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DIY Sundial Projects

March 2012 page 13
Frank Coe
A.P. Herbert put to the test
The author tests A.P. Herbert's idea of using a sundial "in reverse" for navigation during a flight to Australia in 1975. He describes making his own "sun clock" and recounts an encounter with a pilot familiar with Francis Chichester's navigation methods, highlighting the practical challenges of such a device.
Dials: Portable, Dials: Unusual, Sundial Design & Layout, DIY Sundial Projects, Historical Dials
June 2012 page 16
Valery Dmitriev
Children’s Sundial Competition
This article reports on the first Russian children's competition for sundial drawings held in Siversky, near St Petersburg, in late 2011. Seventeen children aged 9-13 participated, creating simplistic but impressive designs. The winner, Shimolina Irina, designed 'Pushkins', which is hoped to be built in Spring 2012.
DIY Sundial Projects
June 2012 page 21
Lego Equatorial Dial
Don Rogerson of Red Oak, Iowa (USA) designs sundials using standard Lego bricks. This entry briefly describes an example: a 'Large Equatorial' dial constructed from 1x4 bricks and a 1x2 hinge plate, with grey and white blocks designating hours. Rogerson hopes to interest Lego in producing special sundial sets.
Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Equatorial
June 2012 page 24
Meccano Butterfield Dial
This entry briefly describes a working Butterfield dial made from components of a Pocket Meccano set. It was created as a challenge for Noel Ta' Bois while he was in hospital and is now held by the BSS.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Portable
June 2012 page 43
Another Lego Sundial
This short entry presents another equatorial sundial designed by Don Rogerson using Lego bricks. It is built around a 1x4x5 arch brick, with central blue bricks marking noon and outer bricks indicating 6am and 6pm solar time, resembling the BSS logo.
Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Equatorial
June 2012 page 48
Chris Lusby Taylor
BSS Conference, Cheltenham, 13-15 April 2012
This report summarises the British Sundial Society's annual conference in Cheltenham. It covers various talks including Allan Mills on the Gaocheng Observatory, Kevin Karney on sundial software, Johan Wikander on Norwegian horizontal dials, and presentations by David Brown and Tony Moss on their dial designs. The conference also featured a discussion forum on the Society's future and a tour of local dials.
DIY Sundial Projects, Historical Dials, Sundial Design & Layout, The BSS and Members
December 2012 page 30
Richard Cecil
Judy Cecil
Building A Sundial At Chestnut Cottage
This article details the construction of a large garden sundial at Chestnut Cottage, Essex, by Richard and Judy Cecil. It covers civil engineering aspects, from site surveys and drainage to concrete work, and the precise setting out of hour lines and the stainless steel gnomon, incorporating a polar version of the equation of time.
Sundial Design & Layout, Construction Projects, Equation of Time, DIY Sundial Projects
March 2011 page 16
Vicki DeKleer
Hop onto a Sundial for Your House!
This article provides instructions for making a simple, fun, and versatile horizontal sundial for educational purposes, particularly for young people. It explains how to determine the meridian line, layout the base, and incorporate an Equation of Time table for accurate civil time.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Horizontal, Equation of Time, Sundial Design & Layout
March 2011 page 22
Frans W. Maes
A Reconstruction of Ludwig Hohenfeld’s 1596 Polyhedral Sundial
This article describes the reconstruction of Ludwig Hohenfeld’s 1596 polyhedral sundial, a 26-sided rhombic cubo-octahedron, using distorted photographs and image editing software. It details the process of rectifying the faces and analyzing the sundials inscribed on them to estimate the design latitude.
Dials: Multi Faced, Sundial Design & Layout, Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Historical Dials
March 2011 page 32
V. N. Manimanis
D. Blatsis
E. Th. Theodossiou
Four Horizontal Sundials in Schools of Volos, Alonnisos and Stefanoviki
This article details the construction and placement of four horizontal sundials in Greek schoolyards between 1995 and 2008. It highlights student involvement, the evolution of precision in Equation of Time corrections, and the use of modern technology in their design and carving.
Dials: Horizontal, Construction Projects, Equation of Time, DIY Sundial Projects
September 2011 page 27
Christopher Daniel
Nature Club of Pakistan
This report highlights a successful gnomonical science studies programme by the Nature Club of Pakistan in Lahore and Faisalabad schools with support from the BSS.
Dials: Horizontal, Dials: Equatorial, How Sundials Work, DIY Sundial Projects, The BSS and Members
March 2010 page 44
Henk van der Ham
A Simple Sundial Maker in South Africa
A personal account of making accurate horizontal brass sundials. The process began with a practical, non-mathematical method of marking hour lines and evolved into a small business creating personalised dials, including the most southerly dial in South Africa at Cape Agulhas.
Dials: Horizontal, Sundial Design & Layout, DIY Sundial Projects
March 2010 page 48
Tony Belk
Photographer’s Dial—Part 2
An extension of a previous article on a photographer's sundial. This part adds a scale to indicate the sun's altitude and provides a new design for use at 54° N, which, together with the original 51.5° N dial, covers all of England.
