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corgilvr_gw

another sundial question

corgilvr
18 years ago

I would love to have a sundial made to install on the rear brick wall of my home. A barn near my home, with the same orientation, has one which looks like a bent piece of iron which is attached to the building at one point near the top of the bent iron piece.

I would love to hear from anyone who might have an idea of how to accomplish this.

Comments (8)

  • gonefishin
    18 years ago

    That is very interesting to me. Can you possibly take a picture and post it here, maybe we could try to copy it or something.
    I hope that someone will know and post on it.

    If you stop and think about it, them Egyptians building the pyramids and those Druids or whoever it was putting them big rocks up for Stonehenge somehow figured out the correct orientation to the sun etc. I have a good sense of direction if the sun is out especially, but am not that far advanced and would only know to make something like the face of a clock, attach the pointer so that the shadow would fall at the correct time, and try to go from there in a purely amatuer way. Then perhaps figure a way to move the pointer back and fourth one click to adjust for daylight savings time in spring and fall. ":^)
    C'mon guys and gals, time to show off, highlight how dumb or naive I am and give the man the right answer! I would appreciate it and he probably would too.
    Bill P.

  • corgilvr
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Wow! Thanks for the quick response. There are lots of sundial's like the one I am looking for on buildings in Europe. I do know that the lines of latitude and longitude you positioned at have something to do with the placement of the dial. We live within one block of a college, so the math/science should not be such a problem. I think this would be such an interesting addition to the back of the house and garden. I will try to add a link to some examples later today. Again, thanks for all of your help so far and for any other ideas you may have.

    Debbie

  • KevC___
    18 years ago

    Is this any way close to what you have in mind?.......

    {{!gwi}}

    K

  • corgilvr
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    That is even better than anything I had in mind! I have a large upper story brick wall on the back of my house that seems to be screaming for something to be done to it.

    If anyone sees one of these or knows a metal artist who can make one, please email me with the details. I will happily paint the numerals on the wall if that will help.

    You have all been so helpful! Thanks bunches.

  • gonefishin
    18 years ago

    Yeah, thanks Kevin, that is neat.

    I could probably make it, provided I had the size, dimensions of the pieces and how you wanted them assembled. I can not tell enough detail from that picture to be sure that I would get it right. Or, if you have a pattern and know how you want it, a local welding shop could probably do it for you.
    Bill P.

  • KevC___
    18 years ago

    When I started doing a bit of research before I made my armiliary sundial, I simply typed "sun dial" into google and got a few hundred pages of information. I could never have thought there'd be so much info relating to one topic. Some neat photos of sundials around the world too......
    Heres a web page that you might find useful in your calculations....

    http://cpcug.org/user/jaubert/jsundial.html

    I have made 2 to date and plan on making something a bit like the one you're interested in soon. Problem is I live in ireland...... well....... we dont get a whole bunch of sun over here......... Now if there were such a thing as a rain dial, i'd have something for the market...LOL

    Kev

  • gonefishin
    18 years ago

    Thanks Kevin. Hey, I have a "rain dial" (guage) that has hardly been used, mostly collecting dust since around the first of June, that I can make you a deal on! ":^) The float should be in mint condition if it is not shrivled away, or melted onto the bottom.
    I am having a real battle with heat and drought, have had a few brief showers while people within a few miles each direction have had deluges of several inches from scattered severe thunderstorms. I have started thinking about looking for some of them "growing cacti" forums. Soak hoses and mulch are keeping the garden going somewhat.
    Bill P.

  • corgilvr
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    I can't wait to look at the info. I'd be happy to have a light installed so that it could always be 5 o'clock!

    These have such an interesting look. Why don't we see more of these?

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