Sundials in stock are ON SALE. In stock are mostly designed for the San Francisco Ba
Sundials in stock are ON SALE. In stock are mostly designed for the San Francisco Ba
The Bling Your Style Dial suggests two different layouts with the option of adding all kinds of additional features and embellishments to make a customized sundial. You can add what you like ala carte for your sundial, or you can purchase a preconfigured package of features that we've selected for each layout.
While the following choices and options are formatted to build upon the basic Bling Your Style Dial, the options shown really apply to any personalized sundial. So, if there is a feature you like but want a more bespoke sundial to fit your location, aesthetics, and interests, it can usually be incorporated. Contact us first so we can help make sure that all the aspects work in harmony with your vision.
While the range of hours and symmetry of the hour lines is determined by your location and the direction the dial faces, you can choose whether your dial is only showing the time, or you would like the dial to trace the path of the sun every day from the Winter Solstice to the Summer Solstice. Those are the top and bottom curved lines on the Basic Dial photo shown. The dial is 24 inches wide by 16 inches high, with an inch border rim all around the dial.
Shows hour lines and half-hour lines. The Solstice and Equinox day-lines are shown over as many hours as the dial size allows. The hour lines are a little closer to get more hour lines and Solstice day-line coverage on the dial. Up to 30 characters text in one location is included.
Shows hour lines and half-hour lines. The Solstice and Equinox lines are omitted, the hour lines are brought closer together in the dial face with the inner termination forming a pleasing circular arc, and the outer terminations at the edge of the dial. If allowed by the other options selected, the gnomon may be made somewhat longer than in the Basic Style for better prominence in marking the hours. Up to 30 characters text in one location is included.
The addition of lines at every 15 and 45 minutes past the hour works best for the clock style, where more room exists, but is still possible on the Basic Style. Dashed or dotted lines are used to distinguish hour, half-hour, and quarter-hour lines.
Dates of special importance can be commemorated with a unique day-line on the sundial and a call-out of the date. Multiple dates are possible. This option is advised only for the Basic Style.
One of the hours on the sundial (for the Basic Style) can have an analemma drawn to show how the time correction appears on the same scale as the hour lines.
Select which you would like, limited typefaces available. Other numbering systems are possible. Dual numbering an extra $15
Select which you would like your sundial to read. True solar time is noon= 12:00. Standard or DST is based on the center of your time zone, so there can be as much as an hour difference. (Some countries 4 hours!) Your Equation of Time correction will be based on what you select here.
If you did not select True Solar Time above, your Noon (the sun exactly South in the Northern hemisphere) will not be at 12:00. Adding a Noon mark allows you to know when true Noon is.
If you can reach your sundial twice a year, having magnetic, rearrangeable numbers on your dial lets you change the hours for the time change. Eliminate having to add an hour to your sundial reading for half the year! A parking place for the unused number will be provided on the dial.
Gnomons (the dial item projecting out from the dial face and casting the shadow) can take many forms. The basic gnomon is a triangle of metal attached to the dial face, where the edge casting the straight line of shadow is called a style, and the point of the triangle pointing to the specific day-line is called a nodus. Other gnomons offer other shadow effects, light effects, nodus effects, or can just be more decorative.
This is the standard gnomon for the basic and clock-style sundials. As stated above, if possible, for the clock-style option within the constraints of other choices selected, we will provide a longer gnomon for better hour presentation. Important to note is that the time is read at the edge of the shadow on the dial face.
Reading the hour with a narrow shadow over the hour and minute lines is often more intuitive for those accustomed to reading clocks. This option substitutes a metal rod of 1/4 inch in diameter for the triangle gnomon. Depending on the dial latitude, an additional support may be required on the dial face to avoid sagging and to maintain accuracy. The time is read here by the position of the middle of the rod's shadow.
Similar to the above, but the rod is lengthened somewhat, and at the position used to mark the day-lines, a sphere is installed, of approximately 1/2 inch in diameter.
Like the rod gnomon above, but larger in diameter and made of day-glow pink, neon green, or blue acrylic. The shadow is unaffected, other than being wider, but the color is striking in the sun.
Furniture is the term used for any additional information on the sundial face beyond the lines for the hours. This can be simple: Latitude and Longitude of the dial or the location city. Mottos are traditional for sundials as well. Additional data or graphs are often included to increase the utility of the sundial as a scientific instrument. Placement of these items is somewhat constrained by the sundial design, but room can be created by reducing the hours covered or the size of the gnomon. Make it a personalized sundial!
A dedication date, latitude and longitude, or name. First item of 30 characters is included in the Basic and Clock-style layouts.
A motto or quotation that would be meaningful, or some other item.
A helpful link to some sundial mottos: List of sundial mottos - Wikipedia
Overlaid on top of the hour lines, lines showing the remaining hours of sunlight can be drawn. Not recommended for the clock-style layout. Based on theoretical horizon, not what your actual one may be.
A correction factor to add to the sundial's time reading is necessary to match the clock time shown on your watch or cell phone. This factor comes from the elliptical orbit of the Earth around the Sun and the tilt of the Earth's axis from the orbital plane. This factor varies over the course of the year. The data can be provided in different ways, if desired
A correction factor to add to the sundial's time reading is necessary to match clock time. This factor comes from the elliptical orbit of the Earth around the Sun and the tilt of the Earth's axis from the orbital plane, plus an offset from your distance from the center of your time zone. This factor varies over the course of the year. This factor will account for the type of time you selected to be read but will not provide the Daylight Savings Time change of an hour.
As above, but the correction factor is provided for the 1st of each month in tabular form
The same data of correction factor versus solar declination can be presented in the form of the analemma, with months shown
It's understandable that with all the choices in sundial features someone could get lost and worry that adding all of these together will make an unreadable tangle on the dial. That's why we've created two packages of features that balance function, ease of use, and personal expression.
Starting with the Basic Style layout (see above for description), the following items are added:
Analemma Form of the Equation of Time
Text line showing Latitude and Longitude
Text item of up to 50 characters (your selection of a motto)
Noon Mark (unless True Solar Time was selected)
Extra Day Line (Einstein's, Newton's, or your birthday, for instance)
Ball Nodus on Rod Gnomon
Standard Numerals
Starting with the Clock Style layout (see above for description), the following items are added:
15-minute lines
Text line stating the type of time (Solar, Standard, Daylight Savings)
Text item of up to 50 characters (your selection of a motto)
Roman Numerals
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.