DIY Baseball Clocks

Custom clocks add a personal touch to any room.

it is not difficult to find a novelty clock to suit your taste. Novelty clocks can be found in designs ranging from cartoon characters to sports teams. A common choice for children’s rooms and sports fans is a clock shaped like the ball from their favorite sport. A baseball clock is relatively easy to make as the ball is round, simple in design and the bats can be used as the hands.

Things You'll Need

• Wood
• Jigsaw
• Sandpaper
• Drill
• Drill bit
• Hole saw
• Clock mechanism
• Primer
• Paint
• Paintbrush
• Cardboard
• Scissors
• Glue
• Drawing compass

Instructions

1. Mark a piece of wood the diameter for the circular clock face, using a drawing compass. Any fiberboard wood is acceptable for your baseball clock.

2. Cut out around the circle, using a jigsaw. Place the toe of the metal plate of the jigsaw on the piece of wood, pull the trigger and maneuver the jigsaw around the pencil outline to make the circle.

3. Sand the entire piece with a coarse-grit sandpaper to remove rough edges, splinters and to even the circle. Go over the piece again with a fine-grit sandpaper to seal the woodgrain.

4. Measure the diameter of the clock mechanism where the hands attach. Measure the length of the shaft that goes through the front of the clock and holds the hands in place. Drill a hole in the center of the clock face the same diameter as the shaft.

5. Turn the wood face down and place the mechanism on the back so the shaft goes through the clock face. Draw around it, using the pencil. Attach the hole saw to the drill and cut a hole in the back of the clock deep enough so the shaft protrudes from the other side. The depth of this hole depends on the thickness of the wood and the size of the mechanism. Sand the edges with fine-grit sandpaper.

6. Paint the entire clock face with a wood primer, using a paintbrush. This is essential in ensuring a smooth, long-lasting finish. Allow it to dry overnight.

7. Apply a layer of white paint to the clock face with a paintbrush. Ensure that all the brush marks go in the same direction. Allow it to dry before applying a second and third coat. Any wood paint will be suitable for this.

8. Use a small detailing brush and some red paint to mark the stitch marks on the clock face. Paint these marks in two curved lines on both sides.

9. Orientate the clock as desired and mark the numbers on the clock face. Start with the vertical and horizontal numbers "12," "3," "6" and "9." Evenly distribute the other numbers. Leave the rest of the clock face blank. Paint the numbers, use dashes or attach premade numbers.

10. Measure the length of the hour and minute hands that came with the clock mechanism and cut baseball bat shapes from cardboard to those dimensions. Paint them a contrasting colors to the background and attach the baseball bats to the original hands using an epoxy-based adhesive.

11. Smear some epoxy glue in the clock mechanism hole in the back of the clock. Insert the clock mechanism. Allow it to dry for a few hours. Turn the clock over. Insert the hands into the mechanism shaft.

Tips & Warnings

• For a cheaper alternative, remove the clock face from a working clock and paint it like a baseball, modify the hands and reassemble it.

• Wear protective goggles and a face mask when using a jigsaw.

References

• Home Envy: Clock it to Me
• Design Sponge: Wood Clock Project
• Craft Stylish: How to Make a Custom Clock