Wooden Spool Clock

Medical websites are my nemesis. About a month ago, I went to the doctor for a spot that appeared on my leg. At my appointment, 3 different doctors looked at my leg, none of them had ever seen anything like it and had no idea what it was. They did some blood work, sent me to dermatology and told me to Google it. I’m sorry…you are telling me to Google what is ailing me? I’m sorry, I know that Google is now a verb but when did this start happening? Of course, anytime I have a medical issue, I Google the symptoms both before and after I see the doctor, but I’ve never had a doctor TELL me to Google it!

So, what did I do, I got online and started searching “clusters of broken blood vessels” and “rash that looks like broken blood vessels”. And what comes up, no matter what symptoms you type in…some form of cancer. Again, medical websites are my nemesis. I waited 2 1/2 weeks for my dermatology appointment, stressing out about what was wrong with me, trying all sorts of home and natural remedies, with nothing seeming to make a difference.

Finally, my second appointment arrives. I was literally in the dermatologist’s office for 15 minutes, he took one look, knew exactly what it was, a simple and boring skin rash from an allergic reaction, gave me something to heal it, and I was on my way. Did I mention that I hate medical websites?

Anyway, this clock! I’ve been wanting to make this for so long! No, it’s not a full clock yet. I have to special order timepieces that are big enough to fit the size of the clock but I’m kind of liking the way it looks as just a piece of décor. I saw a clock like this in a magazine photo and started contemplating how I could copy it. These industrial cable spools are not easy to get your hands on but they are out there if you search. You can usually find someone giving them away or selling them on craigslist.

Supplies
Industrial cable spool, in any size (mine is 2 3/4′ diameter)
Sandpaper and electric sander
paint or stain of your choice to stain wood (I used Minwax Stain in Weathered Oak and Heirloom Traditions A La Mode Chalk Paint to get the weathered look)
paint of your choice to paint numbers (I Deco Art Americana Acrylic paint in Lamp Black)

This is what I started with. I told my mom I wanted some industrial cable spools and she called me a few days later saying my little sister found a bunch of them for me 🙂 Dad unscrewed the top from the base, family teamwork!!

I took the electric sander to the top side of the boards to get the wording off. Next, I used the Minwax Weathered Gray stain to get a bit of a weathered wood look. I dry brushed the stain on (dip the tip of your brush in the stain, blot it on a rag, and lightly streak it on, then wipe it down with another rag). After the weathered gray, I did the same thing with the white chalk paint.

Once the paint was dry, I penciled on the outline of the numbers with a stencil to make sure I had the spacing right, then painted the numbers on with the black craft paint.

I love how it looks as is, but I will probably still order the clock hands that I want and make it a functioning clock. I’ll update you all with the proper steps when that happens!!