I kept very busy this week and I am excited to share the progress with you all. I mostly focused on the physical clock, so this article should be a little bit more palatable.
Design
So, going into this week, I was planning to create the first fully functioning prototype. With that, I clearly needed a design to base all of this off of. I started brainstorming how both the minute and hour could be displayed on the same clock without interacting. If they were on a flat face, they would collide with each other. After a while I came up with the design below.
![](https://i0.wp.com/wfale.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Screen-Shot-2022-01-09-at-1.54.51-PM.png?resize=832%2C1024&ssl=1)
With this design, I created a very rough model using the previous prototype that I would be replacing.
![](https://i0.wp.com/wfale.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Screen-Shot-2022-01-09-at-1.52.11-PM.png?resize=767%2C1024&ssl=1)
Creation
Now, I had the design smoothed out, and was ready to get working. I ran to the store, and got all the supplies I thought I needed (keyword: thought) and got straight to work! I began by cutting out the outer clock face, and sanding it up to 600 grit for a nice finish, I also did this to the base of the clock after cutting the 12×12 panel out.
I realized I didn’t have all the tools needed, and kept running into this issue. Each step seemed to require a new tool, so this delayed progress by quite a bit. While I was making these runs, I found some very fascinating antique mechanical gears. I found this perfect to help the style of the clock. I let the gears soak in a mixture of vinegar, salt, and hydrogen peroxide. This promotes oxidization of the gears, and gave them the patina look I wanted.
![](https://i0.wp.com/wfale.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Screen-Shot-2022-01-10-at-7.09.45-PM.png?resize=504%2C387&ssl=1)
Now, with more equipment, I was able to start drilling out the inlays for the stepper motors to set in. To my surprise, this idea worked, I was certain I would end up drilling through and having to deal with blemishes on the front.
![](https://i0.wp.com/wfale.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Screen-Shot-2022-01-10-at-7.10.38-PM.png?resize=507%2C484&ssl=1)
The furthest my progress got this week was left at the motor inlays. I have all the supplies I need (I’m hoping) and all the plans made. All that remains is connecting the dots and getting it done.
![](https://i0.wp.com/wfale.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Screen-Shot-2022-01-10-at-7.11.13-PM.png?resize=509%2C511&ssl=1)
Thanks for checking in, and make sure to stay posted.
This is really great! This coming week will be another great post I am sure with all the dots getting connected 🙂