Time to burn Create a timepiece with a difference

You can pick up the plywood and blowtorch from your local hardware store, and the clock mechanism at a craft store.

Gather your supplies

900 x 600 x 9mm plywood Clock mechanism kit

You’ll also need

Straight edge; marker pen; scrap plywood; nail; hammer; drill; various drill bits; router fitted with a straight cut bit; router guide; 120-grit sandpaper; circular saw; gas blowtorch; brush; spray-on matt varnish

Here’s how

STEP 1 Draw a line across the plywood 450mm from one end. Also draw a line at least 450mm long down the centre of the sheet.

STEP 2 On a scrap piece of plywood, tap in a nail towards one end. Drill holes 210 and 160mm from the nail. Make the holes large enough to fit the tip of your marker pen. Nail scrap piece to plywood where the marked lines intersect. Insert the pen into each hole and rotate it to mark circles on the plywood. Remove scrap piece.

STEP 3 Drill a hole through the plywood where the lines intersect. Make the diameter of the hole to suit the locating pin on the router guide.

STEP 4 With the locating pin of the router guide in the hole, attach your router to it so the edge of the bit is on the outside of

the outermost circle. With the router set to cut 4mm deep, rotate it around on the guide to cut a circle in the plywood. Set the router to cut deeper, then repeat until you’ve cut through the plywood to create the clock face. Sand cut edge smooth. STEP 5 Sit clock face on edge on remaining plywood so a line across it meets the plywood. Mark this point. Roll the clock along until the next line on the clock meets the plywood. Mark.

STEP 6 Measure the distance between the two marked points. Divide this by 3 to find the distance between each numeral around the face of the clock. Measure and mark these points between those already on the plywood.

STEP 7 Place the clock face back on the plywood so the line on the clock aligns with 1 of the outermost marks on the plywood. Roll the clock along the ply, marking each point on the clock as you reach it. Repeat for all quarters of the clock.

STEP 8 Connect numeral points on opposite sides of the clock with the straightedge. Draw a line from the outside edge to the drawn circle.

STEP 9 Using a circular saw set to cut 3mm deep, cut along all the numeral lines

from the edge to the circle.

STEP 10 Use a gas blowtorch to burn the face of the clock until the wood starts to separate and look like a log that’s been in a fire. Due to the burning process, the plywood will warp. To remedy this, turn the clock face over and burn the other side until flat again.

STEP 11 Lightly brush the clock face to remove any loose particles. Remove dust. Follow with a few coats of matt varnish to protect the clock face and seal in any residue from the burning process.

STEP 12 Widen hole in centre of clock face to suit mechanism. Insert through hole and tighten nut on face to hold in place. Fix hands to mechanism. Hang clock on a hook on your wall.