A large number of months ago my sister-in-law asked if I could make a frame for this.
Don’t ask me exactly what it is. I’m not quite sure, but it’s very cool. (EDIT: Vetti has enlightened me: “it’s a vintage toy meant to teach kids how to tell time – I gave it to them when the kids came along”). Of course I said I would be happy to make a frame, then proceeded to do nothing for far too long.
Eventually, I got moving on the project and chose this piece of timber from a table I salvaged from hard rubbish a few years ago. I had no idea what it would look like once cleaned up so I crossed my fingers and hit it with a handplane or two.
It was a nice light timber underneath. Not pine – it’s too hard for that, but I don’t know enough to give a positive identification. Here it is during glue up.
I made a fairly deep frame so it could stand upright if desired and chose to add little redgum plugs on top of the dowels used to reinforce the mitred joints.
The plugs turned out quite well once trimmed and sanded a bit.
A couple of coats of danish oil and some wax to top it off and the job’s done. All I have to do now is deliver it.
hi Bookboy, it’s a vintage toy meant to teach kids how to tell time – I gave it to them when the kids came along. Frame looks good!
@Vetti – thanks for the background info. It’s a great gift!