EGG: the Futuristic Chronometer

by funtogether in Circuits > Reuse

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EGG: the Futuristic Chronometer

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The first question you may ask is, "Why 'EGG'?" Is it an acronym? No. Is the clock made out of egg shell? No, although that would be pretty amazing! I called this clock EGG simply because it had the round, flowing presence of an egg shell. After all, the greatest inventions have come from copying nature! Have fun reading this tutorial, and I hope you find time to make your own EGG Clock. Enjoy!

P.S. This contraption is unfortunately not a home automation system or an amazing supercomputer built into a miniature container. It is only a piece of PVC pipe and an old wristwatch combined to be a futuristic looking, miniature wall clock. Have fun!

What You'll Need to Build EGG

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Tools:

Hacksaw

Hot Glue Gun

Scissors

Drill

File

Rotary Tool (optional)

Paint (optional)

Materials:

A 2" Rounded PVC Endcap

An Old Wristwatch (preferably digital)

A Small Nail

Preparing the Wristwatch

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Every watch is different. Therefore, I cannot give you specific teardown instructions for every kind of watch possible. That said, the basic steps are as follows:

First, remove any wristband or attachments.

Second, remove any screws in the back and pop off the back.

Thirdly, pop out the innards without breaking anything.

Yes, I know that is not very specific, but its the best I can do.

NOTE: You will need the actual digital time keeping mechanism, and a black ring that is also in the watch. The black ring is not necessary, but it does help beautify the project.

Preparing the PVC Endcap

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Using the hacksaw, cut off the rounded end of the PVC cap at the point where it starts to curve. Be very careful not to scratch the surface of the rounded end, otherwise you'll have to paint it like I did, and you don't want to do that!

Preparing the PVC More

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Trace the general shape of your watch mechanism into the inside of the curved piece of PVC, as shown. Next, drill a bunch of holes inside of the circle to make it easier to file out. Thirdly, file out the inside of the hole. Remember that it is better to have the hole too small than too large. It is easier to make the hole bigger than it is to make the watchface fit beautifully in a large hole. Continue filing out the hole while trying whether or not the watch fits. Continue this process until the watch fits perfectly.

Combining the PVC and the Watch

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Fit the watchface into the aforementioned hole, and hot-glue firmly in from the inside. Glue the black ring onto the outside of the face, while making sure not to get hot glue everywhere.

Painting the EGG

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If at all possible, you should not do this step because it is a pain and hopefully unnecessary. IF you scratched your EGG then you will probably have to do this. To do this, you will need paint of your choice and a paintbrush. Carefully brush the paint onto the sides of the EGG. Next, follow through with a wet paintbrush. This waters the paint down slightly and creates a smoother surface. Wait for it to dry, and your done with this step.

Finishing Up

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This step will let you hang the EGG. First, you'll need to find the point that is directly centered above the face of the watch. Next, you'll need to put a dob of hot glue at that point, and press your nail into place. Make sure the nail is straight up and down, and let dry. Stick the nail into a hole in the wall, and, ta-da, you're done! Have fun answering questions about your EGG futuristic chronometer!

Other Possible Uses

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You can use this as a wall safe. No, it isn't everything-proof. Yes, it is in plain sight. That is exactly why it is the perfect safe. If you tape a $20 bill to the inside of clock (in all the spare room), then you will, most likely, have a $20 bill in the emergency where your home is broken into, your house is flooded, etc... If you have any other ideas, please comment, leave your ideas, and share pictures of your version. Thanks!