DIY Sundial Projects, How Sundials Work, Sundial Design & Layout
June 2010 page 2
Allan A. Mills
The Sundial as an Aeolian Harp
This article explores the concept of integrating an aeolian harp into a sundial's support structure to complement the visual time-telling with ethereal wind-generated music. It details the history and theory of aeolian harps, including the physics of 'aeolian tones' and string resonance. The author describes the construction of a prototype venturi-type aeolian sundial using inexpensive materials, highlighting design considerations for soundboxes, strings, and the integration of a horizontal dial.
Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Unusual, Sundial Design & Layout
June 2010 page 36
Heiner Thiessen
A Chime Dial
This article introduces the Chime Dial, an equatorial sundial inspired by historic noon cannons, designed to read solar time and provide an acoustic reminder of the sun's journey. It consists of two brass hemispheres and a dial face with five-minute intervals. A Light Dependent Resistor (LDR) inside the sphere triggers a chime when a sunray passes through a narrow gap, marking a pre-set time.
Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Equatorial, Sundial Design & Layout
June 2010 page 42
Michael Maltin
A Simple Meridian Instrument
This article describes a DIY instrument for establishing a meridian line, developed for aligning large sundials. It uses two mirrors set at right angles to each other to project a spot of sunlight that remains directly beneath the sun horizontally, regardless of the instrument's heading. The device, a variant of a corner reflector, allows for precise tracking of the sun's path along the horizon.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dialling Tools, Sundial Design & Layout
June 2010 page 43
Doug Bateman
Meridian Mirrors
This article presents an alternative construction for Michael Maltin's meridian instrument, which uses two orthogonal mirrors to establish a meridian line. The author describes using an engineering V-block as a ready-made 90-degree angle, adding small mirrors and a spirit level for accurate setup. It discusses refinements like front-silvered mirrors and a hinge for precise spot overlap, highlighting its simplicity and accuracy for determining the sun's azimuth.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dialling Tools, Sundial Design & Layout
March 2009 page 2
Allan A. Mills
A North-facing Polarization Sundial of Varying Hue
This article explores alternative methods for measuring the sun's position, specifically focusing on a north-facing polarization sundial. It delves into the principles of polarized light from the sky, its application in sundial design using materials like 'Sellotape', and the construction of an experimental translucent equatorial dial that produces varying interference colours throughout the day.
Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Polar, How Sundials Work
March 2009 page 10
Michael Lee
A Moondial for the Northern Hemisphere
This article details the design and construction of a mechanical moondial for the Northern Hemisphere. It explains the components, materials used and the intricate etching process for the dial plate. The article also provides instructions for setting up the instrument, determining the moon's phase using Golden Numbers, and calculating time by the moon's apparent direction.
Sundial Design & Layout, Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects
March 2009 page 18
Ken Head
Construction of my Lawn Analemmatic Sundial
This article provides practical details for designing and constructing a durable lawn analemmatic sundial using readily available materials. It covers establishing the north-south line, calculating dimensions, making hour markers from tree-trunk lengths, crafting a date scale from timber, and ensuring precise installation for accurate solar timekeeping.
Dials: Analemmatic, Sundial Design & Layout, Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects
March 2009 page 37
Mike Shaw
Book Review
This review covers "A Study of Altitude Dials" by Mike Cowham (BSS Monograph No 4). It praises the monograph's comprehensive overview of altitude dials, including their construction, accuracy, and various types like pillar, chalice, and quadrant dials. The book also provides detailed construction guides, diagrams, and a CD-Rom with templates for readers to make their own dials.
How Sundials Work, Book Reviews, Sundial Design & Layout, DIY Sundial Projects
March 2009 page 48
Tony Moss
Sundial Alarm
This entry describes an inventive "Ye Sundyal Alarme Bafic Modelle" and a "Deluxe modelle" The basic model uses sunlight focused by a cylindrical lens to heat a copper ball, melting wax that triggers a mousetrap and a bell. The deluxe version also lights a fire for a morning posset, offering a creative, if anachronistic, take on sundial functionality.
Dials: Unusual, DIY Sundial Projects
December 2009 page 26
Tony Belk
A photographer’s sundial
Describes the design and use of a pocket-sized device for photographers to predict the sun's direction at any time of day or year. Based on a horizontal stereographic projection, the instrument uses a rotating dowel aligned with date and time scales to help plan for specific lighting conditions.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Unusual, Sundial Design & Layout
March 2008 page 43
John Davis
Pat Briggs’ Meccano Models
Showcases Pat Briggs' Meccano models, ranging from simple equatorial dials to complex planetaria and astronomical clocks. It highlights his ingenious mechanisms, including a universal joint for shadow tracking, an Equation of Time clock, and a 'Meccano Analemmagraph' for drawing the analemma, using cunningly-designed gear ratios.
Dials: Equatorial, Equation of Time, Dialling Tools, DIY Sundial Projects
March 2008 page 46
W. S. May
An Equatorial Mean Time Sundial
Describes the design and construction of an 18-inch brass equatorial mean time sundial, incorporating a mechanism to compensate for the Equation of Time. The article details the machining of a groove on a rotatable drum for EoT correction and the careful assembly and alignment of the time-ring and gnomon, calibrated to read GMT directly.
Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Equatorial, Equation of Time
September 2008 page 112
John Moir
Shadowy Secrets, Part 4: The Art and Artifice of the Gnomon
This article explores the artistic and innovative designs of gnomons, moving beyond simple functional brackets to decorative, contextual, or 'shadow-play' designs. It provides examples of gnomons incorporating visual puns, personal initials, and a novel method for designing a gnomon to cast a true profile shadow on a specific date and time.
DIY Sundial Projects, How Sundials Work, Sundial Design & Layout
September 2008 page 129
Jackie Jones
Rob Stephenson
New Dials
Jackie Jones and Rob Stephenson describe painting a new vertical sundial on their Brighton house in April 2008. The dial shows hours, half-hours, solstices, equinoxes, and their wedding anniversary. The article details the process from transferring the design to the wall, the painting and installation, along with amusing public reactions to the new dial.
Dials: Vertical, Sundial Design & Layout, Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects
March 2007 page 24
Chris Lusby Taylor
A universal Italian and Babylonian hour accessory
This paper introduces a simple accessory, a three-quarters CD, that can be used with existing horizontal sundials to signify Italian and Babylonian hours. It explains how these hour systems differ from conventional timekeeping and how the accessory allows us to read these hours, using the shadow of the CD.
Dials: Horizontal, How Sundials Work, Dialling Tools, DIY Sundial Projects
March 2007 page 31
Peter Lane
Cooke’s new sundial and the Beadsmoore heliochronometer
This article discusses Ernest Beadsmoore's construction of a heliochronometer, inspired by Professor W. E. Cooke's 'New Sundial' design published in 1924. It details Beadsmoore's background as an engineer, his process of building and testing the dial, and its impact on local timekeeping precision. Cooke's later 'Sunclock' patent, connecting the dial to a clock for standard time, is also mentioned.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Heliochronometer, Historical Dials, Sundial Design & Layout
June 2007 page 64
Tony Moss
Making Brass Disks the Easy Way
This article describes an improved, easier method for making brass and bronze disks for sundials, specifically using double-sided adhesive tape and a lathe chuck. It offers a simpler alternative to previous laborious methods, suitable for various disk sizes up to the lathe's maximum capacity.
Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects
September 2007 page 124
Tony Moss
Drilling Brass Without Tears
This article provides a simple modification to standard drills to safely and effectively drill brass, which is often described as a greedy metal that can cause drills to dig-in aggressively. The technique involves blunting the drill's cutting edge to a vertical flat so it scrapes rather than cuts, requiring a separate set of modified drills.
DIY Sundial Projects
December 2007 page 173
Frans W. Maes
Roger Bailey
Frank King
Ken Head
J. P. Lester
Malcolm Barnfield
Readers’ Letters
This section contains various letters from readers. Frans W. Maes discusses Lambert circles and seasonal markers on analemmatic sundials. Roger Bailey provides corrections and recommendations for seasonal markers. Frank King confirms a relationship for seasonal marker distance. Ken Head replies to Maes and Bailey. John Lester solves the mystery of a partial sundial motto. Malcolm Barnfield describes the making of a noon cannon sundial.
Dials: Analemmatic, Sundial Design & Layout, DIY Sundial Projects, The BSS and Members
December 2007 page 176
Jackie Jones
Making Portable Dials in Silver
Jackie Jones describes her process of making portable sundials in silver, applying jewellery techniques learned at Art College. Her aim is to create modern, artistic, yet functional pocket dials. She details methods for showing hour lines, blackening recesses, and designing folding gnomons. The article also covers working with sterling silver, hallmarking, achieving different surface textures, and future plans for transparent enamel panels.
Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Portable, Sundial Design & Layout
February 2006 page 3
Mike Cowham
A Bird’s Eye View
This piece addresses the challenges of photographing high-mounted or horizontal sundials. The author presents a practical solution involving an elevated digital camera on an extended tripod with a remote shutter release, enabling bird's eye views while ensuring the photographer's safety and optimal framing without including themselves in the shot.
Dialling Tools, DIY Sundial Projects
February 2006 page 14
Norman Darwood
A Moon Dial
This article provides instructions for assembling and using a moon dial. It explains how to determine the moon's phase using the Golden Number and how to rotate the dial to find the current time. The author notes that this dial relies on estimating the moon’s direction rather than casting a visible shadow, due to the moon's light intensity.
Dials: Equatorial, Dials: Unusual, Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Nocturnals
February 2006 page 18
Peter Ransom
Origami Sundials
This article details the author's successful endeavour to create origami sundials without cutting or tearing, describing three unique designs. It provides step-by-step instructions for an equatorial dial, explaining the geometric principles behind folding hour lines and constructing a perpendicular gnomon.
Dials: Equatorial, Mathematics of Dialling, Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects
June 2006 page 75
Len Burge
Turnstyle Dial
This article describes the design and construction of a horizontal sundial with a cylindrical gnomon, which the author calls a "Turnstile Dial." It explains how the shadow is cast from a continuum of tangent points on the rounded gnomon, the practical aspects of its construction using copper, and the plotting of hour lines tangential to a central ellipse.
Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Horizontal, Sundial Design & Layout
September 2006 page 118
Ken Head
A Home-made Vertical Declining Dial
This article recounts the personal project of designing and constructing a vertical declining sundial for a golden wedding anniversary. It details the use of both graphical and computational methods for accurate delineation, the choice of materials, the incorporation of a brass heart-shaped nodus, and discusses the dial's performance and an inscribed motto.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Vertical, Mottoes, Sundial Design & Layout
December 2006 page 177
Tony Moss
Making Replacement Springs for a Pilkington & Gibbs Helio-Chronometer
Tony Moss provides instructions for crafting replacement springs for Pilkington & Gibbs Helio-Chronometers. The article outlines using a rolling jig to shape half-hard brass, enhancing its properties through work-hardening and planishing. This ensures the springs function correctly, highlighting traditional metalworking techniques adapted for precise instrument repair.
Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Heliochronometer
March 2005 page 14
Sven Olof Larsson
A Flagpole Sundial
Presents design of a vertical sundial adapted for flagpole installation, with dial furniture indicating sunrise and sunset signal times for hoisting and lowering the flag. Covers dial plate calibration for specific latitude, readability challenges under low contrast, and suggests precision improvements via vernier scales and solar-aligned sighting mechanisms.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Unusual
December 2005 page 134
Peter Scott
A Polyhedral Sun-Dial at Rivington, Lancashire
Describes the design and construction of a modern polyhedral sundial located in the author's garden in Rivington, Lancashire. The six-foot-tall dial is made from reconstituted stone and features a unique icosahedron-shaped head with twenty triangular dial plates, each with a brass gnomon. The design was inspired by dials in Wakefield and Marsden Park.
Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Multi Faced, Sundial Design & Layout
March 2004 page 32
Maurice Kenn
Book Review
This is a review of the booklet "Time" by Silke Ackerman and Paul Buck. It praises the booklet's clear and concise presentation of time measurement, including sundials, stars, sand-glasses, water-clocks, and watches. The review highlights its appeal to young readers, inclusion of cut-out models for equatorial sundials and nocturnals, and the provided compass for orientation.
Book Reviews, DIY Sundial Projects
March 2004 page 33
Tony Wood
From the Mental Home and Workhouse
This article explores two historically significant sundial-related discoveries: a door from a demolished Mental Home in Wiltshire covered with calculations for a meridian line, and a scratch dial on the wall of a Nottinghamshire workhouse. It delves into the stories of the 'inmates' who created these and speculates on their accuracy and purpose.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Noon Lines, Historical Dials
June 2004 page 53
Silas Higgon
An Azimuthal Mean Time Dial: Development of a Sundial Design
Step-by-step account of designing and building a cylindrical azimuthal mean time dial with mechanical correction application, including prototype testing and accuracy assessment.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Unusual, Sundial Design & Layout
December 2004 page 146
Mike Cowham
Dialling made (almost too) easy
Practical method using a 24-hour equatorial template to transfer hour lines to arbitrary surfaces. Demonstrates template folding for latitude, a Cambridge horizontal example, spherical and heart-shaped scaphe dials, marking equinox/solstice lines and gives practical tips on template rigidity and common pitfalls.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Scaphe, How Sundials Work, Sundial Design & Layout
June 2003 page 58
Allan A. Mills
P. Stapleton
J. P. D. Hennessy
Sundials for the Blind
This article explores the concept of creating a sundial for the visually impaired. It reviews historical attempts, such as one by the 17th-century Jesuit priest Francis Hall, and discusses modern approaches that use the heat of the sun rather than visible light.
Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Unusual, Sundial Design & Layout
December 2003 page 144
John Singleton
Barrie Singleton
The Druid
An account of the conception and development of a helical sundial known as 'The Druid', highlighting the innovation of the 'Smart Shadow' and construction techniques.
Dials: Unusual, Sundial Design & Layout, DIY Sundial Projects
March 2002 page 32
Karen Deal Robinson
Karen's Hand Sundial: A 'Digital Universal Ring Dial'
Describes a simple sundial formed purely by the hands, giving approximate time and direction towards north.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Portable, Dials: Unusual
December 2002 page 141
Heiner Thiessen
Sunrise Dial
Description of an interactive, educational sundial model representing Earth and showing local apparent time, sunrise/sunset, solar declination, and more.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Equatorial, How Sundials Work
December 2002 page 155
Walter Hofmann
Ideas of an Amateur: Mounting a Style on a Wall
Practical notes and personal experiences regarding securely mounting a gnomon (style) on vertical walls, with attention to accuracy and materials.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Vertical
December 2002 page 170
John Carmichael
A 'Table Top' Analemmatic Sundial
Compact design for a small-scale analemmatic sundial suitable for indoor or portable use, with layout guidance.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Analemmatic
March 2001 page 32
Allan A. Mills
An Easily Made Horizontal Garden Sundial
Instructions for making a simple horizontal garden sundial using copying and laminating techniques. It offers a basic design computed for latitude 52.5°N, longitude zero, and explains how to adjust it for different locations by tilting.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Horizontal
June 2001 page 56
John Davis
A Pocket Gnomon Protractor
John Davis introduces his design for a flexible, wallet-sized gnomon protractor, aimed at overcoming difficulties in measuring gnomon angles on buttressed sundials. The device expands the scale for better precision within typical UK angles and can be photocopied by readers to create their own. He details its construction from laminated paper and auxiliary scales.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dialling Tools
June 2001 page 67
Mike Shaw
A Remote Reading Sundial Using Fibre Optics
Mike Shaw details his innovative two-component sundial system, comprising an equatorial collector in the garden and a remote display unit indoors, linked by fibre optics. Designed to overcome the need to go outside to read time and simplify the display, the article describes its construction, addressing material challenges and light-gathering techniques.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Unusual
June 2001 page 73
Sven Olof Larsson
A Stardial
The article presents the Stardial, an innovative device functioning as an equatorial sundial by day and a simplified astrolabe by night. Designed for simplicity, accuracy, and originality, it enables automatic conversion from local solar time to clock time and provides methods for precise time-telling using bright stars and even the moon.
