Rustic Charred Clock

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.

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 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.

If you would like to see some more of my projects you can subscribe to my YouTube channel here: Eamon Walsh DIY Thanks!