• Problems With The Old Design
• Outer Case
• Lighting
• Face
• Final Results

• The original design was 4'x4', built in two sections of 4'x2'. The idea was that the smaller sections would store and transport easily, and be put together for the actual display.

  Since the motor was mounted in the middle of the clock, and a single string of lights was strung back and forth for internal illumination, setup and takedown was time consuming.

• The large pieces were somewhat flimsy.

• The translucent plastic sheets used for the face of the clock had an unsupported side when the clock was apart, they tended to flap around and were easily damaged.

• David thought that the size was a little too big for the place that it was mounted.

David decided to attack all the problems at once by rebuilding the frame as a single 3'x3' unit with solid wood walls. It would be more solid, and store as a single ready-to-hang piece.

Outer Case

This is a Sears jig that lets you make dovetail joints with a router.

Here, David uses the jig to make the dovetails.

The dovetails were smeared with Elmers Carpenters Glue before being pressed together.

The wooden case was stained with Minwax Special Walnut.

Close up of stain application.

Stain completed.

Close up of completed stain, showing dovetails.

The spooky clock hangs from two metal hooks, one at each end.

The motor mechanism is the same belt-driven original Spooky Clock.

It is mounted on some pieces of wood attached to the outer case.

The Christmas lights are attached with insulated wire staples.

Most of the staples were installed by pressing them into the wooden frame by squeezing with pliars.

A thin piece of wood on the top protects the outside finish from marks.

Here's what one of the wire attachment points looks like.

Face

The fact of the clock was made from bleached white muslin cloth, stretched over a wooden frame and stapled.

This frame is sized to fit just inside the outside case.

The symbols on the face of the clock was marked with a felt pen.

The snake-shaped hand was cut from aluminum sheet stock, and mounted to an aluminum cylinder with two screws.

The cylinder mounts to the motor shaft with a set-screw.

This is the first test of the clock, with motor, undecorated face, and hands.

Final Results

This is a slow exposure, using only ambient light, and the backlighting from the face.

This picture was taken with a flash.

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