It’s no secret that old car parts make for some pretty cool furniture pieces. From steering wheels to fenders and beyond, the junkyard might be just the place to look for your next couch.
But, if you don’t have time for that, think smaller. The next time you see an old hubcap on the side of the road, don’t just pass it by. Pick it up (as long as it’s not still attached to a car, of course) and turn it into this cool statement piece for your home!
Here are all the supplies needed for this hubcap clock project.
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The first step is to drill a hole where the hour and minute hands go.
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Then, using precise measurements, he marked where he wanted the numbers to go.
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He used stencils for the numbers, which involved a pretty unique process…
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It started with stripping both ends off two wires.
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The next step was to attached one wire to each of the leads of a battery.
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Then, he attached the positive wire’s end to the hubcap using electric tape.
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He mixed a solution of salt and vinegar.
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Then, he attached the negative end of the wire to a cotton swab and dipped it into the solution.
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When the negative wired swab touches the metal, it completes the circuit with the positive end of the wire already attached to the hubcap. This process slowly etches off a layer of metal from the hubcap’s surface.
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Resulting in some pretty neat numbers.
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The finishing touch was to install a clock mechanism. You can buy these at any craft store.
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What a cool clock!
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(source Reddit)
This is definitely one of the coolest clock builds I’ve seen. His method of etching the metal is super unique. It just goes to show how far a little bit of scientific know-how can go.
