Rustic Charred Clock

Eamon Walsh
by Eamon Walsh
3 Materials
$10
4 Hours
Easy
Hi, I made this clock for a friend of mine as a house warming gift. He had spent a year renovating a house which had been gutted by fire and I thought this would be a great way for him to be reminded of all the work he put into fixing up the house.

Have a look at the video above to watch how I made this rustic charred clock or have a look at my guide below. 
The overall size of the clock is 15 ¼ inches (387 mm) square. This was the width of 4 pieces of pallet when put together. This pallet had been lying around for a while so decided to use this. I purchased the mechanism on eBay.
I gave the pallet a quick check for any major defects, holes or nails. I roughly cut the wood to length allowing plenty for waste.
Using a framing square I marked the size of the clock. I then set about trimming the wood for the face of the clock to the correct size using my chop saw. (Could just as easily be done with a hand saw)
I ripped down 4 pieces of the pallet wood to 1 ½ inches (38mm) and then marked and cut them to fit all the way around the clock. These are what are going to hold it all together.
I drilled holes in these to avoid splitting the wood. Then I screwed these pieces to the face of the clock. (Hope that all makes sense)
Using an angle grinder with a flap disc I cleaned up the piece.
I marked the center of the clock by crossing the diagonals. I had to recess a section on the back of the clock to let the spindle on the mechanism through enough to get a nut on to hold it in place. I did this using a router. This could possibly be avoided by getting a mechanism with a longer spindle than I had.
Now the fun part.
I used a blow torch to scorch, char and burn the surface of the wood. After this was done I gave it a light sanding to remove any loose material. Then I drilled a hole just large enough to get the spindle through.
Before applying a couple of coats spray varnish I rubbed the whole thing down with white spirits to clean off any dust.
Assembly
Assembly is easy, just push the spindle through the hole and attach it with the nut that came with the kit. All the hands are just push fit.


That’s it!! Hope you like it and will have a go making one. 
That’s it!! Hope you like it and will have a go making one. 
Suggested materials:
  • Pallet wood
  • Clock mechanism   (ebay)
  • Spray varnish/lacquer   (Hardware store)
Frequently asked questions
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  1 question
  • MADI MADI on Apr 12, 2022

    I love this beautiful, natural, piece of work. When I first saw it, I said "oh, that looks like something I could make", uh huh, silly girl. I have a thing for clocks. Do you create and sell your products? TYFS

Comments
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 4 comments
  • Joanie Joanie on Aug 12, 2017

    Oh My!! This is a gem!! You've got yourself an A+ on this clock!! Burnin' wood is beautiful!!

    • Eamon Walsh Eamon Walsh on Aug 12, 2017
      Thank you very much . Yes it is, you can get a lovely finish on wood with it and its simple to do! You can also go lighter or darker with it depending on your taste.
  • Lorna Shipton Lorna Shipton on Feb 25, 2020

    This is beautiful. I was looking to 'build' a clock, and I think your tribute to your friends' house fire is beautiful.

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