This was a fun project that involved one of my favorite hobbies and that’s going shopping at the antique store. I’m lucky enough to live close to a large antique mall in Maumee, Ohio and that’s where I found this old vintage clock I could upcycle into something new. What I liked about the clock is the face and the typography of the numbers so I decided to keep that and scrap the rest. I made a new case out of mahogany wood and guitar amp grill cloth. I liked the idea of having the clock offset with a lot of negative space and decided to fill that space with a piggy bank and removable money bag recycled from a Crown Royal sack.
I ended up donating the clock to my local Goodwill donation center in hopes that some stranger will find joy in this find. Inside the clock I left a note stating when it was made and to spread kindness.
I hope you found this build fun as I plan on doing more upcycle projects such as this in the future. As always, be passionate and make something!
Tools and Supplies Used
Step 1: Break it Apart
The first thing I needed to do was break apart the clock. The easiest way was to smash the plastic case.
Step 2: Drill the Clock Hole
I took a sheet of thin plywood and drilled the hole that’ll show the face of the clock.
Step 3: Cutting the Face
Then cut the face to size on the tablesaw.
Step 4: Resawing on Bandsaw
I took some 5 quarter mahogany and resawed it in half on the bandsaw.
Step 5: Cutting 45 Degree Miters
Then I cut the frame to width and cut 45 degree miters on all the ends.
Step 6: Cutting Groove for Face
To hold the face I cut a slot on all four frame pieces.
Step 7: Adding the Grill Cloth
Next I glued the face to some guitar amp grill cloth.
Step 8: Glue up the Frame and Face
I’ll then assemble the frame and face with glue and use a band clamp to clamp everything up.
Step 9: Clock Hole
For the clock hole I used a utility knife to cut slats and pull back the flaps and glued it down to the back of the face.
Step 10: Corner Reinforcements
I cut some square blocks that’ll be used for corner reinforcements as well as a place for the back panel to sit on.
Step 11: Inserting Magnets
The back will be held in with magnets that will sit in a hole drilled out on the drill press.
Step 12: Gluing Clock in Place
The clock gets hot glued right to the back of the face.
Step 13: Cutting Clock Face Ring
The clock face ring was cut out on the drill press and bandsaw.
Step 14: Veneering the Ring
The inside of the ring is lined with veneer that pokes through the face opening and hides the guts of the inside.
Step 15: Pop in Acrylic
A 1/4″ pieces of acrylic is cut on the bandsaw and glued in place with CA Glue.
Step 16: Glue on Ring
Then I glued the ring directly to the face with a hot glue gun.
Step 17: Paper Backing
For safety reasons I hot glue a thin sheet of cardboard over the electronics to prevent electrocution.
Step 18: Money Slot
I then drilled two holes and connected the holes with a jigsaw to make a slot for the piggy bank.
Step 19: Money Bags
To capture the money from the piggy bank I velcroed a Crown Royal bag to the inside that can be easily removed and returned.
Step 20: Adding Feet
And the final step is to add some rubber feet.
