How to Make a Custom Vinyl Record Clock 13 Steps

How to Make a Custom Vinyl Record Clock: 13 Steps 

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HOW TO MAKE A CUSTOM VINYL RECORD CLOCK 

Home > Decoratingby yehole13 

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182.649 113 7 Posted Feb. 14, 2013 | 

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Tired of your analog being analogous to every other clock on the market? Sick of those 

stacks of records you just have lying around the house? Well worry no more! With the 

same amount of time and money as seeing a movie on Saturday night, you can create a 

fun and unique timepiece that will bring some funky flair to your bland walls. Whether you 

are an experienced hobbyist or a novice tinkerer, this project will prove to be both 

challenging and enjoyable! 

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Custom-Vinyl-Record-Clock/[16/02/2018 19:35:58]


 

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Step 1: Materials Needed 



Total Cost: ~ $10 

1. Vinyl record X 2 

2. Superglue or hot-glue 

3. Acryllic paint 

4. Clock 

Optional Materials (Not Pictured) 

1. Numbers 

2. Decorative adornments 

3. Plain white paper 

*Tips - If this is your first time working with vinyl, I recommend having several spare 

records on hand in case you mess up. These are cheap and can be found at about any 

thrift shop. I also suggest using superglue as opposed to a hot-glue gun as the heat from 

the gun can distort the vinyl. 



 

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Step 2: Tools Needed 

1) Paint brush 

2) Pen or marker 

3) X-acto knife 

4) Heat knife or wood burning tool 

5) Screwdriver 

6) Pliers 

Optional Tools (Not Pictured) 

1) Sandpaper 

*Tips - If you do not have access to a heat knife or wood burning tool, you can either heat 

the blade of an X-acto knife with a lighter or warm up the record in the oven prior to 

cutting. This second option can be done by heating the oven to 200-250°F and placing 



the record on the middle rack for a couple seconds at a time. 

 

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Step 3: Disassemble the Clock 

1) Using the screwdriver, remove the screws from the back of the clock. 

*Tips - Depending on how many screws your clock has, they can be saved and later glued 

to the face of your record to act as replacement numbers. 

 

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Step 4: Disassemble the Clock (continued) 



2) After the screws have been taken out, use the pliers to remove the clock hands and 

gearbox 

*Tips - Be careful when removing the clock hands as they can be bent easily. If this 

happens, just bend them back into place using the pliers. 

 

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Step 5: Paint the Clock Hands and Background 



1) Using the brush and acrylic paint, apply a coat of your color of choice to both the 



second record and the clock hands. Doing this step early in the process will allow the 

paint to dry while you finish the remainder of the clock. 

*Tips - You can use various types of paint for this step. I chose acrylic paint because I like 

the brushed texture it leaves on both the background and the hands. However, not all 

types of paints will apply well to the materials used in this project so be sure to read the 

label before purchasing! 

 

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Step 6: Create the Design 



1) After you set the background and hands aside to dry, sketch your desired design onto 

the record using a pen or marker. Colored sharpies work especially well for this. 

*Tips- Try first creating your design on plain white paper and then laying the cutout on the 

record. The white paper will allow you to trace your design while also visualizing what the 

finished product will look like. 

 

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Step 7: Cut the Vinyl 



*Warning* - Wood burning tools and heat knives can heat up to temperatures that exceed 

1000°F. Please use extreme caution when performing this step. 

1) Now that your design has been transferred to the record, begin to slowly cut out your 



pattern with the wood burning tool. 

*Tips - Make sure to place something beneath the record to prevent the knife from 

damaging your worktop. If you are using one of the alternative methods discussed in the 

"Tools" section, it is best to alternate moderate heating of the record/knife with cutting and 

cooling to prevent the vinyl from warping. 

 

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Step 8: Remove the Rough Edges 

*Caution* - If your design involves intricate details and cuts, it may be necessary to get 

your fingers near the knife blade when removing rough edges. Be sure to take caution 

when doing this and remember to always cut AWAY from your body. 

1) Remove any burrs or rough edges left from the previous step by carefully cutting them 

off with the X-acto Knife. 

*Tips - Working the blade in a sawing motion can help to remove stubborn burrs without 



applying too much pressure to the knife. This will reduce your chances of slipping and 

accidentally injuring yourself. If your design does not involve too many tight corners or 

cuts, it may be possible to use sandpaper to complete this step. 

 

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Step 9: Assemble the Clock 

1) Using the superglue, glue the cut record to the painted record 

*Tips - Lay the cut record face down on your work surface and apply the glue to the 

backside. This will help you to avoid placing glue on cutout portions, while also making it 

easier to align the two records. If using a hot glue gun for this step, avoid contacting the 

vinyl with the metal tip of the gun. 

 

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Step 10: Assemble the Clock (continued) 



2) Attach the clock mechanism (removed in Step 4) to the backside of your record by 

placing a few drops of superglue on the gearbox and pressing it against the record. 

*Tips - Be sure to orient the top of the clock mechanism with the top of your clock's 

design. 

 

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*Optional Step 

3) If you so desire, attach any numbers, markings, or decorations to the face of your clock. 

*Tips - This is a great opportunity to recycle those screws from Step 3! 

 

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4) Reattach the clock hands to the mechanism by popping them into place 

*Tips - The clock hands might not fit the first time due to excess paint on the mounting 

ring. To solve this, simply scrape it off using the X-acto knife. 

 

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Step 13: Brag! 



*Warning* - Extreme jealousy may ensue from your friends with less awesome time 

keeping devices. Proceed at your own risk. 

1) If you have followed the instructions properly, at this point you should have an 

awesome wall clock much like the one seen above. If you instead have mangled pile of 

vinyl and clock scraps, try again! Browse the "*Tips" icon on each step to see if there is a 

step or two you overlooked. This is a fun home project and not everybody will master it on 

their first go. 

 

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6 Comments 

andyny22 4 months ago 

Reply 

Isn't it super dangerous to burn Vinyl (PVC)? it releases chlorine gas. I wouldn't recommend doing 

this. 

mattcintosh 1 year ago 

Reply 



I was at a garage sale and found this. I don't have a pic of the front, but from the back you can see 

they somehow heated the record, pressed it in a mold and then added a clock mechanism to it 

tom12385 1 year agoin reply to mattcintosh 

Reply 

heckin cool, i wonder how they did that 

clh 9 months agoin reply to tom12385 

Reply 

I've seen a number of playful "bowls" made by putting LPs in the oven to heat them and 

molding by hand or over objects. 

Elizajc83 3 years ago 

Reply 

Your clock looks fantastic! 

My friend and I are attempting to use your method of cutting with a woodburning pen. It's going ok, 

but I wonder what kind of tip you used? 

Ours is a standard tip but has the option for smaller tips, which we thought would work better. Any 

suggestions on that? 

Also, we wondered if you were still living or if you've quite possibly died from the the "black lung"? ;) 

X 

8 

| 

Muhaiminah Faiz 4 years ago 

Reply 

This looks amazing! great work. 

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How to Make a Custom Vinyl Record Clock 13 Steps

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