October, 19 lo 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



397 



6 o'clock line at angles corresponding to those of IIII and 

 V o'clock. The afternoon hours being marked, it is a 

 simple matter to lay out the morning hours at corresponding 

 angles. x\s from the left-hand side of the gnomon it is the 

 edge of the shadow which marks the time, and not the 

 end of the shadow, the shape of the dial does not matter, 

 provided the hour lines radiate from the center of the dial 

 face at the correct angle. 



Figure 2 shows a circular dial face with the point O 

 placed considerably below the center of the circle. The 

 hour angles, however, are the same as those in Figure i, 

 and hence a dial of this shape would be as correct as the 

 first dial, if placed in the same locality. If it be desired to 



Once this bounding line has been found, it is a simple 

 matter to lay out the half and quarter hours, and even the 

 minutes, by subdividing each space into halves, quarters, 

 etc. 



The amateur who wishes to make his own sun dial will 

 perhaps gain some valuable hints from the accompanying 

 photographs of garden sun dials. The simplest of these, 

 but by no means the least attractive, consists of a circular 

 plate at the top of a vine-covered mound, with a very plain 

 gnomon mounted on it. By the use of concrete, a very 

 elaborate pedestal for the sun dial may be made. Stove 

 pipe is commonly used by amateurs as a mold for casting 

 columns. If the amateur is careful to remove the mold. 







£■ a 















E X n a 



,_ 



m 



\\\\ 



-f r M- 



irr/ 



M 



_...--'R 



nr 



\^ 



W>^ 









^^■^y^ 



' \>-^ 





r 



-y^ 



\^ 



nr 





m. 



/ 



\ 



M 





s at I 



Fig. 1 — Dial layout 



Fig. 2 — Circular dial face 



Fig. 3 — Leaf-shaped dial face 



mark the half hours, it will not do to place a line midway 

 between XII and I, I and II, etc., but the half-hour marks 

 must be found as were the hour marks by dividing the arc 

 AFG into twelve equal parts and extending lines through 

 the points thus found to their intersection with the line AH. 

 In a similar way, quarter hours may be marked off by re- 

 ferring back to the arc AFG. 



In order to avoid this complication, and at the same 

 time to provide a unique design, the leaf-shaped dial face 

 shown in Figure 3 may be used. The hour angles in this 

 dial face are the same as those in Figures i and 2, but the 

 bounding line of the dial face has been so chosen that the 

 distance from 12 to i, i to 2, etc., is the same for the entire 

 dial. 



at the time when the concrete is hard enough to retain its 

 shape and yet comparatively soft, he may carve the surface 

 of the concrete. Stencils may be used to advantage, if it is 

 desired to repeat a design. 



Perhaps the chief charm of the sun dial lies in the quaint 

 motto carved on the dial face. There have been many pub- 

 lications on sun dials containing various mottoes and 

 legends, from which the amateur may make his own selec- 

 tion. While the face of the dial, and the gnomon as well, 

 may be made of concrete, a much better effect may be se- 

 cured by making the face of sheet copper in which the hour 

 numbers as well as the motto, may be etched with acid. The 

 gnomon may also be of scroll form, cast at small expense, 

 from a wooden pattern, prepared at home. 



