A Sundial That Fits a Colonial House. 
New Jersey 
THE SUNDIAL HAS LONG BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE GARDEN, AND FORMS AN APPROPRIATE FEATURE AND 
CENTRE OF INTEREST. HERE’S A WORKING SCHEME FOR MAKING ONE 
B ^’ I HE time we who have gardens 
are enjoying the fact that they 
have grown and are in full bloom, 
and all the planting is about over, 
we begin to look around and wish we had had 
the foresight to have added such other equip- 
ments as help to set it off properly — things 
appertaining to the garden yet not actually 
of the garden. 
Most of us would be glad to put in a bird- 
bath, gazing globe or sundial but it some- 
times happens that the thing we actually 
seem to need is not easdy procured in the 
read 3 ’-made ornaments, and so we either 
have to do without or build our own. Many 
a person has tried to copy the designs they 
have seen but find that thej^ are too intricate 
or call for skill and tools that the ordinary' 
person does not have. Therefore I say if 
3 'ou want the ornate go out and buj^ it, but 
on the other hand, I solved mj' own problem 
by designing a sundial of simple construction 
and one in which there were only' straight 
lines and found it to be in keeping yvith my 
colonial house. 
In the first place, before building, one 
must look about and study his ground, keep- 
ing in mind the fact that a sundial must 
have sun not on one side but on at least three 
in this latitude: that is that the space selected 
must have the early morning sun from the 
east, the southern sun about mid-day and the 
afternoon sun from the west. 
Having selected the location it is well to 
plan it in a path or better in a turn m a path 
so as to have a real setting of floyver beds on 
each side. 
In the actual yvork of making the sundial, 
begin by having a good deep foundation so 
that the yvinter frosts yvill not heave it up 
and put the column 
out of plumb. To 
do this the foundation 
must go down about 
three feet in the lati- 
tude of New ^ ork. 
A hole should be 
dug therefore three 
feet deep and about 
five feet in diameter. 
Fill this in yvith clean 
stones large and small 
until it is about two 
and a half feet full of 
stones. These should 
be tamped and 
rammed doyvn firmly'. 
W hen this is done 
mi.x up a good quant- 
ity of cement mortar 
using sharp building sand and any good cement 
in the proportions of four parts sand and one of 
cement, l lws should be mixed and turned 
in a dry" stall until the mixture is of an even 
color, d hen add water until the mixture will 
run freelj' from a pail. Now pour this over 
the stones so that it runs into all the crevices 
and fills the entire mass sufficiently' to cover 
the stones evenly. 
W hat is to be the centre of the sundial 
should be marked and an iron rod or even 
an old broom stick driven in at this centre, 
so that it yvill stand about thirty six inches 
above tbe stone level, and the yvhole foundation 
yvith this stick projecting allowed to “set” so 
that the stick will be absolutely’ plumb. 1 he 
cement will set in about two days. 
W hile this is setting there will be time 
to make the frames for the sundial. The 
first one should be the box for the pillar. 
The easiest and most pleasing shape I have 
found to be a hexagonal one, as it is simpje to 
construct and have regular. Noyv cut a 
si.x-inch board so as to have six pieces forty- 
four inches long and six inches yvide. The 
long edges of these should be beveled so as 
to form angles of 6o° and they should be fitted 
together so as to form a holloyv hexagonal 
box. The sides can be nailed together yvith 
brads. When finished the opposite points 
should be tyvelve inches apart and if the board 
you use is one inch thick the inside should 
measure a little less than ten inches. 
W hen this is completed and the foundation 
is set place this box over the upright stick 
being sure that it is exactly in the centre and 
brace the box securely by braces on four 
or more sides, being careful to have the 
flat sides so that they yvill face the yvay 
you yvant the finished pillar. 
Noyv mix more cement of a richer quality 
(yvith the proportions of three parts of sand 
to one part of cement) and pour it in the top, 
tamping it doyvn thoroughly’ so as to drive 
out any air bubbles and let this stand until 
it is thoroughly set. 
The next thing to prepare is the sides 
for the finished base. A hexagonal base yvith 
sides tyvo feet long is a eood size and the frame 
is easily constructed by cutting six boards 
six inches yvide and two feet long and bevel- 
ing the ends the same as the sides of the up- 
’>18 
right yvere made, namely, yvith angles of 6o°. 
Set this frame parallel yvith the sides of 
the upright and carefully brace it across 
the top so as to keep its shape and then 
carefully remove the box from the pillar. 
Do not yvorry if there are a feyv air holes in 
the pillar or if some of the corners are 
chipped as this can be easily filled in after- 
yvard. 
Brace the baseboards as yvell at the bottom 
as at the top and mix a cement of three parts 
sand and one of cement and fill in level yvith 
the top of the boards. I his yvill run up 
about six inches on the pillar and yvhen the 
top is yvell troyveled and smooth it yvill set 
and the yvhole base and pillar yvill be one 
solid piece of concrete. 
After this is thoroughly set knock off the 
frame and fill in any unevenesses yvith the 
same mixture of concrete as yvas used 
before. 
To finish the sundial nicely a cap of some 
sort is necessary and the easiest yvay is to 
cut a one and one half-inch board the exact 
size of the top and bind it yvith fitted strips of 
one inch by two inch yvood. In order to 
fasten this securely drill a hole about one 
inch in diameter and tyvo inches deep in 
the top of the pillar in the centre and plug 
It yvith yvood. Then put a long screyv through 
the top into the plug. Sandpaper the yvood, 
fill the cracks yvith putty and paint it, at least 
three coats of a good outside yvhite paint. 
This top should be absolutely level all yvays 
and all that remains is to purchase the dial 
and set it according to directions yvhich are 
furnished yvith it. 
The materials needed for the construction 
besides the dial plate proper, are as follows: 
three boards 12 ft. x 6 in. x i in.; three bags 
of cement, about two 
barrels of sand; odd 
pieces of yvood for 
bracing; paint; yvood 
for the top; one 
large screyv; brads, 
and nails — ten dol- 
lars — exclusive o f 
labor. 
.•\s to the actual 
dial: this can be pur- 
chased in any one of 
a great variety of 
styles, and forms; and 
a choice of materials 
is offered too. Slate, 
brass, bronze, and 
cast stone are appro- 
priate. -At all events 
it seems most fitting 
to have this in a permanent material that will 
acquire age grandly. 
Sometimes it may be desirable to have color 
introduced yvith concrete yvork, and this can 
be done very easilys although, so far as the 
simple sundial in a simple garden is con- 
cerned, the natural gray color of the concrete 
itself seems most appropriate. I hese colors are 
specially made and are procurable from dealers 
in mason’s materials. In use they are put 
into the mixture yvhen mixing and replace an 
equal volume of sand — that is to say, the con- 
crete color is not added to the normal mixture, 
but is used in the place of sand — more or less 
according to the depth of tone desired. In this 
yvay different parts of the yvork may be given 
different colors or tones. 
The Sundial was made to fit the lines of the colonial house. Full working directions are given in the accompanying article 