Dials: Equatorial, Dials: Unusual, Dials: Astrolabe, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Nocturnals
June 2001 page 77
Michael Hickman
From Waugh to Weir: Easy Analemmatics
Michael Hickman introduces a non-mathematical method for designing analemmatic sundials using Weir's Azimuth Diagram. He explains how this navigational tool can be adapted to plot hour points and declination scales for dial design without complex trigonometry, making the process accessible to a broader audience.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Analemmatic, Mathematics of Dialling, Sundial Design & Layout
September 2001 page 127
Herbert Wright
A Timepiece That Can't Go Wrong
Originally published in "The Countryman" in 1948, this article describes a highly accurate horizontal sundial built by the author while interned in a Japanese camp in China. Constructed from scrap materials using improvised tools and limited references, this unique dial provided correct clock time with built-in Equation of Time correction, serving as the camp's only reliable timepiece.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Horizontal, Dials: Unusual, Equation of Time
September 2001 page 129
Maurice Kenn
Sundial or Garden Ornament
This article discusses an inexpensive armillary sundial widely advertised as "Classic Art For Your Garden" but designed for Latitude 38° N. It explains how to modify such a dial for correct use in the UK (approx. 52° N) by tilting its main body or by physically removing and reattaching elements, enabling it to indicate local solar time.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Equatorial
September 2001 page 130
John Singleton
A Horizontal Dial for the UK
This article presents the design for a horizontal sundial usable anywhere in the UK to show GMT, requiring only a slight tilt adjustment for specific latitudes. It employs a gnomon rod mounted at a 53-degree angle and concentric circles on the dial plate represent different longitudes. A formula for calculating hour lines is provided.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Horizontal, Mathematics of Dialling, Sundial Design & Layout
February 2000 page 20
David A. Young
A Remote Reading Sundial
Design and construction of an electronic equatorial sundial with phototransistors and LED display for remote indication of time.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Equatorial, Dials: Unusual
February 2000 page 51
John Singleton
A Horizontal Dial with Equation-of-Time Built In
Describes the construction and principle of a horizontal dial that incorporates the equation of time.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Horizontal, Equation of Time
June 2000 page 72
Margaret Stanier
Private Sundials
Reflects on unintentional yet personally meaningful shadow effects observed in architectural settings.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Unusual
June 2000 page 101
Andree Chotkiewicz
An Educational Heliochronometer
Describes a portable device that demonstrates the equation of time and solar motion for educational use.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Heliochronometer, Equation of Time
June 2000 page 103
John Singleton
A Portable Analemmatic Dial
Design and rationale for a moveable analemmatic sundial suitable for demonstration or travel.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Analemmatic
February 1999 page 9
Maurice Kenn
Astro-Compass or Heliochronometer
This article references the Gibbs Universal Heliochronometer, patented in 1906, and its presence at the 1998 BSS Conference. It suggests converting existing Astro-Compasses into heliochronometers by adding self-adhesive hour-labels, providing an affordable way to indicate local sun time with reasonable accuracy.
Dialling Tools, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Heliochronometer
February 1999 page 25
Allan A. Mills
Glass Sundials
This article introduces refractive sundials made from transparent solids like glass, specifically glass paperweight sundials for window sills. The nodus is an 'aperture' on the top of the paperweight, casting a spot on a dial card on the bottom, with a more compact pattern than in air.
Dials: Horizontal, Dials: Portable, Dials: Unusual, Sundial Design & Layout, DIY Sundial Projects
February 1999 page 37
Pat Briggs
The Sundial Clock
Describes a mechanical clock designed to display local solar time as well as Greenwich Mean Time. It uses two cranks to apply the Equation of Time correction, accurately accounting for the sun's uneven progress throughout the year, making it possible to read solar time even in overcast conditions.
Equation of Time, DIY Sundial Projects
June 1999 page 77
John Davis
Satellites and Sundials
This article explores the unexpected link between satellite dishes and sundials, including the use of knowledge of the sun's movement to align satellite dishes to satellites. It delves into the geometry of satellite dishes as a basis for sundial design and discusses practical details for using a satellite dish into a sundial, including gnomon options and microwave-transparent planar dial face materials.
