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DIY Spool Wall Clock

October 12, 2016 by wausaudiy@gmail.com

spoolclock10

On our endless search for pallets, we stumbled across one of these spools.   (After we asked for permission of course..), it was loaded into the truck.  We weren’t sure what we were going to make with it, but it was going to be something neat!   We searched Pinterest for awhile and found some ideas for spool wall clocks.  Here’s a brief tutorial on how to make your own!

Check us out on WSAW at 5:00 pm on Wednesday October 12th for a demonstration of how simple it is to create.

Materials

  • Wooden spool (Many electric supply companies and electricians have access to the spools but be sure to get permission before you take them)
  • Two adjustable wrenches or an adjustable wrench and impact wrench (you will either need really long arms or a helper to operate both!)
  • Orbital sander with 60 grit and 100 + grit sand paper
  • Elbow grease….a lot of it!
  • Stain or paint for your spool base color (personal preference; we use Minwax water-based stains)
  • Stencils for the clock face; you can use standard numbers, Roman numeral or even dots/dashes.  Most craft stores sell number stencils or you can contact us to make you some vinyl stencils.
  • Paint for stencils; latex chalk paint offers a nice finish or you can use acrylic craft paint
  • Clock hardware; based on the diameter of your spool you may need to adjust your hand length.  Our spool is 32″ in diameter so we are using 12″ hardware but 14″ would work nice also.
  • 4″ – 5″ diameter metal or wooden disc to cover the center whole in the wooden spool

How To

spoolclock1

Step 1:

Once you obtain your wooden spool. You will need to disassemble it.  You can use two adjustable wrenches or one adjustable wrench and an impact wrench.  You may need a helper for this step depending on the size of the spool and the length of your arms.

spoolclock2    spoolclock3

Step 2:

You will need to sand the spool smooth using sand paper.  Ideally you using a power sander (either orbital, palm or belt sander) will make the task easier.  You will want to sand with 60 grit sand paper first and do a finish sanding with 100 or higher grit.  This will be difficult to sand by hand but possible….more power is better for this step!

spoolclock3

Step 3:

Stain or paint the spool.  There are unlimited options as to how these can be finished!  Ours is stained on one side, and painted on the other.

spoolclock5

Step 4:

Paint numbers or symbols on the clock face.  This easiest if you use stencils.  This may take some searching.  (Basic fonts with numbers can be found at craft stores..)    We dab lightly with paint (2 coats).   Another option:  You could use dots or dashes instead of numbers!     After painting ours, we sanded with a fine grit sandpaper to distress slightly.

spoolclock6

spoolclock7

Step 5:

You will need to find a small metal round plate or thin wooden disc.  It needs to be larger than the diameter of the center hole.   (There will be instructions with your clock hardware as to what diameter hole you will need to drill through this.).  We had to drill a 3/8″ hole for the clock hardware.  (You can paint it or leave it as is!)

spoolclock8

Step 6:

Attach clock hardware to circle (from Step 5), following package directions.  Some brands may be different.  You will need to attach the circle to the spool end/clock, and for that we will use two #8 sheet metal screws.   Install a battery, set your time, and you are ready to display your creation!
spoolclock9

Step 7:

It’s time to display your clock!  Some people may choose to lean this clock against a fireplace mantel or display on a hallway table.  If you choose to hang this sign, be sure to use caution here.  We would recommend using a french cleat (with the wall portion anchored directly to 2 studs).  Here is some info on what exactly a french cleat is:  http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to-plans/how-to/g2340/how-to-build-a-french-cleat-shelf/
 Another option would be using heavy duty framing hardware.  Use drywall wall anchors or directly to studs for attaching the hardware to your wall.

Step 8:

Bonus, you’ll have one extra spool end to make another clock!  Christmas is coming, this would make a great gift!
We hope to have a workshop in December to make these.
Let us know if you’d like to be added to our contact list for when we launch this workshop!

spoolclock10

Keep on DIY’ng and let us know if you have any questions!

Lisa Kumfer & Ashley Witzeling – co-owners of Wausau DIY

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