I'm thinking (scary, isn't it?) that I could use the index feature to mark the various number positions on the clock. Your thoughts and advice are most welcome, as always.
The Vicmarc chucks also have index detents too. You will need a locking mechanism like
@john lucas is bringing to you. Any stiff spring wire can be bent and sharped to fit the hole and clamped to a piece of wood that is then clamped to the lathe.
Marking is best done with a pencil on a flat surface. I made a flat rest with Mdf mounted on a 1” turned post that fits in the banjo. I cut a 1” diameter tenon to go into the MDF with Leaving the square shoulder cut at 90 degrees so that the top of the MDF will be square to the turned post.
You also need to drill or turn a space for the clock mechanism in the back and a through hole to mount the hands. Get the mechanism before you start. With luck your chuck will expand in the clock recess to let you work in the face.
A simple clock face can be made using your chuck and turned rod as a drill guide.
Drill a hole in the turned rod and lock it in the tool rest so that the drill bit is lined up on the clock face on center and at the desired diameter. Then mount the bit in a drill an drill 12 holes.
Glue your cartridges into the holes
I would for the rustic look think about milk paint for the rings and center a light sanding will reveal some wood underneath. Could even use red for the center. If you use a wood like cherry or sapeli , milk paint will react with it so that it wood will look like bronze where the milk paint is cut back.
For a crisp formal look paint the whole surface with black gesso let it dry the turn the white areas away. This will leave crisp black circles and the white space can be natural wood and finished as rough or smooth as you wish.
The holes can be the left as is, filled with dowel turned flush, filled with button with a tenon on the back side.
Larger hole or buttons can be used for 12,3,6,9
You can also. Use the flat rest concept as a table to slide a small carver, router, die grinder on and carve lines for the number. Then you could glue the cartridges sideways.
Fishing lures, flies, Arrow parts, buck shot, bulletts might also be incorporated.
Turn and paint some oversized poppers for numbers
Use #1 to #12 hooks. -
Turn and paint your bullets.
You can turn arrow heads too - glue 3 pieces of wood together with paper joints turn the arrowhead profile split the glue joints the center piece is the arrow head.
If you have access to a sandblaster that provide another set of options.
Have fun!