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KISS. Building a wall clock.
My son Wyatt is almost thirteen. He has never been to school. One of the lessons I have often tried to impart to him - especially as a homeschooler - is to "figure it out on your own". No matter what your skill level is as a woodworker, a lot of the joy comes from figuring out solutions to problems. The key to troubling situations is KISS.
A few months ago (while I was in the midst of my summer-long deck restoration project) I went to Michaels craft store and picked up a clock kit for seven bucks. I really had no idea what I would do with it until last week when I finally sat down in front of my computer and designed a clock. The project actually worked out pretty nicely, but it reminded me of the KISS acronym: Keep It Simple, Stupid.
I sat for a long time trying to figure out how I would be able to attach the little triangles that would make up the 1,2,4,5,7,8,10, and 11:00 positions on the clock. I came up with all sorts of ways of cutting slits on the edge of the face in which to slide them. I came up with a really complicated router technique to insert them. Ultimately I took a step back and came up with a simple method to just sandwich the wood together.
KISS.
Cutting out the recess for the rectangular clock mechanism posed problems. My first thought was to cut out a hardboard template and use a router with a bushing attachment. After cluing up all the pieces, I realized that this would pose all sorts of logistical problems to keep the unit stable with those triangles and long arms already in place. Instead, I decided to take a large Forstner bit and bore the back to the correct depth. To get the final rectangular shape of the mechanism, I figured I would just chisel out the corners. After messing with that for a while (I hate using hand tools if I don't have to), I hit upon the idea of sticking a little drum sanding bit into my drill press. Sure enough, this made quick work of the opening.
KISS.
It's funny how even the simplest-seeming projects come with their own set of challenges. Whenever I find myself over thinking how to accomplish a task, I find it helpful to take a break, maybe sleep on it, and remind myself to Keep It Simple, Stupid.
Enjoy the video and subscribe to my YouTube channel if you want to see more. I always cross-post my videos to WoodTube. If you haven't yet checked out Wood Magazine's fabulous resource for woodworkers, you're missing out.
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