I love making clocks. No idea why. They move on their own. I know that’s part of it. I like to make things that just sort of go without you having to do anything to them. Legos are kind of like that, too.
The Black Sunshine Clock
This is one of my very first clocks. This one is made of orange and black acrylic. The numbers are deep laser engraved, then filled with white Testor’s paint, then the surface was sanded finer and finer until a dull, matte finish remained. The front and back face were glued with acrylic solvent and left to cure. The clock workings are from clock-parts.com. I used 3M automotive double-sided tape to stick the clock to the acrylic. The clock works like a dream, too!
Vroom Auto Clock!
This is the Vroom Auto Clock! I made this from a hubcap/wheel cover I found on the road. The shape just said, “clock” to me. I’m not entirely certain why. First, I ground off the excess mounting bits on the back – they are made to hold the wheel cover in place on a wheel of a car, but I didn’t need those pieces and they would keep the clock from laying flat against the wall.
Anyway, I sanded the clock down to roughen the bright shiny edges. Then, I laid down a primer coat, then painted with red, orange and yellow spray paint. After that dried, I masked off the areas that have color in them now and painted over again with the black and then used flecks of white spray paint. When that dried, I hit it with a good spray gloss. Finally, I drilled out a center hole for the clock parts from Clock Parts. This one is installed with an extra long movement so the hands will clear the raised ridges on the clock.
This one will, eventually be a gift for my stepfather, but I need to add the clock numbers as I sorta forgot those. I may make him a different clock, too. My next idea is to make one from found bottle caps and wood (maybe a wooden palette).
