Geometric Metal Face Clock

Ann Alenik used to be an electrical engineer, knows how to work on cars and always knew that she could work well with metal. Her love of art led her to taking some welding classes and she got started. For this project, she will be making a welded metal face clock with fused glass facial features.

Materials:

16-gauge rolled steel
20-gauge rolled steel for hair
plasma cutter
air shears
clear coat spray enamel
fusible glass, black, white, red
polished glass stones, green
powdered glass frit, green
clockworks with pendulum
grinding wheel
drill press
glass cutter
glass nippers
cardboard for clock pattern
paper for eye, eyebrow and lip pattern
Sharpie
silicone adhesive

1. Make a template for the head from cardboard and cut it out of the steel with a plasma cutter (figure A).

2. Weld out four holes along the top edge of the triangle shaped steel piece for the hair to connect to the head (figure B).

3. Use a drill press to cut a hole for the clockworks (figure C).

4. Cut four 1/2-inch-wide strips of 20-gauge steel for the hair with air shears and bend and twist them to make curly hair (figure D).

5. Grind the steel clock face for texture using a grinding wheel.

6. Weld each of the four steel strips through each of the holes to attach the hair onto the head (figure E).

7. Spray the entire clock with a clear coat enamel.

8. Make paper templates for eyes, lips and eyebrows. Trace around the templates with a Sharpie onto the glass and cut out the shapes using a glass cutter and glass nipper. Use black and white glass for the eyes, black glass for the eyebrows and red glass for the lips (figure F).

9. Apply powdered glass frit to the white glass to color the eyeballs.

10. Fire the glass pieces in the kiln (figure G).

11. Attach the clock motor to the head through the drilled hole (figure H).

12. Glue the glass facial features to the head with silicone adhesive (figure I).

13. Attach green glass stones to the sides of the head for earrings using silicone adhesive.

14. Attach pendulum to the clockworks.

E-mail: aalenik@aol.com

Website: www.akainspiredart.com