DIY Sundial Projects, Mathematics of Dialling, Sundial Design & Layout
June 1999 page 98
Mike Cowham
Restoration of a Vertical East Declining Sundial
Details the restoration of the author's first vertical east declining sundial, originally made in 1986. It describes the process of stripping old paint, repainting, and redrawing the dial face with hour, equinox, and solstice lines. Challenges in transferring designs and painting fine lines are discussed, along with the decision to use black numerals for better contrast and adding a computer-drawn Equation of Time graph.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Vertical, Restoration projects, Sundial Design & Layout
October 1999 page 144
John Davis
A Lightweight Laser Trigon for Lay-out of Sundial Lines
This article describes the design and construction of a lightweight laser trigon for accurately laying out sundial lines. Inspired by difficulties with traditional string methods, the author developed a compact perspex instrument that uses a laser pointer to project declination and hour lines onto any dial surface. The design addresses issues of gnomon flexing and portability, and uniquely proposes linking the trigon's axes to trace analemmas mechanically, offering a universal tool for precise dial delineation.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dialling Tools
October 1999 page 146
John Ward
Margaret Folkard
Lasercut Sundials for Walls and Windows
This article describes a technique for rapidly producing vertical skeleton sundials from stainless steel using a 3.5-kilowatt laser cutter. Designs are created on a computer with specific location, wall orientation, and date lines. The method allows for intricate details, including owner's names and quotations. The technique can also create silhouette window sundials with sandblasted glass, and accurate analemma plates in stainless steel and brass, suitable for human-involvement analemmatic dials.
Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Vertical, Sundial Design & Layout
February 1998 page 3
Allan A. Mills
The Sellotape Sundial: A Modern Version of Wheatstone’s Polarization Dial of 1848
Explains a shadow-free sundial using sky polarization: a fan of Sellotape (cellophane) sectors is viewed with an analyser at the Brewster angle. The brightest sector (or equal adjacent sectors) indicates hours and half-hours, and the dial can work with the Sun behind cloud or after sunset.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Unusual
February 1998 page 28
John Pickard
A 19th Century Vernacular Horizontal Sundial from Outback Australia
Field note on a simple home-made vernacular horizontal dial from outback Australia, describing fabric, gnomon form and scale, with comments on accuracy of delineation and local use.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Horizontal, Historical Dials
February 1998 page 30
Michael Lowne
Reflecting Sundials
Describes novel non-shadow dials using reflectors. Parabolic and cylindrical forms generate bright caustic lines on a screen; hour indication follows motion of the cusp or inner edge. Includes formulae, constructional notes and an aperture version using a sundial curve.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Reflected, How Sundials Work, Mathematics of Dialling
June 1998 page 37
John Davis
A Test Table for Horizontal Dials
This article describes how to build a simple, portable test table for horizontal sundials using a photographic tripod. The table allows for fine adjustments to be made to test dials for different latitudes without needing to find a perfectly horizontal surface.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dialling Tools
October 1998 page 10
John Moir
Peter Ransom
The Newbury Meeting 20 June 1998
This report summarises the BSS Newbury meeting on the eve of the Summer Solstice. It covers talks on Hampshire sundials, raised horizontal dials, astro-compass conversions, and a sun compass. The event also featured an exhibition of various sundials and computer programs, highlighting members' ingenuity and the collaborative spirit of the society.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dialling Tools, Historical Dials, The BSS and Members
October 1998 page 27
A. F. Baigent
Gregory: The Gipsy Dial
This article describes the creation of "Gregory," a vertical direct south sundial designed specifically for young children and school use. Made from recycled metals, the dial features a gypsy face, with hair and eyebrows shaped to represent the equation of time. Its design aims to attract youngsters and serve as a teaching aid for time and longitude.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Vertical, Equation of Time, Sundial Design & Layout
July 1997 page 13
Edmundo G.A. Marianeshi
Nicola Severino
The Floating Gnomon
Describes the making of an unusual device for regulating watches following a design from 1895. It finds solar noon, by measuring the times the sun is at the same elevation just before and after noon, using a sighting mechanism floating in a can of water to ensure it is horizontal.
Dials: Unusual, Dialling Tools, DIY Sundial Projects
July 1997 page 18
G.N. Thorne
D.I.Y. Dialling Scales
Guide to producing printed dialling scales using spreadsheet calculations and desktop publishing, enabling accurate layout of sundials.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dialling Tools, Mathematics of Dialling
October 1997 page 21
John Singleton
Folded-H Polar Dial
This article introduces a one-piece polar dial that can be cut from metal or card and folded to form a square box. Its outer limbs serve as gnomons and legs, with one gnomon for before noon and another for after. The design ensures the dial is inclined at the angle of latitude, and it operates on the same principle as the portable polar dial, with considerations for GMT hour marks at different longitudes.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Polar, Dials: Portable
October 1997 page 31
Allan A. Mills
Diptych Sundial Cards
This article describes how to make adjustable diptych sundials from card, acting as a modern, lightweight version of antique portable diptych dials. It explains the principle of two hinged plates with a taut string gnomon, a built-in compass, and the "theorem of the sundial" for adjusting to various latitudes (40-50° N and 50-60° N) by tilting the entire instrument.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Portable, Sundial Design & Layout
October 1997 page 36
John Moir
An Origami Sun Calendar
This article describes how to create an origami sun calendar from a single sheet of card, which indicates the date rather than the time. It reverses the roles of the dial plate and gnomon, and the shadow of a cone's rim indicates the date on a central gnomon-like scale. The article provides the mathematical solution for its design and construction.
