Hi, I made this clock for a friend of mine as a house warming gift. He had spent a year renovating a house which had been gutted by fire and I thought this would be a great way for him to be reminded of all the work he put into fixing up the house.

Step 1: Have a Look at the Video.

Have a look at the video above to watch how I made this rustic charred clock or have a look at my guide below.

The overall size of the clock is 15 ¼ inches (387 mm) square. This was the width of 4 pieces of pallet when put together. This pallet had been lying around for a while so decided to use this. I purchased the mechanism on eBay.

Step 2: Cutting the Pallet

I gave the pallet a quick check for any major defects, holes or nails. I roughly cut the wood to length allowing plenty for waste.

Step 3: Marking & Cutting

Using a framing square I marked the size of the clock. I then set about trimming the wood for the face of the clock to the correct size using my chop saw. (Could just as easily be done with a hand saw)

Step 4: More Cutting

I ripped down 4 pieces of the pallet wood to 1 ½ inches (38mm) and then marked and cut them to fit all the way around the clock. These are what are going to hold it all together.

Step 5: Assembling

I drilled holes in these to avoid splitting the wood. Then I screwed these pieces to the face of the clock. (Hope that all makes sense)

Step 6: Cleaning/sanding

Using an angle grinder with a flap disc I cleaned up the piece.

Step 7: Recessing for Mechanism

I marked the center of the clock by crossing the diagonals. I had to recess a section on the back of the clock to let the spindle on the mechanism through enough to get a nut on to hold it in place. I did this using a router. This could possibly be avoided by getting a mechanism with a longer spindle than I had.

Step 8: The Fun Part! Torching It..

I used a blow torch to scorch,char and burn the surface of the wood. After this was done I gave it a light sanding to remove any loose material. Then I drilled a hole just large enough to get the spindle through.