Begin the process of building your stage prop grandfather clock by doing some research. Seek a variety of grandfather clock images that would enhance the stage production. Visit furniture and clock stores. Look for images in magazines, books and movies and on the Internet. Keep a notebook, take photos and compile a bank of grandfather clocks to inspire your design. Consult with the stage production's director to link themes. A grandfather clock for the children's holiday ballet, "The Nutcracker," can be traditional, whereas a grandfather clock for a horror production needs additional eerie details, such as the one designed by Mike Bisch of Kentucky Special FX that had 13 hours lit by green LEDs.
Decide upon the construction details. Do you need to move the grandfather clock prop on and off stage during the production? If so, select a design that is light enough to move, but sturdy enough to keep from toppling over on stage. A material such as Styrofoam will work. Alternatively, consider a simple wood frame construction covered with painted canvas. Can the clock stay on stage through the entire production? If so, then you can build it out of heavier wood.
Add details to enhance the theatrics of the production as you build your grandfather clock. Design your own clock face or use free patterns with Roman or Arabic numerals that can be printed out and pasted on. Draw or add on the chimes, pendulum and hands. Whether you are building the clock with a full wooden case or simply with a wooden frame covered with canvas, paint the wood and canvas according to the needs of the production. Add rollers to the grandfather clock for easy moving. Sound effects, such as tick tock and chimes, can be set up from speakers inside the clock or played from a recording on the theater sound system.