Almost twins on these clocks

I had a customer tell me he wanted a large mantle clock for wifes Christmas. I showed him the shortest of the two and he said he would take it...I said I'm fixin to make a better version of this clock and wait till I have it built so he would have a choice. After I called him to come and take his choice he fell in love with the larger version.. Almost double the price of the shorter one but he way happy anyway.

Scroll saw and power carving with a Dremel 3000 with the flex shaft was the two things I used.

I used Ash for I wanted some open grain to bring out the beauty of the wood.

I invented this dark stuff I use to fill the grain and I don't think anyone has anything like it. It only shows up in the grain and does not darken the rest of the wood. I can't find any more pictures and they are in someones elses houses now so maybe one could enlarge the picture to see the dark grain? Actually I used two different tones in the grain more or less to confuse folks

I lay out the outline I am looking on 1/4" graph paper with a set of French Curves then make the carving pieces to go in certain spaces as the trim is made after all the box was built and ready for the goodies

The clock movements came from Clockit.

Something like 10 coats of clear semi-gloss Lacquer over some stain or dye for I never worried what the difference is between the two. I find one works better on certain types of wood and the other works better or the rest of they types.

I just have a general idea by the curves then wing it to make everything fit. I never did like the first clock and the second one was a second thought from the first one.

Finish: staining then Lacquer