Old Telephone Working Clock

This project fulfilled an engineering class prompt requiring the creation of a clock for a specific client. My clients were my grandparents, and I chose to design a piece that would transport them back to the "good old days"—specifically, the era before mobile phones. The final design is styled as a vintage telephone, with the clock face integrated into the dial area. The use of bright yellow acrylic for the enclosure is intentional, serving as a direct and striking reference to the bold, classic colors popular in telephones from that time, truly invoking the past.

Supplies

1. 3D Printer- telephone and telephone holder
2. Laser Cutter- base and the clock face (acrylic)
3. Pre bought- hands and Roman numerals
4. Telephone cord
5. Hot glue
6. Spray paint
7. Super glue

Step 1: First Steps

To begin the process, I used Makercase, an online box generator, to design the enclosure and automatically generate the necessary interlocking finger joints. I then took the resulting SVG vector file and imported it into LightBurn, the laser cutting platform, to set the cutting paths and power levels. For the final physical execution, I chose a sheet of bright yellow acrylic. This material choice was intentional, serving as a direct and striking reference to the bold, sometimes "crazy," colors popular in vintage telephone designs.

Step 2: Super Glue Time

With the components cut, the enclosure was assembled. I used super glue to secure the laser-cut acrylic pieces together at the finger joints. To ensure the rapid curing of the adhesive and create a strong, immediate bond, I applied a fast-drying activator spray. This technique minimized the clamping time required and ensured the box maintained perfectly square corners.

Step 3: Clock Face, Hands, and Roman Numerals

The time-telling components, including the clock mechanism and coordinating hands, were sourced to ensure reliable and accurate timekeeping.The clock face itself was fabricated from a layer of white acrylic, which was then finished with a metallic silver spray paint to achieve a bright, crisp contrast against the yellow body. The Roman numerals were then precisely adhered to the face. For the final attachment of the clock face to the main enclosure, I used Velcro.This was a deliberate design choice, allowing the face plate to be securely yet removably attached. This non-destructive fastening method provides easy and repeated access to the clock mechanism housed inside the enclosure for routine battery changes and future maintenance.

Step 4: Phone and Phone Holder

To complete the vintage telephone aesthetic, I designed a separate handset and cradle using the Tinkercad 3D modeling platform. The handset was finished with a bright yellow spray paint, matching the color of the acrylic enclosure for visual consistency. The specific detail of the earpiece and mouthpiece was highlighted by painting these "tips" with a metallic silver finish, mimicking the original chrome elements found on classic telephone receivers. The phone holder was also painted that color and hot glued to the base of the clock.

Step 5: Telephone Cord

The final step involved integrating a coiled telephone handset cord to complete the vintage appearance. I used hot glue to securely and aesthetically affix the cord to the back of the main clock enclosure and the base of the handset. This functional yet purely decorative detail visually links the two components and is critical to achieving the intended nostalgic design.

Step 6: The End