DIY Sundial Projects, Mathematics of Dialling
February 1996 page 9
Peter Lamont
Open Book and Conical Dials
An exploration of innovative sundial designs such as the Open Book and Conical types, combining mathematical precision with aesthetic appeal.
DIY Sundial Projects, How Sundials Work, Sundial Design & Layout
February 1996 page 28
A. F. Baigent
Mass Production Dials
A discussion on industrially manufactured sundials and their place in contemporary and historical contexts.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Horizontal, Sundial Design & Layout
October 1996 page 13
David M. Colchester
A Polarized Skylight Sundial
A description of constructing a sundial that uses the polarisation of skylight rather than shadows to tell time, explaining the optical principles, historical references, and potential applications.
Dials: Unusual, Sundial Design & Layout, DIY Sundial Projects
October 1996 page 52
Sundials the Easy Way
Describes a set of dialling scales produced by Lindisfarne Sundials (a version of the Serle Ruler) to allow the easy laying out of sundials without calculations or measurements of angles.
Sundial Design & Layout, Dialling Tools, DIY Sundial Projects
February 1994 page 22
Fred Sawyer
A Three-Point Sundial Construction
Provides a geometric technique to design a sundial based on three shadow measurements. Practical, educational, and includes construction guidance.
DIY Sundial Projects, Mathematics of Dialling
June 1994 page 37
Maurice Kenn
A Large Translucent Universal Equatorial Sundial
This article presents the design and construction of a large equatorial sundial made with translucent materials. The dial is universal, meaning it can be used at any latitude, and is designed to be both decorative and scientifically accurate. Its practical applications and display potential are discussed.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Equatorial
October 1994 page 18
Fred Sawyer
A Universal Nomographic Sundial
This article introduces a new sundial design that combines the simplicity of a Capuchin dial with the universality of a Regiomontanus dial through the use of nomograms. It explains the principles of subtraction and multiplication nomograms, demonstrating how they are integrated into the dial's coordinate system to calculate solar declination and latitude. The article details how to read the time by aligning a thread and bead, and notes its ability to show sunrise/sunset times and day length. The design aims for an acceptably accurate, universal dial that is easier to construct than other universal types.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dialling Tools, Mathematics of Dialling
October 1994 page 32
Girolamo Fantoni
Windows and Balconies as Simple Sundials
This article explores the concept of using shadows cast by window sills, jambs, and parapets on floors and walls as simple sundials. It explains the gnomonic principles involved, detailing how the moving "shadow straight line" can indicate the hour. The author provides formulas and diagrams for calculating the shadow's position based on latitude, window sill height and orientation (declination), solar altitude, and azimuth. It outlines the process of drawing date and hour lines, noting practical considerations like difficult-to-read periods for certain sill orientations, and suggests applications for terraces and balconies, or even for single hour lines with time-zone and Equation of Time corrections.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Unusual, Mathematics of Dialling, Sundial Design & Layout
June 1993 page 25
Fred Sawyer
A Qibla Line Construction
This article provides a graphical technique for constructing a qibla line on horizontal Arabic sundials, which indicates the prescribed direction of Mecca for Islamic prayer. It details the mathematical formula for determining the inhiraf angle and outlines a step-by-step construction procedure using a specific template. The article also notes the adaptability of this construction method for finding the azimuth of any other location.
DIY Sundial Projects, Mathematics of Dialling, Sundial Design & Layout
June 1993 page 28
Colin McVean
Laying Out a Vertical Declining Dial
This article explains the geometric method for laying out a vertical declining sundial, drawing from F.W. Cousin's book Sundials. It details how to determine the style base, style height, equinoctial line, and noon line using a series of right angles and specific angles for latitude and wall declination. The process is illustrated with an example of a vertical dial declining West 30° at Latitude 50°N.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Vertical, Mathematics of Dialling, Sundial Design & Layout
October 1993 page 13
Michael Hickman
Shepherds and Spreadsheets
This article explores using spreadsheet programs to design and create shepherds' dials, simplifying the complex calculations and plotting involved. It details the process of determining the sun's altitude using a mathematical formula and setting up a spreadsheet to generate the necessary data for plotting hour lines on a cylindrical dial, facilitating DIY dial construction.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dialling Tools, Dials: Cylindrical, Mathematics of Dialling
February 1992 page 19
H. R. Mills
The Azimuth Dial
This article describes the azimuth dial, a type of horizontal dial with a vertical style, derived from the equatorial dial formula. It explains that while a vertical style at the center of a horizontal circle cannot show time correctly throughout the year due to declination changes, projecting an equatorial circle onto a horizontal plane forms an ellipse for the hour lines. The article provides the formula for the shadow angle and suggests this as a useful project for understanding geometry and for practical marking in playgrounds or gardens.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Analemmatic, Dials: Equatorial, Dials: Horizontal, Mathematics of Dialling
June 1992 page 24
H. Christopher H. Armstead
The Phoeboscope
The phoeboscope is presented as a self-sufficient instrument combining time-keeping, meridian-finding, and calendrical functions by detecting solar declination. Designed during WWII as an improvement of the existing sun-compass, its adoption was frustratingly held up in bureaucracy until too late to be useful. It uses a lens to focus sunlight onto a shadow-plate engraved with an analemma, allowing accurate determination of time, meridian, and date anywhere in the world without a watch or almanac.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Heliochronometer, Dials: Unusual, Equation of Time
June 1992 page 37
Jane Walker
Make a Sundial
This article describes the development of the 'Make a Sundial' educational book by a British Sundial Society group, initiated in response to the National Curriculum requiring primary children to understand and construct sundials. The book, produced using desktop publishing, offers projects for constructing sundials from common materials, suitable for various educational levels.
