DIY: Replacing a Clock Mechanism

A while ago, I bought a beautiful clock at a thrift store! It's made of real wood, stained and glazed, and I just thought it was a really unique piece. However, even after I cleaning it up and replacing the battery, the actual timekeeping function was just completely busted. The clock sat neglected in a corner of my room for a few months... until I decided to try replacing the clock mechanism! It was a lot easier than I thought, so if you're curious about fixing up a broken clock, here's how :)

The tools you'll need for this DIY, as shown in the above pic, are:

- An awesome clock that you want to actually work
- Clock mechanism (I got this one at Michael's)
- AA battery
- Craft glue, wood glue, or glue gun
- Slip joint pliers, or some kind of pliers
- Ruler
- Pencil, marker, or some marking tool

Here is the clock! It's gorgeous, but it's nonfunctional because it doesn't move at all... on top of that, the hands were all bent as well. Time to take it apart!

The back side of the clock, which shows the natural wood color, plus the carved part that houses the mechanism.

First, I removed the hands and put them aside. They're bent, but since the material is so thin, I was able to straighten them out a bit by hand.

Using your pliers, remove the hex nut carefully!

Once the hex nut is removed, you can just pop the old mechanism out and put it aside.

You need to know the width of the clock face in order to buy the correct size mechanism. Since the hole is too narrow for a ruler, I used an unsharpened pencil and marker to see how long the screw needs to be.

When you go to the craft store, you'll likely see many different models of clock mechanisms -- some with ornate hands, some with simple hands, and all in various sizes. The size is printed on the package, and refers to the length of the bolt that will go through your clock face. The mechanism I bought was the 3/8 inch measurement, but I probably should have bought the 5/8 inch version for more allowance.

Your mechanism will come with these components! Before attaching it to the clock, I did a test assembly just to make sure everything worked. Here is the order of assembly:

1. Clock mechanism
2. Rubber ring
3. Clock face
4. Washer
5. Hex nut (the old hex nut I removed didn't fit the new mechanism, so I omitted this)
6. Hour hand
7. Minute hand
8. Nut
9. Second hand

I chose to use the original hands, because I was able to straighten them out so they weren't bent. However, if they had been damaged beyond repair, the new hands would have worked as well! I just wanted to keep as much of the original aesthetic as I could :)

Gluing the mechanism into the wood. I used a combination of craft glue and a glue gun around the edges, to make sure it was really secure.

At first, I thought I was doing it wrong, but it turns out that the hour hand is just very snug and you really do have to use some force to attach it to the bolt. It might feel like you're about to break it, but that's just how it's supposed to work. The minute hand is much easier, and it just slips on.

After the minute hand, you have to carefully and tightly screw this teeny tiny little nut on top of it!

Press the second hand on top of the bolt. Like the hour hand, you have to push down slightly harder for this component as well.

Then, all you have left to do is pop a battery in, turn the dial to the current time, and watch your new clock start ticking away!

Hike Review: Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park

Hiking is one of my favorite weekend activities! After spending five workdays sitting in front of a computer screen, it's so refreshing to get outdoors and enjoy nature. 

This past weekend, we ventured to HENRY COWELL REDWOODS STATE PARK for some adventuring. The park is off highway 9 on the way to Santa Cruz, and is pretty easy to reach by car. True to its name, the park does boast some really beautiful redwoods!

We started on the Pipeline Road, and from there we went on the River Trail. I'm sure the river is beautiful during non-drought season, but unfortunately, it was looking pretty dry. 

Michelle, Mattics, and I! Michelle took some of these pics :)

The park is also home to the Roaring Camp railroad, a tourist-friendly, slow-moving train that runs through some of the most beautiful parts of the forest. We kept hearing the train whistle from afar, so we knew it must be nearby. Eventually, the trail intersected with railroad tracks! 

This rickety wooden bridge is not for those who fear heights! 

After venturing down the track a while, we went back to the main trail to see more of the beautiful redwood trees! You could see where "parent" trees once stood, because there would be a ring of smaller young trees growing in a circle. Despite how dry the river was, the deeper parts of the forest trails were still very lush and green. 

