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Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Mantle Clocks

Here's a very interesting article I found about lovely mantle clocks - editor

Mantle clocks have become a mainstay of the traditional American home. The customary timepieces have endured the test of time, remaining a staple in modern décor in homes across the United States. Even homes that have no fireplaces are often adorned with mantle clocks in various rooms as accents to nearly every interior decoration.

In the days of old, the timepieces were made by hand and sent down through the family, generation after generation. The hand-crafted family heirlooms are priceless reminders of years gone past. Today, just about any handyman is capable of creating a mantle clock of his own to begin a new tradition for his family.

My husband is very family-oriented and some of his favorite things revolve around watches and various timepieces. He recently found a website that provides detailed instruction on how to build mantle clocks from scratch. My husband is thrilled to know that he can create something that represents our time together and he is so excited about the prospect of building something that can be passed down to our children (and beyond).

He found the website through a woodworking online magazine that focuses on do-it-yourself projects like the mantle clocks. They are constructed out of wood and are relatively easy to assemble. The instructions are so incredibly simple that my husband plans to build several mantle clocks; some for close friends and some for family as holiday gifts. The only obstacle he sees is gathering the materials, especially the tools.

While he does have a modest collection of tools, my husband does not own a router table. A router table is crucial when working with small parts, like the ones required for the delicate wooden mantle clocks because it helps to keep the wood in place as you work. Of course, this is of particular concern because safety is a big issue when it comes to do-it-yourself projects.

Once a router table is purchased, I estimate that my husband will be producing beautiful mantle clocks in no time. It'll be fun to see friends and relatives open their handcrafted gifts. I can even wager a guess on who will get the first one. It will be for my mother, especially since the first one will probably be a bit of a mess. However, I think that the newly-created heirloom will pass even my mother’s critical eye.

After all, there is no such thing as ugly mantle clock.

I certainly hope you enjoyed this article. If you have specific plans for building mantle clocks that you might like mentioned here, please email us or leave a comment.