Comic Book Cover Clock

Making a comic book cover into a fun clock!

Posted by Shala

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How to make a clock out of an old comic book cover.

It's best to use a clock movement with a short shaft because the laminate and paper isn't a very thick clock face. Pick hands that suit your project. You can paint the hands if you prefer a different color.

The cover used in my example is from one of my favorites from the 80s, Mike Grell's Warlord. Don't use valuable comic books for this project! You can check current prices in the Overstreet Comic Book Guide.

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You Will Need (7 things)

  • 1 small sharp Scissors
  • 1 Thermal Laminator
  • 1 letter sized Laminator Sheets 3-5 mil
  • 1 Comic Book
  • 1 Clock Kit
  • 1 Permanent Marker
  • Paper Trimmer or Scissors

Steps (8 steps, 40 minutes)

  1. 1

    Open your comic to the middle and unpin the staples to remove the cover intact. It's easier to trim it straight if you can cut right along the fold or in the case of my comic, it had a line down the middle.

  2. 2

    Cut the cover in half, then find the middle. You'll bring the top and bottom edges together, and make a small crease approximately in the middle of the fold. Repeat lengthwise, then you'll have a small folded + in the middle of the cover.

  3. 3

    Now the thing about lamination is there has to be an outside edge of the lamination for it to be sealed. So to create that edge for the hole for the clock shaft to go through, I used the brass washer from my clock kit and traced around the outside of that. Place it directly over the + and trace with a pen.

  4. 4

    Then cut out the hole using the small sharp scissors, cut just slightly outside your traced line.

  5. 5

    Now you put the page in your laminating pouch, and run it through your laminating machine.

  6. 6

    Now you need to cut your hole for the clock movement shaft. This time I used the larger of the 2 hex nuts that were in the kit and traced the inside.

  7. 7

    Use the small sharp scissors again to cut out the hole. Then check it on the clock movement, if you need to make the hole a little bigger trim just a shaving around the edge until it fits.

  8. 8

    Now it's all set to go, pull out the clock movement and trim the edges around the cover remembering to leave at least a 1/8th to a 1/4 inch of clear lamination all around the edges. Then install your clock movement following the instructions that came with it.