Project Information
The basics
About 10" square by 1-1/2" thick. The center box is about 7-1/2" square.
Woods are (inside to outside) lacewood, purple heart, walnut, and white oak.
The hour marks are copper rod stubs with a patina from ammonia.
I ammonia fumed the outer white oak box in a 5-gallon bucket with "Ace" brand ammonia (10%).
I wanted dark so I left it overnight. The oak I selected did not disappoint! It looks a lot like wenge.
Watco oil finish.
How it came to be
My wife told me that I needed "simpler" pieces to sell at the Gallery/Gift Shop.
Made sense, All my lower priced stuff was selling well and not every one is after Arts & Crafts style doodads.
"I'll make a simple, contemporary clock with the purple heart I've been hoarding lately."
(yeah, right 8^)
So I complete the center section, mitered corners and maple splines (all epoxied joints to avoid the greasy nature of the PH)
![]()
It was ok, but lacked any "zing". I began thinking about legs, etc. but then recalled the "Wood Whisperer" style clocks that occasionally show on LJs. I then added the outer box and walnut links.
The outer box has a bridal joint and is pinned with my stash of long copper rivets.
![]()
The walnut links are chamfered, so I did go A&C a bit 8^)
![]()
The oak is actually darker then the walnut.
I also decided to add some color to the copper hour marks
![]()
A drop of ammonia left a blue ring after it evaporated. Ammonia patina is very soft and delicate, I protected it with an overspray of poly.
I showed my creation to the spousal unit and she commented that it looks "retro", hence the name of this posting.
I hope the purple heart stays the way it is or gets back to the color the source board had (verrrry purple).
Apparently PH will do whatever it wants over time, from turning purple to brown.
Experiments and other tests on this useful site show that there is basically no way to direct or control the outcome.
Anyway, thanks for looking!
![]()
About 10" square by 1-1/2" thick. The center box is about 7-1/2" square.
Woods are (inside to outside) lacewood, purple heart, walnut, and white oak.
The hour marks are copper rod stubs with a patina from ammonia.
I ammonia fumed the outer white oak box in a 5-gallon bucket with "Ace" brand ammonia (10%).
I wanted dark so I left it overnight. The oak I selected did not disappoint! It looks a lot like wenge.
Watco oil finish.
How it came to be
My wife told me that I needed "simpler" pieces to sell at the Gallery/Gift Shop.
Made sense, All my lower priced stuff was selling well and not every one is after Arts & Crafts style doodads.
"I'll make a simple, contemporary clock with the purple heart I've been hoarding lately."
(yeah, right 8^)
So I complete the center section, mitered corners and maple splines (all epoxied joints to avoid the greasy nature of the PH)
It was ok, but lacked any "zing". I began thinking about legs, etc. but then recalled the "Wood Whisperer" style clocks that occasionally show on LJs. I then added the outer box and walnut links.
The outer box has a bridal joint and is pinned with my stash of long copper rivets.
The walnut links are chamfered, so I did go A&C a bit 8^)
The oak is actually darker then the walnut.
I also decided to add some color to the copper hour marks
A drop of ammonia left a blue ring after it evaporated. Ammonia patina is very soft and delicate, I protected it with an overspray of poly.
I showed my creation to the spousal unit and she commented that it looks "retro", hence the name of this posting.
I hope the purple heart stays the way it is or gets back to the color the source board had (verrrry purple).
Apparently PH will do whatever it wants over time, from turning purple to brown.
Experiments and other tests on this useful site show that there is basically no way to direct or control the outcome.
Anyway, thanks for looking!
