A water clock is a pretty easy, quick and fun project perfect for an elementary school student (with the help of a parent or two).
The concept is a simple one: use two water bottles and a couple of coffee stirrers to make an “hourglass” with water.
It’s Done
My research indicates that it takes a novice about one weekend to build a guitar kit.
The kit arrived well protected. Despite the fears I had of low-grade wood and bent necks induced by watching build videos, I was pretty pleased with the quality. The neck (to my untrained eye) appears unbowed and untwisted. The body is largely made of two planks – only a small bit of the left side is made up of a third plank. I kind of like the character the little pieces lend it.
After unboxing and examining all the parts, I quickly began shaping the body. Though not traditional, I wanted a bit of belly cut and arm rest to knock off the sharp corners, as I will be playing almost exclusively while sitting down. I went really subtle. In retrospect, I could have done a lot more, but it is pretty comfortable to me and I eliminated the minimal amount of tone-delivering wood. The headstock was a big blank paddle. I went with a Telecaster-inspired look – not quite a copy, but similar in shape and scale.
I sanded and sanded. Then sanded some more. From 60 to 100 to 150 to 220 to 320 and finally 400. I got a smooth-feeling finish, but it’s far from perfect. I decided to finish with a spray-on oil-based polyurethane because I’m no good at finishing or waiting. I put on three light coats, sanding between each. The result is a pretty rustic look, but not at all unpleasant. I figure that when I get bored later on I can experiment. For now, it looks okay. I admit it feels a bit rough, but that’s probably because I didn’t wait long enough to handle it after it dried. I will hit it with some fine sandpaper or 0000 steel wool after I’ve given it a couple of days to harden.
Once the finish was one (but apparently well before it was ready to handle) I got going on the electronics. As inexperienced as I am with woodworking, I am doubly so with soldering and wiring. Watching a couple more videos gave me the confidence to go ahead, and with minimal trial and error, I had it working.
Pre-drilling screw holes and lining things up to the best of my ability with my available tools, I took the plunge and put it all together.
It works. Not only that, it doesn’t sound half bad. The unplugged body resonates surprisingly well. The tone is very “Telecaster-y.” It’s sharp and twangy despite (or if you believe some folks, because of) the top-loader bridge. Borrowing some drill press time to make a string-throug body might be my first upgrade if I don’t replace the absolutely deplorable pickguard first.
All in all it was well worth the minimal expense and considerable time.