Another piece to spec. I am never quite sure how to do ideal clocks (my grandfather case last year is close but involved little turning!). So here I have a nice piece of wood - juniper cut from a prostrate example in our garden a couple of years ago (the tree is still fine - just smaller!). The clock mechanism I had, having been given it a while ago, is wristwatch-sized but this gives more space for the lovely wood. FTR the freshly re-cut timber has lovely streaks of purple but these disappear (or re-colour more red) on finishing.
The stabilising ball 'feet' (the clock also rests on the concave face edges) are turned on a mandrel having had thin brass tubes glued into a hole like a pen blank, with spare tubes from pen kits, and are then fixed on with brass wood screws.
Some experimenting with finishes but the best was smooth and polish wax/abrasive followed by microcrystalline wax.
PS - sadly the wood does not smell of juniper, even whilst turning - it smells of pine. (the foliage does smell of juniper)
