Creative Switch Project

By: Eunice Melara, Zaynab Almoujahed 

In this DIY, we will demonstrate to you how to build a Dali-inspired clock, that will not tell you the present time but will light up every time 15 seconds are gone from your short, fleeting life! Shall we get started?

What you will need:

1 piece of wood or generic clock face with ¾ of inch thickness

1 Clock movement kit

8 LED lights

Any colored paint

Wires

1 Duct tape

1 Conductive wire

Step 1. Designing Your Clock and Buying Clock Movement Kit!

Design the base, form of your clock in your liking! Whether that is a traditional circle, square, or a Dali inspired clock, any form will do.

After designing your clock, go buy a clock movement kit (see image 1.2, essentially a device that controls the hands), you can find these at your local craft store! 

Once purchased, measure the diameter and height of the hour/second/minute shaft. By using a driller, drill a hole of the same measurements through the middle of your designed clock.  The device shaft (the one that will control the hands) should ease right in (like demonstrated in the picture on the right —>) Make sure the hands are conductive

Paint any color you’d like and let’s get started with the mechanics of the switch stuff!

(Side Note: Switch the second hand for the hour hand by removing the second hand from the pin that is provided with and replacing it with the minute hand. Then pin the “second”, now the minute hand in the pin shaft. )

Step 2:  Drill Some More Holes (For Wires)

Drill four holes around the center of your clock (preferably around the device). After doing so, put one wire through each hole (those four wires will be the ones that will make the final connection when the minute hand touches the bent wires (like this —–>) 

Afterwards, remove the middle device and use a conductive thread to wrap around the shaft (wrap the thread all the way to the top, in order to connect the conductive thread with the conductive minute hand). Then place the device through the hole once done!

(Side Note: do several tests to test the conductivity of the connection!)

Step 3: Making connections!

Before we get started with the connections, you will need 8 LED lights (or more, depending on the connections). Make sure to tape one of the ends so you DO NOT  make unnecessary connections. Drill 2 holes on each side of the numbers, this is where the LED lights will go into.  

We will make 4 parallel circuits. First thing first, have a wire (that will be attached to the negative side of the battery) soldered to 4 separate wires.  Put that to the side. 

Now connect the thread (that is attached to the hand/shaft) to a resistor; then connect a resistor to a wire (this will be connected to the positive side of the battery).

The wire that is bent/sticking out on the front side will be connected to positive side of the LED. The negative side of the same LED will be connected to the positive side of the next LED (remember we have two separate LEDs on the same number); the negative side of the next LED will ultimately connect to 1 of the 4 wires we connected earlier to the negative side of the battery. Repeat this step on the remaining 6 LEDs, all connecting to the the 4 wires!

AND you’re done! Connect the battery to the mechanism and your clock will tick your life away!