We didn't really follow the trail too strictly -- this hike was more of an exploration than an actual structured plan. Eventually, it joined back up with the railroad tracks, which we walked along until we saw graffiti-covered signs. We figured that it had to mean something, so we followed the trail downhill until we found a swimming hole! 

There are actually a few different swimming holes on the map, so I'm not really sure which one it is, but Mattics said it's the Big Rock Hole! A few people had already set up camp there with towels, swimsuits, and full picnic gear. We weren't prepared for that, so we just admired the scene and made a mental note to come back later in the summer.

We left at just the right time, because as we were walking back to the trail, the Roaring Camp train came rolling by! It's a pretty slow train, so we waved to all the passengers and joked about hopping onto the train and hitching a ride back :p

Our hike back to base was just as scenic as the way there! Instead of wandering on and off the trail, we chose to just follow the railroad tracks all the way back to the trailhead. It was a beautiful and relaxing walk, and we even found a tiny teepee!

On the way back, we also stopped by the Redwood Loop, which is a short trail near the Visitor Center that highlights some of the most interesting trees and plants. One of the main attractions was a giant redwood, one of the largest in the entire park! You really feel so small when you are among these majestic trees...

Overall, this was a nice preview of Henry Cowell Redwoods! Next time, I would love to do a full loop trail and explore the other beaches along the way. Just looking at this map, there are at least 4 different trails to try. Who wants to come with us?? :D Adventure is out there!

Image Credit: Boulter.com

Vocabulary Volume #8

It's been a while since I've posted a Vocabulary Volume, so this is an extra long update! Here are some notable new words from books I've read recently.


From WICKED, by Gregory Maguire

unctuous: (adj.) greasy or oily. Or, when describing a person: a groveling kiss-ass type

apothegm: (n.) a concise saying or maxim, an aphorism

etiolated: (adj) weak, feeble, and pale

amanuensis: (n.) a literary or artistic assistant of manuscripts 

terpischorean: (adj.) related to dancing

pince-nez: (n.) old-style glasses held up by the bridge of the nose

sostenuto: (adj.) musical descriptor for a "sustained" note or style

terricolous: (adj.) living or growing in or on the ground

fulsome: (adj.) excessively flattering and fawning

sfumato: (adj) smoky style of painting with soft lines 

doyenne: (n.) the most respected woman in a particular field

scree: (n.) small stones covering a mountain slope

assignation: (n.) secret rendezvous, typically for affairs

lambaste: (v.) harshly criticize

tripartite: (adj) of three parts or involving three parties 

fascia: (n.) a thin piece of flat material that covers rafters of a house

moue: (n.) a pouting, annoyed expression

trapunto: (n.) a decorative raised quilting style 

From SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS, by David Guterson

lissome: (adj.) thin, supple, graceful

effusive: (adj.) gushy and expressive

torpid: (adj.) lethargic

effluvium: (n.) unpleasant odor of decay

austelle: (n.) couldn't find a real definition, but it might be a type of fabric

creosote: (n.) oil-based wood preservative

portents: (n.) omens, augury, or forewarnings

interstices: (n.) small space between two objects, like branches or walls

hypoid: (n.) a beveled gear in a vehicle transmission mechanism


From FROM THE MONKEY HOUSE, by Kurt Vonnegut

angstrom: (n.) 10 to the -10th of a meter length

ptomaine: (n.) a biological compound that causes food poisoning

yawl: (n.) a type of two-masted boat

depredations: (n.) attacks and plunders

seraglio: (n.) Turkish palace quarters for women concubines

humidor: (n.) a jar for keeping tobacco moist

parvenus: (n.) an obscure person who recently gained fame or status, a social climber

maudlin: (adj.) self-pityingly sentimental and emotional, lachrymose

bivouac: (n.) a temporary camp with no tents


From THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS, by Ursula K. Le Guin

aphelion: (n.) point in a planet's orbit where it is farthest from the sun. "at aphelion"

oviparous: (adj.) egg-laying

fumaroles: (n.) openings in a volcano where sulfurous gases emerge

semiotics: (n.) the study of meaning, making, and the philosophy of signs and symbols

susurrus: (n.) whispering, murmuring, or rustling

invocation: (n.) summoning incantation to a diety

paraverbal: (n.) messages transmitted through tone of voice. How something is said or implied, as opposed to what is said. 

educe: (v.) to bring out or develop something

blotto: (adj.) completely drunk

cyanotic: (adj.) turning blue or purple from lack of oxygen

caromed: (v.) to strike and rebound

Pennsylvania!

