Sh!t Box Clocks!

When I first moved into my new place and was considering what to put on the walls I immediately thought it might be fun to have a whole bunch of clocks all clustered together. Why? I don’t know. I think they’re neat. Clocks I mean. I think it’s because they’re so ubiquitous in life yet companies put so much into making them stand out. There’s such a variety when it comes to clocks and watches and yet they all serve the same basic function: to tell you if you’re late for happy hour.

The idea to have a huge variety of clocks was modified after I saw a series of clocks made out of salvaged materials. They were all just boxes made out of old salvaged lumber, all identical shape, but they had a ton of character. So with some spare plywood I had leftover I decided to make 3 clocks.

Simple frame made of cut plywood with a single overlap on the joints. The faces are just a piece of plywood. The inner works were pulled from some crappy $4 clocks I bought from Target. The cheaper the clock, the easier it is to take apart, too. You drill a hole to thread the clock through and glue the works to the box with a hot glue gun.

And from the side view you can see how simple the construction is and the way the joints overlap. You can also see how much care was taken in the painting of the clocks.

Each clock was painted a bit differently and distressed to give the wood some texture and character.

[Painted brown, and scraped down with the back of a claw hammer and pliers]


[Sprayed white and brushed with water to raise the wood grain]


[Underpainted black, then brushed with light tan paint]

Placed together, the three clocks have a uniformity in their lines, but a certain uniqueness in their finish. I like seeing things in multiples especially when it’s near the point of absurdity. Having 3 clocks is unnecessary, sure, but it’s an interesting look. I’ve also purchased 3 of the same camera for decoration because its excess catches the eye.

Here are the clocks together:

So yeah, that’s me in a nutshell. Sure, it looks like they were made by a person in a mental institution, but to me they add some flair and texture to an otherwise mundane space. They were cheap and easy, too. The clock that inspired this project was going for $150.

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~ by evolutionbydesign on June 20, 2009.