Location: Cincinnati, OH

Hobbyist or Pro: Hobbyist

Project Name: Clock and Marble Elevator

Wood Species: Bocote, Jatoba, Yucatan Rosewood, Zebra Wood

Finish Used: Wiped on clear shellac

Project Description:
The inspiration came from a video I saw of a design Steve Good made and then significantly modified. The joinery used was biscuit-reinforced miter joints and mortise and tenon joints for everything else.

Here’s a little video of the marble elevator in action:

From: Devin Larsen

Website: SpudWood

Location: Rexburg, Idaho

Amateur or Pro: Amateur

Finish Used: 3 coats of a 1:1:1 ratio of poly, Danish Oil, and mineral spirits. Sanding between coats with 320 sandpaper.

Wood Species: Mahogany

Project Description:
This clock is my best piece to date. I finished it just in time to give to my mom for Christmas. The design is not my own, but a design that I found to be challenging. The main body of the clock is a simple carcass construction using rabbits and dados. I made a book match panel for the back behind the pendulum. The broken colonial style top was made using a combination of the band saw and router. Creating the finial was my first time using the lathe, it was a great experience.

The best part about this build was the incredible highs and lows that I experienced each time I was in the shop. I made plenty of mistakes which would just eat at me. Despite the few negative things that happened, I can look at it now and be proud of the thought of this clock hanging on my parents dining room wall.

From: Bob Lossie

Website: www.makingtimeclockshop.com

Location: Lake City, PA

Amateur or Pro: Amateur

Finish Used: Clear Satin Finish

Wood Species: Black Walnut

Project Description:
My wife and I have two great friends that live across the street from us. We traditionally exchange a gift of some sort with them at Christmas time. Whenever they are over at the house they always comment on how much they like the Anniversary Clock that I designed and built. This year I decided to build one for them. I hope they get as much enjoyment out of it as I did making it for them.

This clock was built using Black Walnut. All the trim was fabricated and the top was covered with Black Walnut veneer. The clock features Glass Panels on all four sides with a door on the back to allow easy access to the battery and setting the time.

I have been a weekend woodworker for over 25 years. Recently I have been designing and building clocks. I am a draftsman and in my spare time enjoy making blueprints and then building the clocks. With every design I try to improve my woodworking skills with something more challenging than the previous design.

Here’s another great small project for the holidays. Its a small Contemporary Clock. This piece should take about two days to build. And this is another project that can benefit from the batching process. So be sure to make a bunch!

And just to help you along, I did my best to create a working SketchUp file that should be perfectly to scale. Just keep in mind that I am by no means a Sketchup expert, so please give all measurements the “common sense check”. After reviewing the sketch myself, I realized that the width of the center square piece is about 1/16″ off. Rest assured, it should be 3 1/2″. Download the Sketchup File by clicking the link below. And if you haven’t used Sketcup before, you can download a free copy from Google: Sketchup

Download Sketchup File for the Contemporary Clock

To sum up, here’s a basic cut list (also stated in the video):
(1) 3/4″ thick x 3 1/2″ wide x 3 1/2″ long (for the clock)
(4) 3/4″ thick x 1 1/2″ wide x 6 1/2″ long (for the frame)
(2) 1/4″ diameter x 1 1/4″ long dowels

And here are some links to the materials used in the video:

General Finishes PolyAcrylic
Clock Parts

Circle/Grommet Templates This is the plexiglass template kit I used to create the holes for the clock works. Highly recommended!! Circle/Grommet Templates