Recently, I took a trip to Pennsylvania! Here are some highlights of the trip :) I've been to Pennsylvania twice, but only for one or two days. This time, I was able to spend 4 full days exploring Pittsburgh, Greensburg, and other small towns nearby!

I flew out on Wednesday and arrived near midnight. The airport was so empty! Pittsburgh's airport was built on the grounds of an old farm, so it's huge...you even have to take a tram to get from the terminals to the rest of the airport.

DAY 1 : THURSDAY 

Lucas goes to LECOM at Seton Hill, which is located in the small town of Greensburg. It's about an hour outside of Pittsburgh, and it's pretty quaint.  He had class on Thursday, so I slept in and did some reading until he was out of class. We made pasta for lunch, and then we went out for some sweets!

We went to get dessert at THE MEADOWS, which is a small stand that sells delicious frozen custard! The flavors that we chose were vanilla and chocolate turtle :)

He needed to get some work done, so we went back to the apartment after a quick drive around. Later that evening we met up with his classmates for dinner at OLIVER'S POURHOUSE, a diner/pub type place. The black bean burger, mushroom burger, fried pierogis, and and "hot grape" (kind of a spicy-sweet house BBQ) wings were all delicious!

DAY 2 : FRIDAY

No class on Friday, so he decided to give me a tour of Greensburg! Of course, we had to start off with breakfast food. We both love breakfast, so we headed downtown to a place called the SUN DAWG CAFE. It's a family owned joint with great omelettes and super crispy hash browns! We left with our hair and jackets smelling like breakfast, since it's located in the basement of a larger building so there isn't much ventilation.

After breakfast, we went next door to THE WHITE RABBIT, a cute little cafe that is a popular study location for local students -- we ran into a bunch of classmates studying. Got our usual coffee order of one black coffee and one latte -- the latte art is really pretty!

It was supposed to rain that day, so we decided to just take a chill drive around town. We love going on drives together, so it was nice to put on some of our favorite new songs and cruise. Our soundtrack for the weekend was the new Monstercat album.

A relaxing drive through the gloomy countryside led us to TWIN LAKES PARK, which we had gone to the first time I visited! Back then, it was October, so it was still very green and sunny. It looked totally different now -- the leaves were all gone, and the lake was partially frozen over!

On our way home, we made a stop at the Westmoreland Mall -- the only mall in all of Greensburg. It's your typical mall with typical mall shops, but the main thing we were there for was popcorn! The PITTSBURGH POPCORN COMPANY is a fancy Pittsburgh-native popcorn shop that sells unique flavors, and we wanted to pick some up for our movie night. We decided to get the sour cream and onion flavor, which was definitely a good pick.

For dinner that night, Lucas was pretty insistent that I try one of the true gems of Greensburg - pierogi pizza! A pierogi is a Polish dumpling stuffed with mashed potatoes, and on a pierogi pizza, the potato is baked into the crust. He placed an order at JIOIO'S RESTAURANT, which is the best local place for this pizza. It was definitely interesting -- instead of dough, the crust is made of flaky pie crust, then topped with a layer of potatoes, then lots of cheese, and then the toppings! It's a very heavy food, and we were definitely fat and happy afterwards :D

DAY 3 : SATURDAY

The weather on Sunday was the best we would get all weekend (a balmy 45 degrees!) so we decided to venture in to the city. I've only driven through Pittsburgh to get to the airport, so this was completely new to me!

Before we left, we had breakfast with Lucas' roommate Nick! The guys made bacon, eggs, and hash browns -- definitely enough food to get the day started. Then we grabbed our itinerary and headed out!

First, we stopped in Squirrel Hill, which is a small suburb of Pittsburgh. It's located right next to Carnegie Mellon, so it has a college-town feel with lots of students and lots of diversity. There is even Taiwanese food in Squirrel Hill, and we went to a place called EVERYDAY NOODLE for lunch. It was super busy inside, but we got seated and placed our order for sesame cold noodles and zha jiang noodles.

