The "dynamite" is birch, rounded to a 1 inch cylinder 10 inches long. There are seven of them in a circular bundle. The tape is for effect and is not supporting anything other than itself. There are joined by two tiny butt joints on each one. Since long grain to long grain glue joints are very strong and the rods are very light, butt joints are more than adequate. The rods are painted a deep red using a technique that causes the surface to have a slightly rough texture.
The clock is in a piece of Black Walnut 5 inches long by 3.5 inches tall and 1 inch thick. The walnut is planed smooth and then finished in Boiled Linseed Oil.
The wires are epoxied into small holes in the center rod and the side of the walnut. I chose random colors cut to random lengths.
The clock has a diameter of 2.75 inches.
No power tools are used to make the "bomb." The rods were made with a drawknife and a spokeshave. All crosscuts were via a backsaw in a miter box. The walnut was ripped to width with my Disston #8 hand saw. The surface of the walnut was smoothed with a #4 1/2 Stanley plane that is about 80 years old -he still works hard despite his age. The edges were "shot" using my -even older- Stanley #8 on my self-made shooting board.
I can build a few more before Christmas but probably can't be shipped for a pre-Christmas arrival. They are available for $39.00.
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