A couple weeks ago, I shared with you a beautiful DIY clock that my dad, Larkin Larrabee, recently made in my childhood home back in Wisconsin. It had an elegance and simplicity about it. But this week I'm sharing a ticker with a bit more whimsy -- one shaped like a girl robot. This one is similarly made with a computer hard drive and wood, with the addition of cooling towers from an old computer and a little brass strip of bar stock to create her adorable hairstyle.
This project took him about a week to make and included the following tools: A compass to create the circles, a jigsaw to cut the wood pattern, a drill and tap to make the holes and threads for bolts, a belt sander and a palm sander, and a router to make a space for the clock mechanism to fit in the wood.
I don't know about you, but I don't have access to those tools -- or the skills to use them even if I did. In regards to this, my dad suggests gathering the pieces you'd like to use to create it, then finding a local wood shop (or neighbor with the know-how) to make the cuts and drill the holes for you. This would allow you to use your creativity to get the finished product you want by outsourcing anything you can't do yourself.
And the key is not to get discouraged. "I enjoy getting input and suggestions from other people, but in the end it's how the stuff lays. It's all about trial and error. If it doesn't look right, I'll ask [my wife] for her thoughts or just let it lay for a day and come back to it with fresh eyes," he said.
Take it from an expert, which he now is, as he continues on the path of clock making by upcycling old things he's got taking up space in his work shed. And because of this, his neighbors and family members are giving him boxes of stuff or offering up objects that he might be able to use for his next master(time)piece.
What do you think of this little robot girl (who still needs a home)? Offer your suggestions for another clock design or parts Larkin should use in his next clock.
