DIY: Ranch Clock

This project has been going on for awhile. And I have to give most of the credit to the hubs. Over Memorial Day weekend, he started turning this project into a reality for me.

Ok, so I have a problem. Ok, many problems but I'm focusing on one here. I have to have a clock (& box of kleneex Puffs brand) in every room. I mean every room. Of course, including the bathroom. 

At my parent's ranch, we didn't have a clock. And it seems to be our most permanent "home" right now. J & I have always had the same room (#4) and we can decorate it however we want. It's not done yet; but after yesterday, it's sooo close! I have always wanted to have a clock in that room.

I bought this kit at Hobby Lobby around April since we couldn't find a "ranch clock" anywhere.

$39.99

Expensive but worth it.

This is what it is supposed to do. Just stick it on the wall.

J figured he could make a really simple one himself with some scrap wood in the "barn" at the ranch. (We don't have animals out there so we call the huge workshop/garage a barn.) That would make our cost just the kit.

So, I started to search Pinterest for wooden clock ideas. What else is a girl supposed to do? =)

I found this and I liked that it was a pallet first of all. But I love its size, contrast of colors & the roman numerals. The hands are a little to frail for a room at the ranch though. This came from Dusty McRae's blog asking you to Cherish Life.

Next, I found this clock. I LOVED the staggered wood & the roman numerals. Otherwise, it seemed a little small. Our room has 10' ceilings. It needs a large clock. This came from Shelterness and a post of 20 Original Salvaged Wood Decor Ideas. Its picture #8. =)

After I was done finding inspiration, J knew what I wanted. I went shopping at an outlet mall Memorial Day weekend and came back to find this.

This is his master plan! Isn't is great? He opened up the clock kit, saw the spacing it said it needed for the hour & minute hands, drew a plan & then made it.

Isn't it gorgeous?!?! I love the staggered wood, the stain color, the enormity of it...I love it when J can read my mind. =)

Again, is this stain not beautiful?!

Notice the 2 nails. Explained later.

He took a whole bunch of 2x4 pieces of wood and place them in a staggered pattern that he thought looked good. He turned them all upside down and backed them with other 2x4s. He then used a nail gun to connect the bracing pieces to what became the back of the clock face. There are no nails in the front this way. Just perty wood! (say it in a hick accent)

Yesterday, we were back at the ranch for the day & so we decided to finish the clock instead of helping cut down dead trees. Literally. 

If you noticed the 2 nails in 2 pictures up, those were for the clock kit. The hands are battery operated so that you can easily move the clock from one wall to another. Well, we used those nails and the battery pack & clock hands leaned forward. So, we came up with a solution.

Screw gun! Haha. When you can't get nail to hold something steady, use screws. We screwed the back of the battery section down to the clock's face.

It's not going anywhere! =)

We then reattached the rest of this piece which hid the battery & inner-workings & held the clock hands.

Next, we placed all of the roman numerals where we wanted them. J was awesome & actually marked places when he first made the clock. He followed the template that came with the clock & then measured them farther out for how big he wanted the clock.

Can you see the marks?

I chose not to put the numbers upside down like the 1st inspiration pic (and most roman numeral clocks) because....ok I'm lying. I didn't notice that they always go upside down. BUT, I really like that they aren't upside down. This isn't a traditional clock; it isn't round!

The numbers came the way you see them. Well, in 2 long strips and I cut them into the individual numbers for placement. What I'm trying to say is that they came as contact paper & with transfer paper already on them.

Very first thing: Clean the surface you are going to stick the numbers on. I did a dry rag followed by a damp rag to get any hidden sawdust (or dust in general) off of the surface.

Step one is to take the backing off the numbers.

See? Contact paper & transfer paper.

Hubby is awesome at indulging me with my picture documenting obsession. I'm sure you find this obsession helpful. Right?! 

Step two is to smooth the numbers onto the surface you want them. For me, it was the wood; you might be using a wall. Be sure there are no air bubbles!

Ugly nails, moving fingers. Bleh!

(I'm not a fan of my skinny, long fingers. Ok I am but not my nails.)

But thanks Hubs for taking the pic!

Step three is you let them sit while you do the rest of the numbers.

Step four is to (very carefully) remove the transfer paper from the number fronts. Since mine were on wood, it didn't want to stay some of the time. I forced it to stay. =)

What is with those ugly nail beds?! Oh sorry. Not about me.

Step five, admire the beauty!

Yes, I know the picture was taken to make it look upside down.

I was sitting at the top of the clock.

Step six, OOHH  and AAHH.

Step seven, fix the hands on the clock to read the correct time.

Step eight, stand next to it to prove how tall it is (because I'm 5'8").

Um, yeah, It's over 5 feet tall. I'm 5'8".

Step nine, hang it on the wall. This turned out to be an ordeal because of how heavy and big the clock ended up being. We found where the center of the clock's weight was to determine where to put the hanging device. We ended up using the top 2x4 brace as our location for the hanging device.

You must be wondering why I'm calling it a hanging device and not some name you're used to. It's because we made it ourselves. Yes. We took a metal door hinge,

used a table saw that cuts metal (Yeah, apparently my dad has one.), and got this.

Then, J predrilled holes for the screws,

and used the drill to put in the screws.

We used washers as well as screws to make sure that there was a lip preventing the screws from not catching the outside of the holes on the metal bracket.

The last step was to hang it on the wall.

Yes, that is my 6'3" husband standing on a 4' (ish) table.

I told you the ceilings were high!

Here he is finding a stud. (I'm trying to avoid the pun.)

Look at that stud!

Ok, I couldn't resist.

Here he is marking the nail on the stud.

Ok, I'm going to stop my gawking and refrain from showing you the close ups I took next. What can I say? I love my man for many reasons. Building me things, carrying those heavy things, looking good, doing the hard parts...I'll stop now. =)

You may notice that the clock isn't standing up straight any more. We ended up cutting off the top & bottom of the last board. It was so long and the other end was short that your eye kept going to the left. But isn't it all worth it?

AHHHH!!!!!!!! I am obsessed with my new clock!! Thank you sooo much Hubs!!

Next, I just need to figure out what to decorate the table with. The clock is so lonely.