When making gifts, they often think what to give. Sometimes they choose a watch as a gift, but the store options, with all the variety, are still standardized things, and sometimes you want a highlight. I want to make a gift with an invention, a unique gift.
An epoxy resin watch is suitable for this. To make such a gift, you have to try hard. As they say, to put your hands on it, but the idea is worth it. You can make this thing not only as a gift, but for yourself, as a useful, necessary thing.
When creating this craft, a wooden cut plate with a void in the middle is taken as a basis. The void should be neat in appearance, so that the watch made later has the right alignment. Everything should be planned in advance, while the thing is not done yet.
Watches made of wood and epoxy resin inside may have different filling:
- coffee beans;
- pebbles;
- flowers;
- other jewelry items.
Filling inside the volume of the craft is done during the process of forming the epoxy layer. All the work on the production of a beautiful thing includes several stages. The result is an exclusive wall clock. It is desirable to have the necessary tools for work.
What will you have to work with
When creating crafts, you will need the following tools:
- circular saw;
- grinding machine;
- milling cutter;
- clamps;
- compasses;
- drill.
It is not necessary to use a circular saw if square clocks are made, which are sewn from rails. There are also such crafts, then the slats are carefully connected with screws, and the inner space of the watch is filled with epoxy in the same technological process as in the round exclusive watches.
Materials required for work:
- tree;
- epoxy adhesive;
- additional components.
Additional components when creating things with your own hands, in addition to hardener and dyes, include plasticine and food wrap.
Cutting a roundel
When creating a round craft from a cut wooden plate, you must first cut down this plate. This is done with a circular saw, this is the most convenient option. At the selected piece of a log of not too large diameter, the side surface of the cut is carefully cut off with a circular saw.
Then, having accurately measured the thickness of the future craft, the necessary round piece is cut off. Then comes up with: how to remove the core so that it is beautiful, and the alignment is preserved.
The best option is to drill holes in the circle outlined inside the circle around the perimeter. Then, with chisels of different shapes, carefully hollow out, connect the holes in one line.
If everything is done carefully, then the center of the piece of wood will fall out, and the alignment will not be broken, since everything was marked out in advance with a compass and pencil. Only it should be done carefully so that the craft remains intact with all these actions.
Preparation for filling
When the wooden roundel with a volumetric hole inside is ready, proceed to the next stage. We need to prepare it for pouring. To do this, a massive board of small size is selected, for convenience in work. The round blank should be attached to this board with one side. To do this, a plasticine ring is laid out on the side of the attachment of the roundel along its edge.
When laying this device, do not forget to lay a food film between a piece of wood and plasticine. This is necessary so that the epoxy glue that will be subsequently poured does not leak at the bottom of the filling.
After this part of the work, it is necessary to fix firmly with the help of clamps what is being prepared for pouring. You will get a recess that can be filled with a mixture. In order to avoid unnecessary glue inclusions in the wood at the top of the filling, you need to lay out a safety ring made of plasticine along the edge of the top.
Filling process
It is better to fill in two stages. First to the middle, then again, already to the top of the cut. When filling, unnecessary effects will immediately appear: bubbles, bloating. In order not to spoil the thing, it is better to fill in several times. Moreover, when interspersed with coffee beans and other similar decorations, when visual abstraction is done, it is more convenient to do just that. After all, it is logical to first pour one layer, then embed the necessary items in the glue at the desired depth, and then continue pouring.
Epoxy glue can be bought of different quality and additives for filling. Each package has instructions for combining the proportions of glue, hardener and additives. All types of glue have a price that is not too different, they are available to the mass consumer.
Based on what a person needs, he chooses the optimal solution mode. It is advisable to choose a dark color dye so that the clockwork mechanism, which will later be inserted into the craft, is not very visible.
A thick brown color is perfect for such a design. The mixture should be thoroughly stirred. It should be done slowly, slowly, so that the mixture is well stirred, after which the first filling is done.
Filling does not have to be done in two stages, you can do it in one go. It all depends on the thickness of the craft and the internal content, inclusions that will be inserted. They can be at different depths of occurrence. You need to do as many fills as necessary to create a beautiful thing. Moreover, the inserted objects for beauty and design can be placed so that they will illuminate the entire product. For example, mother-of-pearl shells from the depths of the resin can give such an effect.
After the first filling, you need to wait until the resin hardens. Before the end of solidification, the very moment to embed, fix coffee beans or some other decorations on the edges of the recess.
The center must be left clean to install the clock mechanism. Next, a new portion of the mixture is prepared and carefully poured again. If the filling is done in two passes, then the second time is already filled to the top, after which the workpiece dries and finally hardens.
Further processing
When the workpiece has hardened, the clamps are removed, the film is removed from the back side and the plasticine on both sides. Cleaning and grinding is carried out. It is better to grind with a grinding machine, so it is easier and faster.
After grinding, the planes on both sides are polished, sanded. First medium, then smaller, up to zero inclusive.
Next, you need to make a recess on the back side under the clock mechanism. First of all, the center of the product is located, this center is drilled through the hardened glue. The axis of the clockwork mechanism is inserted into the center of the craft and its contour is outlined. Then, after removing the device, with a tool with a cutter attachment, you should cut out the outlined square.
The work should be done so that the alignment of the product is preserved, so that then the hanging clock is located directly on the wall.
Assembling crafts
After the mechanism is inserted behind the product, you need to mark the places of the numbers where the time is shown. To do this, marking is first done, then small holes are pierced with an awl in the places where the numbers will then be inserted.
The final stage will be the attachment of the hands to the mechanism of the watch. When everything is ready, it remains to hang the clock on the wall. An unusual but useful design has been made, it will be especially good as a gift to friends, relatives.
Having made one product, another, a third, over time, you can learn how to create a wide variety of watches made of epoxy resin with different designs, which will allow you to give others a master class on their manufacture. Over time, the field for creativity will expand, and it will be possible to find new materials for the design of the external entourage of the watch.
