The Math Clock Knockoff

This Christmas crafting post was originally written Nov 14th, 2009.

It’s always tough to buy for an engineer when you are on a budget.  They like expensive gadgets and generally have enough money to buy less expensive items they want when they want them.  So the trick is to find something that they don’t know they want yet. 🙂

I was scouring the internet hunting for a gift for my brother-in-law (an aerospace engineer) when I found this AWESOME clock.  It is out of our price range but I figured it was worth a shot trying to make it myself.

Here’s how:

• I bought an inexpensive clock at Walmart.
• I dissected it.  Removing the clock face to scan.
• Once scanned, I plopped the clock face into photoshop.
• I used MS Word to write up the math.  Saved that as a PDF and also opened into PS.
• It took me a good long time to arrange all of the equations prettily.
• I used a free clock face image file to make the minute markings around the edge.
• Then I printed the clock face onto card stock and cut it out.
• I replaced the original clock face cardboard and assembled the clock back together.

I can’t believe it actually worked. Very cool.

(the original clock face is below)

Update: I realized the day after I wrote this post that I made an error.  I put an “i” instead of a semicolon at 3 o’clock.  Not nearly as awesome when it is incorrect. oops.  It is fixed now.