Building clocks may seem intimidating to a beginner. The level of difficulty, though, depends on the type of clock you build. There are clocks that are easy to build, like the mantel clock.
The traditional grandfather clock often calls for advanced skills in woodworking, aside from it being expensive. Fortunately for beginners, there are grandfather clocks that are easy to make and still look grand and impressive.
Here are two clocks you can do yourself.
Regular Mantel Clock
Materials
• ¾ x 4 x 11 Walnut
• ¾ x 5-1/2 x 12-1/2 Walnut
• ¾ x 6 x 13 Walnut (2)
• ¾ x 4-1/2 x 10-1/2 Walnut (2)
• ¼ x 10-1/2 x 10-1/2 Plywood or hardwood
• ¾ x 3-1/2 x 7 Walnut (2)
• ¼ x 10 x 10 Plywood or hardwood
• 12 x 24 Walnut veneer
Instructions
Step 1.
Prepare your materials to their final dimensions. Do this by using the table saw and jointer. When cut, sand surface and edges with a belt sander.
Step 2.
Rout a 5/32” Roman Ogee on the four edges of the bottom layer of the molding. Continue on the next layer with a 1/2” cove bit then use a ¼” straight bit for the small step at the top. Make several passes of the routing process.
Step 3.
Follow the same process for the clock feet molding with the following router bits: ½” round-over bit, ½” cove bit, and ¼” round-over bit.
Step 4.
Cut two pcs of ¼” plywood for the back and the front. Use contact cement to join the walnut veneer to the plywood.
Step 5.
Rout a stopped groove in the front edge of the top and side panel molding. Make sure the grooves are 9/32 wide and ¼” deep.
Step 6.
Create a ¼” x ¼” deep mortises in the bottom step of the top molding. Next is to form a ¼” x ¼” tenons on the end parts. Assemble the top and side moldings then apply a chamfer.
Step 7.
Assemble the three layers of the top molding. Drill two holes (3/8”) through the middle and top step of the molding then insert a dowel and glue.
Step 8.
Cut the veneer plywood according to length and attach to the case frame.
Step 9.
Glue all parts, clamp, and allow to dry. When dry, drill 2 holes where you attach the top handle.
Step 10.
Assemble all parts of the clock, sand and apply the finish.
Grandfather Clock
Tools and Materials
• 55 bd. Ft. wood. (Cherry was used for this project)
• Quartz movement
• Table saw with miter gauge
• Router table
• Router
• Drill press
• Sander, jointer, planer
• Router bits
Instructions:
Work on inlays
Before applying the inlays, decide where you want to place them. Choose a simple design, especially if this is your first to work on inlays.
Step 1.
Trace the outline of your inlay design with a pencil and use this as your pattern.
Step 2.
Cut the outline of the pattern with a knife, doing so from inside of the outline. Repeat several times until you reach the desired depth.
Step 3.
Remove the waste material from the cut until you reach your level base. Check if the inlay fits the base, but do not insert fully or you won’t be able to take it out.
Step 4.
When the base and the insert fit, apply glue, clamp it and let dry.
Step 5.
When dry scrape to level the insert material with the surface then plane it. Repeat the same process with the other inlays.
Work on the Clock case
Step 1.
Cut the slots and the splines. Ensure the fit by rounding one end of the splines. Join the face frames of the waist and base sections then clamp.
Step 2.
Rout the rabbets on the face frames. When done, apply glue to the base and waist sections and attach both sections with screws.
Step 3.
Cut the cove molding on a table saw. Before cutting, raise the blade one-half inch above the table. Mark the throat insert and set the miter gauge at 45 degrees then rip the back side of the cove molding.
Step 4.
Join the upper molding, making sure it is flush to the front rail.
Step 5.
Draw arcs for the arched parts using a compass. Also, draw centerlines on the arcs to keep them centered. Rough-cut the arches on your bandsaw then sand.
Step 6.
Make a pattern for the moldings. This is for the bottom part of the boards (the cornice).
Step 7.
Rout the arched moldings. To build the cornice molding, glue a routed piece on top of another, leaving a straight edge on the bottom piece.
Step 8
.With the miter gauge, miter the arched molding including the blank’s straight edge.
Step 9.
Use a jig to glue the straight shoulders. Using wax paper prevents the molding from sticking to the jig.
Step 10.
Cut the door’s straight shoulder then cut the outer arch. When done, install the door. If you use special offset hinges, the door opens without binding.
Step 11.
Fasten the clock movement to the seat board then fix the dial to the movement.
Step 12.
Slide the hood on the top molding and fasten it with brass hooks.
Building clocks may look tough, that you’d feel like you shouldn’t even try. What you need to know is that perseverance is the key to success in making clocks and not the level of skill. Try the projects above and you will see that they are not difficult, but they do take time to build.
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