Tonight my wife was commenting on the decades old clock we have had since we have been married ( 20 years ). This, as I was destroying an old phone to salvage the switches and other interesting parts. So, I started thinking... How can I update the dial of that old clock. And right in my hands was another dial - of sorts! So, here goes!

Step 1: Gather the Parts

So, the first step was to gather the parts ( out of the trash ). I quickly retrieved the 12 keys from the destroyed phone. Though I won't have a 10, 11, or 12, there are 12 keys on a normal phone. So, I will have to improvise.

Step 2: Prepare for the New Face

I carefully removed the hands and the current face. It was just a piece of paper made to look antique. This really is not just yellowed with time!

I placed the current face on a piece of art paper that feels similar to a canvas. (My wife will kill me when she finds out what happened to that missing piece of paper!)

I traced the circle perimiter and marked the current location of the the numerals. When I removed the pattern, I used a ruler to transfer the marks inside my current circle. Since these button are slightly raised, I moved them in to 1.5".

Step 3: Clock Surprise!

When I removed the current clock face and mechanism, I discovered that this clock was actually another clock used in this frame. I might have made this repair - I can't remember. What a surprise to find another clock my wife would not like - hidden in the clock my wife does not like!

This, along with the raised numbers, posed a problem. I had to remove this wood frame to raise the clock hands so they would pass over the new buttons. However, without any spacing, the hands rubbed on the glass.

So, I crafted some very precise spacers from the packing material of my toner cartridge. (Don't tell the HP Toner people!)

Step 4: Put Some Glue on It

Finally, the time came to glue down the numbers. Here is a "dry" run to help me test that the glass cover would not hide the numbers and the clock hand would clear.

I had to do some adjustment from my marks. You can see I got a couple of numbers out of alignment when I tried to "free hand" this step.

Even with this dry run, I still glued the 1 down out of place.

Step 5: Finally - a Clock My Wife Can Be Proud Of

After a little dissapointment about the buttons not in alignment and a little glue I got on the paper - I convinced myself to hang this on the wall.

It is now 3:00 am. I can't wait to see who, in my family, notices the clock first!

The clock says - "it's time to go!"