Mantel Clock

mantel clock

© 2012 August Home Publishing Co.

1 WoodsmithPlans.com WS10828 ©2012 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.

Mantel ClockYou’d expect a large project to attract a lot of attention. But sometimes, a small weekend project, like this mantel clock, can surprise you.

T here’s no doubt about it — what grabs your attention right away is the wood. It’s

curly maple. This figured wood is so dramatic that you might be inclined to think “the wood makes the clock.” But while I appreciate the beauty of the curly maple, there are a couple of other reasons why I like this mantel clock as much as I do.

DESIGN. First of all, there’s the design. This clock has a traditional look. Its clean lines and simple mold-ings at the top and bottom would look great no matter what wood you used.

CONSTRUCTION. The other reason I like this clock isn’t so easy to see. In fact, you might miss it altogether

the clock case. If you’ve never stained figured maple, you’re in for a bit of a surprise. Unlike regular maple where you want to apply an even stain, fig-ured maple requires an uneven stain. The goal is to bring out the “waves” — not hide them. (See the Finishing Tip on page 6.)

There’s no doubt you’ll end up with a beautiful piece for your home, office, or any other space that could use a refined piece such as this clock.

if you weren’t looking for it. In spite of its elegance, there’s nothing very difficult about building this project. Everything is held together with simple joinery, and it houses a quartz movement, which is readily available and easy to install.

QUaRTER-ROUND MOlDING. The clock face is protected by a framed piece of glass. To hold the glass in place inside the frame, I used small strips of quarter-round. And even though they’re small, I came up with an easy way to make them with a router table and the table saw. (See the Shop Tip on page 5.)

WOOD. As I mentioned earlier, I used a piece of curly maple to make


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BRASS KNOB

BACKSUPPORTFRONT

SIDE

STOP

DRAWERGUIDE

DRAWERSIDE

DRAWERFRONT

DRAWERBOTTOM

DRAWERBACK

DIVIDER

FRAMEPIECES

TOP

CLOCKFACE

SUPPORTSIDE

COVEMOLDING

BOTTOM

QUARTZMOVEMENT

CLOCKHANDS

COVEMOLDING

GLASSSTOP

NOTE: DRAWER FRONT DADOES ARE INSET SO SIDES FIT INSIDE THE CLOCK

NOTE: CLOCK FACE AND MOVEMENT ARE ATTACHED TO SUPPORT THAT SLIDES IN BACK

NOTE: COVE MOLDING GIVES THE CLOCK AN ELEGANT LOOK

NOTE: UPPER STOP POSITIONS THE CLOCK FACE AND FACE FRAME

cutting diagram

woodA Sides (2) 1/2 x 31/4 - 93/4B Stops (2) 1/2 x 3/8 - 10 roughC Drawer Guides (2) 1/4 x 21/4 -13/4d Divider (1) 1/2 x 3 - 71/2E Cove Molding (2) 3/4 x 37/8 - 93/4F Top/Bottom (2) 1/2 x 4 - 10G Frame Pieces (4) 1/2 x 7/8 - 8 roughH Glass Stop Blanks (2) 3/4 x 2 - 7 roughI Support Front (1) 1/4 ply - 71/2 x 71/2J Support Sides (2) 1/2 x 2 - 71/2K Back (1) 1/4 ply - 71/2 x 93/4L Drawer Front (1) 1/2 x 13/4 - 71/2M Drawer Sides (2) 1/4 x 13/4 - 23/4N Drawer Back (1) 1/4 x 13/4 - 61/2o Drawer Bottom (1) 1/4 ply - 21/2 x 63/4

HArdwArE SuppLIES(8) No. 6 x 11/4" Fh Woodscrews(1) 1/8"-thick Glass (61/8" x 61/8")(1) Quartz Clock Movement (1) 71/2" x 71/2" Clock Face (1 pr.) 23/4"-long “Terry” Clock Hands(4) Brass Turn Buttons w/ Screws(1) 1/2"-dia. Studded Brass Knob(4) 3/4"-dia. Felt Pads

ExplodedView DetailsOVERALL DIMENSIONS:121⁄4"H x 10"W x 4"D

matEriaLS LiSt


SIDE

DRAWERGUIDE

STOP

STOP

SIDE

NOTE:SIDE AND

STOP PIECESMADE FROM"-THICK STOCK!/2

!/4

9#/4

3!/4

7!/2

1#/4

2!/4

A

B

C

B

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1

104

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3

TOP

BOTTOM

DIVIDER( " THICK)!/2

COVEMOLDING

COVEMOLDING

SIDE

#/4

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F

E

D

A

E

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2

#/8

#/8

END VIEW

STOPSIDE

!/4

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a.

DRAWERGUIDE

NOTE:SIZE DRAWER GUIDETO ALLOW "-WIDEGAP FOR BACK

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b.

COVEMOLDING

DRAWERGUIDE

BOTTOM

!/4" DIVIDER

NOTE:DIVIDER ISFLUSH WITHFRONT OF SIDESAND BACK OFDRAWER GUIDES

CROSS SECTION

D

F

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cLock BodY

The body of this clock is quite simple. It starts out as an H-shaped frame that’s sandwiched between a layer of molding and a top and bottom.

