Michael’s sells clock kits for super cheap (about $5) and then stumbled upon a small wood plaque (someone’s handdrawn creation from 1971) at the MV Big Flea Shop N Drop in December. A clock was meant to be.
Using the thickest bit I had, I drilled a hole in the plaque where I wanted the clock mechanism to go. Well, the drill bit wasn’t big enough, so I had to carefully drill a second hole. Note to self: Get some larger bits for these type of projects.
Also, another lesson learned — don’t disregard the measurements on the clock kit box. The largest clock mechanism I could find was 3/4-inch long. My plague was thicker than that, but I decided to wing it. Not such a great idea.
Because the plaque was too thick for the clock mechanism, I had to kind of work some magic with the drill, and somewhat countersink the hole. I was able to shave off as much as possible so I could secure the bolt which holds the clock together.
You can kind of see that here. I think it worked out without looking too terrible.
The next part was also tricky — installing the hands. For starters the hands were extremely flimsy. Second, the instructions (even with a graphic rendering) were poorly written and I had the darndest time securing the hands. I felt like the owl was mocking me (or maybe he was still angry for drilling into his belly).
But in the end, after I added the battery (and switched its placement a few times because I couldn’t figure out which way it was supposed to go), I heard the sweet ticking of the second hand. And I rejoiced at my masterpiece.
Fortunately, the clock mechanism comes with a built-in mounting hook, so it was easy to hang on the wall.
This hairshirt of a craft journey is finally over. I am now an official clocksmith.
Have you made a clock? What items have you used? Do you have any recommendations for non-flimsy, easy-to-follow clock kits?
