What can you make into a clock? The real question is what can’t you make a clock out of? Almost nothing. I have even tried turning my Yellow Lab into a functional timepiece, but it did not work out to well. She thought that the clock movement around her neck was going to be a tasty treat, so I had to take it away before we could start filming.
Otherwise, if you can hold something still for a moment while you drill a 3/8 inch diameter hole in it, you can probably make a clock out of it. You can start with easy things like, CD’s, old vinyl records, even the nicely printed album covers (boy am I showing my age) or photos. All you have to do is cut a 3/8 inch hole in the object of your choice and you can easily install a modern, accurate Quartz Clock Motor.
The most important thing for you to do is just measure how thick the material is at the 3/8 of an inch hole you cut or drilled. This will determine exactly which movement to buy. It’s all about having a hand shaft length long enough to go through whatever material you are making your clock out of, and being able to hold it in place with the washer and hex nut.
If you are making a clock out of a vinyl record or record cover, then because the material is thin (About 1/8 inch), a short shaft movement kit would be best. Our short shaft MMKIT14B or MMKIT14G would work fine, depending on if either black hands or gold clock hands would look best. It’s your choice.
Here we show a kitchen clock being made from an old cast iron pan. All we had to do is drill a 3/8 inch hole in the middle of the pan and we were ready for final assembly. Since we actually did not use any type of indicator, all we had to do was install the movement and the hands. We used the MMKIT14G for this kitchen clock design because the pan was less than ¼ of an inch thick..
If your clock design is ½ inch thick, then he MMKIT12G or MMKIT12B would be your best choice. If the case of your clock is ¾ of an inch thick or less, then the MMKIT34G or MMKIT34B would be for you.
Over my 40 year career in the clock parts business I have seen a lot of “different” clock designs. Among them have been:
- CD’s
- Tennis Rackets
- Old Vinyl Records
- Metal Gift Boxes
- Ceramic or Wood Plates
- Wood Slabs
- Cast Iron Pans
- Computer Circuit Boards
- Marquetry
- Signs
- Decorated Foam Core Boards
- Books
- Paintings & Drawings
- Photos
- Needlepoint & Quilts
- Nautical Steering Wheels
- Propellers
- Hub Caps
- Slate Roof Tiles
- Ceramic Tiles
- Stained Glass
- Mirrors
- Bicycle Wheels
- Tambourines
- Cymbals
- Hubcaps
If you come up other idea’s I’d sure like to hear about them, and add them to this list. Somebody out there always has something I’ve never seen or heard of. A photo of your “work of art” would really be even more appreciated. Just use your imagination. Happy clock making!