SIDES. I began by cutting the two sides to size from 1/2"-thick stock. Next I cut a 3/8"- wide groove, 1/4" deep in each side. Then, in each groove, I glued two stops (Figure 1). The lower stop is for a drawer. The upper stop will position the clock face and face frame.

There’s a 1/2"-wide gap between the upper and lower stops (Figure 1b). This is for a divider that’s added later. One easy way to create this gap is to use a 1/2"-thick scrap piece as a tem-porary spacer between the stops. The last step for the sides is to glue a drawer guide behind each lower stop. These guides fit flush with the outside face of the lower stop and should stop 1/4" short of the back edges of the sides to allow for a plywood back.

DIVIDERS. Next, to create the H-shaped frame, I connected the two sides with a divider, as in Figure 2. This piece is sized so it’s flush with the sides in front and the drawer guides in back (Figure 2a). The trick to gluing the divider and sides is to keep the assembly square. So I used a spacer that matched the length of the divider.

TOP & BOTTOM. With these pieces assembled, I added a layer of molding to each end, and the top and bottom pieces. I cut two cove molding pieces to size from 3/4"-thick stock. These pieces are sized to create a 1/8" lip at the sides and front, as in Figure 5a on page 4. (Mine were 37/8" x 93/4".) To shape the molding, I routed the ends and front with a 1/2" cove bit (Figures 4 and 4a, page 4). Then I screwed them to the sides, flush with the back.

Now, with the cove molding in place, I added the top and bottom pieces (Figure 2). They overhang the cove molding 1/8" on the front and sides (Figure 6a, page 4). But there is no profile routed on their edges and they’re simply glued in place.

FramE

With the basic body complete, I turned my attention to the frame that

holds the glass (Figure 7, page 4). It’s a simple mitered frame that fits the opening above the divider and stands a little proud of the sides (1/8").

FRaME PIECES. To begin, I ripped the frame pieces to width from

1/2"-thick stock. But before mitering the frame pieces to final length, there’s a little decorative shaping that needs to be done to them on the router table.

First, to soften the edges on the front of the frame pieces, I routed a 1⁄8" roundover


USESPACERTO KEEPASSEMBLY SQUARE

DIVIDERD

3

along both outside edges of each frame piece (Figure 7a). Next, to hold the 1/8"-thick piece of glass and the 1/4"-thick glass stops, I routed a rabbet along the inside edge of each frame piece, as in Figure 7b. Note: Because this rabbet is 3/8" deep, I’d recom-mend routing it in two passes.

When the rabbet is routed, the frame pieces can be mitered to length (Figure 7). You want a snug fit, so after mitering one end of each, I cut each piece to length so it fit the opening exactly.

aSSEMBlY. Now the frame can be glued together. But don’t glue it into the body just yet. It’s easier to make and fit the glass stops before the frame is in place.

GlaSS STOPS. The glass stops are just 1/4"-thick quarter-round strips. But making them can be dangerous. Because they’re so small, they can get hung up in the insert plate on the table saw, and there’s potential for kickback. So start with oversize blanks and use a zero-clearance insert in the table saw.

Now you can miter the stops to fit the rabbet. But stain the clock before you glue the frame or tack in the stops.

COVE MOLDING

NOTE: ROUT ENDS FIRSTUSING BACKING BOARD

!/2"COVE BIT

BACKINGBOARD

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4

COVEMOLDING

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NOTE: COVEMOLDINGS ARE

FLUSH WITH BACKEDGE OF SIDES

5 TOP10

4

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GLASSSTOP

NOTE:

LASS STOP

SEE THESHOP TIP ONPAGE 5 FOR

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FRAMEPIECES

NOTE: GLASSAND STOPSARE ADDEDAFTERSTAININGIS COMPLETE

NOTE:MITER FRAMEPIECES FROMEXTRA-LONG

"-THICKBLANKS!/2

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GLASS(!/8!/8 !/8" THICK -

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NOTE:CENTER HOLE FORCLOCK MOVEMENT

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BACK

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NOTE: BACKIS CUT FROM" PLYWOOD!/4

NOTE: MOVEMENT,TURN BUTTONS, AND FELTPADS ARE ADDED AFTERFINISHING IS COMPLETE

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9

To hold a piece of glass in a frame, I often use small strips of quarter-round (see photo below). But routing and ripping thin strips can be dangerous, so I use over-size blanks.

First, I cut a 3/4"-thick blank roughly 2" wide. Then to create the quarter-round profile, I rout two edges with a 1/4" roun-dover bit (Figure 1). Now, cutting the strips from the

blank is a simple, two-step process. First, 3/8"-deep kerfs are cut 1/4" from the rounded edges (Figure 2). (To be safe, use a zero-clearance insert plate in your table saw.)

Next, the blank can be stood on edge, and the quarter-round molding strips can be cut away. Just make sure that the strips fall to the waste side of the blade (Figure 3).

