Design | Cut | Build – Season 1, Episode 7 – Make a Custom Wall Clock Featuring Metal Art
Creating a piece of wall art that also functions as a clock is a great way to show off precision cuts and technical skill. Plus, they are fully customizable, making it a great project to make for yourself, or for your customers! In this episode we will show you how to create your own wall clock using a Torchmate cutting table, 11 and 14 gauge mild steel, an angle grinder, and some paint.
Scan, Trace, and Make Precision Parts with Torchmate CAD
Torchmate CAD lets users import artwork into the program to then easily be cut out with a Torchmate cutting table. The Scan and Trace Wizard also lets users import more than one photo or artwork design into a single CAD file. This lets users maximize their creativity and their time all at once! Once artwork has been imported into Torchmate CAD, they can also be easily edited so your art comes out exactly as planned.
Torchmate CAD also has the ability to create precision parts based off of dimensional drawings from customers or engineering departments. Nodes can be placed at specific angles, distances, and even apply different curves to polyarc or polygon nodes. This feature can also be used when creating art and metal signs to make intricate details in your designs. Torchmate University has a complete library of video tutorials to help you learn more about creating precision parts, and how to get the most out of the Scan and Trace Wizard.
What Time Is It?
Once your design has been created and all the intricate details have been made, it can be cut out using a Torchmate table. Once the pieces are done being cut out, a grinder can be used to smooth down the edges and add in a bit of detail on the back piece of the clock. In this episode, the decision was made to use plug welds to hold the two pieces together, instead of using bolts. A PowerMig 210 MP Multiprocess Welder was used to do the plug welds in this episode. The design created in Torchmate CAD placed holes throughout the piece so a good distribution of plug welds could be achieved. With the main design pieces of the clock welded together, the hands can be mounted on to the face. The clock hands used in this episode needed a 5/16” hole drilled through both pieces of the design. This can be easily done after welding the two pieces together. With the clock hands mounted on, the Moon Clock was ready to be mounted on the wall to start telling time!
When you’re ready to create your own custom wall clock, head to FabricationForum.com. You can find all of the design files and a list of materials used in this episode. Once you’re done building your own custom clock, share a photo of your project to showcase it to the rest of the community, and let us know how your build went!