We wandered around Squirrel Hill after lunch, and ended up at THE COMMONPLACE COFFEE COMPANY. I had seen this coffee shop mentioned on one of the blogs I follow, and so we went inside to get caffeinated.

One of their menu specials was a lavender latte, so I decided to give that a try. It was so good! There was a very subtle flowery taste to it :) There were a lot of people studying and reading inside, so we got two chairs outside and enjoyed the nicest weather I had experienced so far.

We walked around some more and found a neat used media store called THE EXCHANGE! It was a buy/sell/trade place for used games, consoles, controllers, CDs, DVDs, and records. We went digging for fun, just to see if some of our favorite artists could be found on vinyl.

From there, we drove into Pittsburgh! Before going into the city, we also stopped at an Asian grocery store to pick up some sauces and other Asian staples that are nowhere to be found in a rural town like Greensburg. Then we were on our way!

Our first stop was MARKET SQUARE, which is a small square bordered with restaurants and shops. There was a small art installation in the square, and some tables to sit at. We picked a table and enjoyed some people-watching.

Next up on our itinerary was a pretty touristy thing: THE DUQUESNE INCLINE! The Incline is an interesting attraction that is linked to Pittsburgh's history as a steel industry city. It's sort of like a triangular cable car, but it only holds about 10-15 people.

Back in the day, steel workers would ride the car straight up the side of Mount Washington, one of the hills that borders the city. Today, it's more of a historical artifact of the city's past. It's a short but rickety ride! At the top, there's a cute visitor center with some historical information about the funicular system.

We walked a little bit farther to the MOUNT WASHINGTON LOOKOUT, and got a nicer view! Downtown Pittsburgh actually lies at the intersection of two rivers, and from the lookout point, we were really able to see that. The Mount Washington lookout is also home to this statue, which depicts the meeting of George Washington and a Native American chief.

We took the Incline back down, and then ventured across two of Pittsburgh's many bridges back into Downtown. We parked at a large structure and walked around, checking out the various restaurants and bars that we could eat at!

There were many places we could go for dinner (Hofbrauhaus, Piper's Pub, and many of the restaurants and pubs on South Side) but we chose to go to NICKY'S THAI KITCHEN. Thai food isn't the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Pittsburgh, but this Thai place was great!

We loved the inside decor, which was completely decked out in all things related to Thailand. There were elephant statues, jeweled rugs, buddha statues, and gold accents everywhere! Even the food was served in vintage-looking gold goblets. We ordered a pad see ew, green curry, and green thai iced tea, which is like a regular thai iced tea but made with matcha green tea instead. Everything was so good, and the portions were huge!

As stuffed as we were after dinner, we still wanted to experience bar life in Pittsburgh so we walked down the street to THE SHARP EDGE, a bar and diner. Our waitress was quick to recommend us some great local beers to try! Lucas got a Pennsylvania IPA and I got a little blonde hefeweizen.

Our Pittsburgh day was definitely the busiest! After we finished our drinks, we drove back home and settled in for movie night (Captain America!! :D).

DAY 4 : SUNDAY

My last full day in Pennsylvania! Having seen a lot of the town already by car, we decided to stick to one of our favorite hobbies and see more of it by bike. We biked from his friend's place, along a railway, past an industrial park, and finally to Youngwood, a town south of Greensburg.

He had a test coming up, so after our bike trip, the rest of the day was spent in. We heated up some leftover Thai food (which was still delicious!) and watched another movie.

DAY 5 : MONDAY

My departure day! One last drive into the city. Another interesting thing about Pennsylvania is its system of turnpikes. I had never encountered a turnpike before, other than in lyrics to country songs, so it was an experience! They collect money like toll roads, but aren't quite the same. It costs $1.75 to drive from Greensburg to Pittsburgh.

Though it certainly isn't your typical vacation destination, I had a great time in Pennsylvania! Lucas is moving to New York over summer, so this is probably the last time I will ever be in the city. It's been a great experience. The east coast just has a different feel from the west coast -- it feels more folksy, rustic, and historical, and I'm glad I got to spend a few days here. Bye PA!