How to Build a Live Edge Clock

When a windstorm knocked down a cherry tree in my friend’s yard several years ago, I knew I had to salvage that beautiful wood. Sure, it cost me a small dent in my truck’s tailgate when unloading (pro tip: don’t try to flip heavy logs end over end), but free wood is free wood, right?

After turning several bowls from this cherry, I decided one particularly nice chunk deserved to become a live-edge wall clock. Here’s how I made it happen.

Live-edge clock build

Clock Parts (Affiliate link) https://amzn.to/2Wn9N6q

Step 1: Rough Cut the Slab

I started by ripping the log diagonally on the band saw. With that much blade exposed, it felt sketchy, so I took my time working through it. Safety first when you’re pushing the limits of your tools.

Step 2: Create Parallel Faces

To get a parallel cut on the opposite side, I jointed one end before running it back through the band saw. Then I returned to the jointer to clean off all the band saw marks and create smooth surfaces.

Step 3: Remove the Bark

Time for some elbow grease. I forcibly removed the bark by hand, then cleaned up the edges with a wire wheel to expose that beautiful live edge underneath.

Step 4: The Waiting Game (Don’t Skip This!)

Here’s where I learned patience the hard way. I thought I was done after the initial prep, but the next day the piece had cupped significantly. It wouldn’t hang properly on a wall in that condition, so under the workbench it went for over two years until it fully dried out.

Lesson learned: Green wood needs time to dry and stabilize, or you’ll end up redoing your work.

Step 5: Flatten and Drill

Once the wood was properly dried, I flattened it back out. Since the piece wasn’t perfectly round, I made an artistic decision about where to place the clock mechanism and drilled the hole for it.

Step 6: Create the Mortise

Using the drilled hole as a guide, I lined up the clock mechanism and marked its position. I laid down blue painter’s tape and glued my routing template in place. With a pattern bit in the router, I carved out a mortise to recess the clock mechanism.

Step 7: Add Hardware and Finishing Touches

After removing the template, I installed a wall hanger on the back and added my maker’s mark. A few coats of shellac brought out the wood’s natural beauty and provided protection.

Step 8: Final Assembly

The assembly was straightforward:

1. Applied double-sided tape to attach a piece of cork to the back, ensuring the clock would hang flush against the wall
2. Inserted the clock mechanism and secured it with the decorative brass nut
3. Pressed on the hour hand (friction fit)
4. Attached the minute hand with its knurled brass nut
5. Trimmed the second hand to a pleasing length and installed it
6. Popped in a battery

And that’s it! A beautiful, functional piece of art made from salvaged wood that would have otherwise been firewood or mulch.

Final Thoughts

This project taught me that sometimes the best woodworking involves patience. That two-year wait for the wood to dry wasn’t wasted time—it was necessary time. Now I have a unique timepiece with a story, even if the time it displays doesn’t really matter when you’re isolated in the shop.