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Step
1. Step 10. Even though I use a carbide tipped blade, the miter
saw often leaves coarse mill marks on the wood. They are very difficult
to remove while still preserving the sharp, smooth, straight edges required
for this project. Therefore, I like to use a disc sander to eliminate
the deep scratches and to make the final sanding a little more accurate
and a whole lot easier. Just be certain to maintain the original angle
and sand down only to the line.
Step
11. Use 150 grit abrasive paper and a random
orbit sander to do the final sanding on the edges. It’s fast and it
does an excellent job with a minimal amount of effort. Again, keep in mind
just how aggressive this sander can be and be careful not to oversand.
Step 12.
Even though I sanded the surfaces of the blank after planing it down to
3/4”, I take the time to re-sand both surfaces with a small palm
sander fitted with 150 grit abrasive paper. Doing so will eliminate any
defects, such as pencil marks, scratches or small chips, that might have
appeared during the manufacture and prepares the clock for finishing.
When this is completed, use a small piece of 120 grit paper to “break
all sharp edges” on the project. Hold the abrasive paper at a slight
angle to each edge on the project and make one or two light passes by
hand along each sharp edge. This slight rounding over of all edges makes
the clock more comfortable to hold.
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Finishing
Begin the finishing process in the usual manner. Apply a liberal
coat of boiled linseed oil thinned 2 to 1 with paint thinner.
Let this mixture set for about 15 minutes and then wipe it off
thoroughly with a dry cloth. Permit this coat to dry overnight,
then apply a couple coats of an aerosol lacquer based finish,
such as Deft. I use spray finish on small projects because it’s
faster, easier, and does a much better job than I could do with
a brush. After the Deft has dried for an hour, rub down the finish
with No. 4/0 steel wool.
Finally, buff the clock using three separate wheels charged with
three different compounds. The first wheel is loaded with a tripoli
compound. It is slightly abrasive and eliminates any tiny scratches
that might remain. It also smoothes the wood. A white diamond
compound is applied to the second wheel. This removes any excess
tripoli and begins the polishing process. The third wheel is charged
with Carnuba wax, producing a protective coating while providing
the wood with a glossy finish.
The bottom edge of the clock should be covered with some type
of scratch preventive coating to protect the surface of the desk
or table that the clock will rest on. Besides, it looks a little
more professional than if just left bare wood!
I use a flocking material called “Suede-Tex” made
by Donjer company. Application
is fairly simple. An adhesive undercoating specifically formulated
for the product is applied with a small brush and then small fibers
of flocking are sprayed over the wet surface with a special applicator
gun. The system is quite expensive —especially if you are
not going to make a large number of clocks. In this case, I would
recommend that you use adhesive backed felt material instead.
You simply cut a piece of the felt material larger than the base
of the clock, apply it to the base, and then trim it to the exact
size with a razor knife.
All that’s left to do to complete the project is to install
the clock face. Be very careful when you do so to make sure that
the vertical line between the six and twelve on the clock face
stays vertical when it is inserted into the hole in the project.
These clocks make excellent gifts for the student going away to
college, the office, friends and family, or anyplace else where
a little splash of color would brighten the decor.
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