Woodworker: Alex Cameron

Cameron based the design of this clock on an original he saw in the venerable book The Victorian Cabinet-Maker’s Assistant (plate VIII, Fig. 4), published in 1853. He started building the clock while he was enrolled in a wood-carving course at the Hoad Woodcarving Academy in Adelaide, South Australia, and it took him about a year to complete. To simplify the construction and carving of the clock, Cameron cut up separate segments of mahogany on the bandsaw, glued them together, and then carved the details. The finish is sprayed-on shellac.

Photo: Alex Cameron