How Sundials Work, Book Reviews, DIY Sundial Projects, The BSS and Members
October 1992 page 25
H. R. Mills
A Portable Polar Sundial
This article introduces a portable polar sundial design that overcomes the issue of an infinitely long dial face for extreme hour angles. It uses two end-styles, which cast shadows for forenoon and afternoon hours, respectively. The dial can be adjusted using a wedge to correct for the Equation of Time or longitude.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Polar, Equation of Time, How Sundials Work
February 1991 page 18
J. G. Freeman
A Latitude-Independent Sundial.
Introduces the concept and a model of a sundial designed to tell time without needing to be constructed or adjusted for the specific latitude of the observer. The design utilizes a gnomon with a curved edge and relies on determining the sun's position based on its declination, altitude, and azimuth. The article details the construction of the scales, noting that the model has accuracy limitations, particularly at certain times of day
Dials: Unusual, Mathematics of Dialling, DIY Sundial Projects
July 1991 page 5
James Richard
The Spherical Sundial as a Mean-Time Dial
Building on Peter Drinkwater's work, this article explores adapting a spherical sundial to indicate mean time for six months of the year, by offsetting the hour marks away from the equator. This is possible because the slanting terminator at different solar declinations, adjusted for corresponding equation of time, happen to fall very close to one of two circles (within 1.5 minutes). The author also discusses using surface texture, like paint brush marks, to significantly improve the dial's readability and precision.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Unusual, Equation of Time, Sundial Design & Layout
July 1991 page 14
J.G.T.M. Cabot
A Sundial for the Window Sill
This article presents a novel DIY sundial for a window sill, featuring a stationary reading point. The author explains the construction process: delineating a vertical sundial as if for exterior mounting, then rotating it 180 degrees about the horizontal axis perpendicular to the window. Read the time by watching the shadows of the hour lines pass a stationary reading point 'nodus' on a horizontal surface. Mirroring the hour figures allows them to be read legibly.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Unusual, Dials: Vertical, Sundial Design & Layout
July 1991 page 25
Linda Lack - A School Girl Diallist
This article celebrates Linda Lack, an 18-year-old schoolgirl who, advised by S.W. Amos, successfully designed and constructed a horizontal sundial and its pedestal. Her impressive enthusiasm and craftsmanship in engraving, turning the pedestal on a lathe, and mounting the assembly are highlighted as an outstanding achievement for a young person, showcasing positive engagement with materials and science.
Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects
October 1991 page 29
H. R. Mills
Letters to the Editor
This section includes correspondence from H.R. Mills, who details his homemade "heliochronometer" sundial based on the Gibbs and Pilkington type. He also discusses A.P. Herbert's "Housewife's Trick," warning against adjusting sundials by twisting them in azimuth to correct for BST, as this introduces variable time errors.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Heliochronometer, Equation of Time
October 1991 page 33
Maurice Kenn
Sundials can be simple and legible
Maurice Kern describes his simple, legible sundial made from commonplace materials, featuring a translucent semi-cylindrical dial and a conventional gnomon. Designed for readability from multiple angles, it indicates solar time and can be adjusted for local mean time or summer time using the Equation of Time, highlighting a frustration with complex and indistinct conventional dials.
Dials: Equatorial, Dials: Unusual, Sundial Design & Layout, DIY Sundial Projects
June 1990 page 29
Alan Smith
A Double Analemmatic Noon Mark
This article describes the empirical method used to construct a double analemmatic noon mark on a south-facing, east-declining wall. Over a year, the author meticulously plotted sunspot positions at noon to permanently engrave the overlapping analemmas, illustrating the dedication required for direct solar observation.
Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Analemmatic, Sundial Design & Layout
October 1990 page 28
Making a Start - Vertical Sundial
This guide provides step-by-step instructions for beginners to construct a south-facing vertical sundial using basic geometry. It covers drawing hour lines at 15° intervals and determining gnomon placement, encouraging readers to transfer their design to a permanent plate and understand the difference between local solar time and clock time.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Vertical, Sundial Design & Layout
November 1989 page 24
George R. Higgs
Cut-out Model of Digges Sundial Designed.
A diagram and instructions for assembling a paper model.
Dials: Multi Faced, DIY Sundial Projects
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