ROUTERFENCE

BLANK FORGLASS STOPS

!/4" ROUND-OVER BIT

#/4

1

RIPFENCE

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2

GLASSSTOP

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3

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quarter-Round Molding

movEmEnt Support

I used a slightly unusual method for mounting the movement and back.

The clock face and quartz move-ment are attached to a support that slides into the opening in the back (Figure 8). This way, if you ever need to get at the hands in front, all you have to do is slide the movement support out through the back of the clock body.

FRONT. To make this part, I cut a support front from 1/4"-thick plywood.

The size of this piece depends on the opening inside the clock. I cut my front to fit the opening exactly (71/2" x 71/2"), and then trimmed it slightly so it would slide in without too much trouble.

The only thing that needs to be done to this front piece is to drill a 5/16"-dia. hole in the center. This is for mounting the quartz movement.

SIDES. Next, cut two support sides to match the height of the front. Cut them to width so they’re flush with the back of the divider when the support

is slid inside the clock, as shown in Figure 9. (Mine were 2" wide. This may vary depending on the thickness of your clock face.)

With the sides glued to the front, the support is complete. But wait to add the quartz movement until after the clock has been finished. At that point, adding the movement is just a matter of feeding its post through the front and the clock face and securing them with a nut. Then the hands can be attached to the post.


MaNTEl ClOCk 7

BaCk. The last piece of the body is the back. This 1/4" plywood piece is cut to fit the opening in back. To make it easy to remove, drill a finger hole. To hold the back in place, turn buttons are screwed to the back of the sides.

drawEr

Now the only thing left to add is a small drawer. It also stands 1/8" proud of the front (Figure 10b). Note: This drawer is shallow, so there won’t be much binding as it’s slid in. Because of

this, I built the drawer to fit the opening exactly. Then I sanded it down until it slid in smoothly.

FRONT. Start by cutting the 1/2"-thick front to fit the opening. Next, to hold the sides, I cut two 1/4"-deep dadoes on the back face of the front (Figure 10a), which are inset so the sides fit inside the clock. After the dadoes were cut, I routed a 1/8" roun-dover on the front’s outside edges.

SIDES & BaCk. Now, the 1/4"-thick stock used for the drawer sides and back can be cut to size (Figure 10).

To hold the bottom, I added a 1/8"-deep groove in all the pieces. But you don’t want this groove visible on the ends of the drawer front, so rout a stopped groove between the dadoes, as shown in Figure 10c. Now the drawer bottom can be cut to size, and the drawer can be glued together. The back simply butts between the sides.

FINISH. I highlighted the curly maple with a water-based aniline dye and applied a wipe-on finish. Now, just add a 1/2"-dia. brass knob to the drawer and four felt pads to the case bottom.

BOTTOM( " PLYWOOD)!/4

BACK

SIDE

SIDE

FRONT

NOTE: DRAWERFRONT IS "-THICK

HARDWOOD,SIDES AND BACK

ARE "-THICKHARDWOOD

!/2

!/4

!/2"-DIA.STUDDED

BRASS KNOB

1#/4

1#/4

1#/4

2#/4

2!/2

6#/47!/2

6!/2

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NO

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M

DRAWERFRONT

!/4

!/4

!/4

!/2

!/8"-DEEPGROOVE

TOPVIEW M N

L

BACK VIEW

!/4

!/4"-WIDESTOPPED GROOVE

DRAWER FRONT

DADOFOR SIDE

L

a. c.

!/8

!/8

!/4!/4

CROSS SECTION

DRAWERBOTTOM

!/8

FELTPAD

b.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . Staining Figured MapleFINISHING TIPIf you’ve ever stained reg-ular maple, then the first thing to know about fig-ured maple is that it’s a completely different ball game. With regular maple, you want an even stain, which is hard because maple’s grain is so wavy. With figured maple, you want an uneven stain. This may sound disastrous, but the goal is to highlight the waves — not hide them.

This increases the depth and contrast and brings out the figure (see photo).

To stain figured maple, I use an aniline dye. (An off-the-shelf pigment stain

tends to hide the figure.) And I typically choose water-based dyes because they’re the easiest to work with and the most lightfast. (For sources, see page 7.)

But the water will raise the grain. So I wet the wood and then lightly sand off the whiskers before applying the stain.

Then, I keep a wet edge. If the stain dries before you’re finished, it could leave lap marks.

Aniline dyes look great when they’re wet, but flat and dull when dry. Don’t worry. Applying a top coat brings back the bright look.

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Woodsmith Store800-444-7527

Klockit800-556-2548klockit.com

Woodcraft800-225-1153woodcraft.com

Woodworker's Supply

800-645-9292woodworker.com

MAIL ORDER

SOURCES

Project SourcesTo build the mantel clock, you’ll need a common quartz move-ment with at least a 3⁄8"-long post (10082) and a 71⁄2"-square clock face with a 51⁄2"-diameter time ring. (26882). Both of these items can be found at Klockit. And you can find the clock hands (7938X) at Woodcraft.

To stain the clock, we used Moser’s water-based aniline dye called Golden Amber Maple. This particular dye is available from Woodworker’s Supply.


Mantel Clock

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