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How to make a clock steam & moisture-proof
Fixer's Manifesto #2: "If it's not broken, improve it."
When a useful clock is as cheap as $1 at a store, it's a "throw-away" item for a lot of people. As I was working on this little clock, I was struck by the sticker you see in between the knobs cautioning not to throw it in the trash, because it probably contains some sort of chemical or magnet that shouldn't be in a landfill. A little time, effort, and care makes this clock a personal creation. It may not be art to most eyes, but it sure was a fun project!
The goal of this hack: Make this clock as impervious to steam/airborne moisture as possible for extended use in the bathroom, and general longevity.
This guide addresses smoothing, texturizing, modding, personalization, and improving anything you own that's not broken so it can last longer and mean a little bit more to you!
Kit
- A small, cheap plastic clock
- A safe cutting/styling tool, like a letter opener
- 1 x 5g pack of sugru
- Optional: Glow-in-the-dark powder (can be ordered online)
- A small cup of warm, soapy water for smoothing/shaping
- Scissors for opening the pack of sugru
Step 1
This is my $1 plastic clock, due for a personalized upgrade.
Step 2
Identify the areas of the clock you want to protect. In this case, I didn't worry about the battery compartment. "Gasp!", you say? The overlap of the battery cover and the casing of the clock should be sufficient to protect the battery until I find myself idle on a Friday again, and decide to open another pack of sugru.
Step 3
Prepare some 'glowgru' if you wish. If you need guidance for making glow-in-the-dark sugru, I posted a separate step-by-step guide here.
Step 4
Make snakes!
Step 5
Use the "snakes" to cover the edge of the plastic face of the clock. In the case of this timepiece, the construction was hardly air or water-tight. It's times like these when it's good to have sugru on your side.
Step 6
Time for some detail work! Using your safe cutting tool (in my case, it's my trusty samurai sword letter opener), go around the edge to get rid of the splotchy appearance, and trim it up for a little bit of a nicer look.
Step 7
Smoothing time! sugru is pleasantly easy to smooth out. Dip your finger in warm, soapy water and apply medium pressure to get rid of fingerprints and 'fault lines' and create a glossy, harder finish. Re-dip your finger as often as you need to glide over the surface of sugru, and re-trim your work as needed to make it a little easier on the eye.
Step 8
Trim the inside ring as well. Uncured sugru trims off of plastic surfaces very easily, and if you goof up, you can add or subtract sugru from your work easily too...
Step 9
...just make sure you save your trimmings in the original pouch to be as economical with your sugru as possible. For reference, I pushed the 'worktime' of this pouch of sugru to about an hour outside the pouch. This length of time in the open air is not optimal and you will notice that the properties change a little for the worse. Smash the trimmings into a ball, and mould the pouch around your leftovers until you use them to give you a few more workable minutes. Doing so allowed me to do this entire project with just one pouch, even though I'd 'budgeted' two.
Step 10
Done trimming! On to the back of the clock...
Step 11
To make the knobs as waterproof as possible, I took advantage of a particular property of sugru: even when cured, it comes off easily if you screw up your fix. In this case, I went ahead and moulded sugru around the knob even though it was making contact with the casing of the whole clock. After curing, I can carefully turn the knob, which will separate the sugru from the casing. This will leave the knob free to move with sugru still attached, while closing up as much open space as possible to prevent moisture getting in. If I need to, I can use the letter opener to gently and carefully cut the knobs loose.
Step 12
Texture is fun to do, and important to the functionality. It's a great way to personalise your work too! Here, the texture will help me turn the knobs even if my hands are still wet.
Step 13
I covered the sound port for the alarm and poked one hole in. I also covered as much of the alarm switch as possible by covering the entirety of the switch, cutting the toggle out, and moving it back and forth in the uncured sugru. I used some of the leftover trimmings to remind me that alarms aren't always occasions for anger.
Step 14
Use a stick pen wet with soapy water to roll out sugru. It helps to make the surface even more smooth and glass-like if you're careful.
Step 15
Use the cap of your wife's pore-refining makeup...uhhh...stuff (or comparable cap) to create a perfect circle by dipping the bottom of the cap in soapy water, placing it in the desired spot, and twisting slightly.
Step 16
Trim off the excess as in Steps 6 & 8, and 'sign' your work to use up some more leftover sugru.
Step 17
Here's the finished front, and...
Step 18
...here's the finished back!
Step 19
Hackbot didn't want to be left out. He's perfect for holding uncured projects to avoid smudging and other tragedies after so much work. He got to hold the clock as close to the lamp as possible so I could...
Step 20
...take this picture! You might not be able to tell by this photo due to the camera, but because the glowgru overlaps the clear plastic face, it does illuminate the actual face of the clock a little bit. It probably won't after an hour or two without a charge, but hey...that's what Sonic Screwdrivers with built-in UV lights are for! "Allons-y" for all you Doctor Who fans, and thank you for reading this rather long guide. My hope is that you might be able to take some bits and pieces from this and use them to make other items around your house...a little harder just to throw away. And remember: If it's not broken, improve it!
