Process + Procedure

To create this henna clock, I followed these steps:

1. Created the line work for the clock in Rhinoceros 3D
2. Assigned the lines to cut (in black) and score (in gray) in different layers
3. Assigned the hatch (in red) in a different layer
4. Extruded the cut lines for the rendering in Rhinoceros 3D to show the different materials (gold, acrylic, and wood)
5. Used the MakeHole function to engrave the wood in the rendering like the engraving of the laser cut machine
6. Cut, scored, and engraved the black, gray, and red layers respectively on basswood using the Epilog laser cut machine
7. Cut out a piece of clear acrylic to put in between the outer ring and inner flower on the top clock layer
8. Spray painted the outer ring of the top clock layer and the edges of the large leaves of the base clock layer gold
9. Glued all the pieces together
10. Drilled a 5/8" diameter hole in the center of the clock in woodshop
11. Inserted the clock kit into the drilled hole and added on the hour, minute, and second hands

Some problems I encountered while assembling this clock can be seen in this close up photograph. The acrylic cracked in a few places while I was snapping it into place, and one of the inner edges of the outer ring broke while I was removing it from the piece of wood it was cut out from. However, the glue was able to hold everything in place just fine, so these were only aesthetic imperfections and not structural flaws.

I decided to go back and recut the acrylic and wood that had cracked, so the project would look better aesthetically.