ArClock: How to Build a Smart LED Clock 'Wrapped' in Wood

Last weekend we explored the construction of a digital-mechanical clock based on steel balls, an advanced project that looks fabulous from any angle. However, it's never a bad idea to start with something simpler from a technical and economic standpoint, and that's how we arrived at the smart LED clock ArClock by Matt Aubury, which connects to the network via WiFi with an ESP8266 module, and features a pleasant finish with wood veneers that let the light of the LEDs pass through.

The Best of Both Worlds

A fairly common complaint is that the vast majority of devices have a 'cold' or 'futuristic' profile, all plastic and metal. Some enthusiasts don't hesitate to extract the old components from vintage devices such as radios or televisions to take advantage of their fantastic wooden cases, and although not everyone likes that process, they generally turn out quite well. Now, how does combining the best of both worlds sound?

I'm referring to taking advantage of modern construction techniques like 3D printing, and decorating in a classic and 'warm' way, using wood veneer, with a good dose of sandpaper, and the ideal amount of varnish to gain color. It doesn't need to be a gigantic project either. In fact, the smart LED clock by Matt Aubury called ArClock is an excellent starting point, where you'll need to do a bit of everything: Program, print, solder, glue, and sand.

See It in Action

The plastic structure is based on a flexible 8x32 LED matrix, averaging around 20 dollars on eBay and AliExpress. Obviously this isn't mandatory, and you can replace the matrix with a rigid variant, or why not, a smaller one. As you can see in the images, the original design has a significant print size, and will take a good while on a conventional 3D printer (say, Prusa i3 or Creality Ender 3).

Connectivity

All the connectivity is handled by a Wemos D1 Mini module, or one of its direct clones based on the ESP8266. In this case, version 3 is recommended, which has two holes for easy installation inside the case. The connections between the Wemos module, the LED matrix, and the power input (a 2.5mm connector should be sufficient) are very simple, and the soldering iron has minimal involvement.

Wood Veneer Finish

The decorative phase is just veneering the case with thin maple. Matt indicates that the equivalent of an A4 sheet is not enough, and recommends something on the order of 330mm x 200mm. Personally, I think I would install the LED matrix after doing the veneer on the front (thus avoiding the LEDs being covered with glue), but it's not a major detail. You can leave the natural color, or add a touch of varnish.

Programming

The last step is programming, and if you haven't done any Arduino before, I recommend reading the project comments for more details. In general terms, the ArClock requires four libraries: ESP8266-ping, Adafruit GFX, NeoPixelBus, and FastLED. Configuration is done from a smartphone, tablet, or computer with WiFi, and if you want the clock to also report temperature, you'll need to generate a (free) token on OpenWeatherMap.

Straightforward, not too expensive, very entertaining, and with huge potential for hacking/modifying. If you plan to build a clock, maybe the ArClock is a superior option for you. Give it a try!

Project page: Click here