Other Projects in the Garden
|
A direct south reclining dial. The Shadow Garden is in Coconut Grove, Florida, at latitude 25.7° N., a bit more than two degrees north of the Tropic of Cancer. In the summer, the sun here approaches the zenith at mid-day. I wanted a south facing dial that included the curves for both solstices. A vertical dial would have to be very high (and ungainly) to accommodate the summer solstice curve, so I reclined the dial so the curves would fall in a more manageable pattern. Unfortunately, these indications have faded so as to be barely visible in the photograph. The dial is on plywood. The face was realized with masking tape, stencils, and spray paint. The gnomon is aluminum.  An equatorial dial. It consists of a single face. The numerals "3" and "9" are on cartouches. On the equinoxes, the entire dial is reversed on its mount (and in this case relocated), and the two numerals are exchanged. It is made from a plastic table top. The hour lines are 3M "Long Last" masking tape, the numerals ordinary stick-on plastic. The "rete" and other decorations were hand painted.  Things (perhaps) to ComeNone of these dials will be made with the Laser Trigon. On the left is a supporting easel for a declining-reclining dial. I hope to use the oversize pencil (on top of the easel) as a gnomon. In the center, a pyramid that might serve as framework for a four face polyhedral dial. If I do make this dial I will not orient the pyramid to the the cardinal points, or to the vertical. It will sit in a "random" orientation, and no face will mirror another.  At the right rear are two pieces of aluminum which are the raw materials for a large octagonal horizontal dial. This dial will be more traditional. I plan to make the face with the technique used to make vinyl signs. I will create a computer drawing which will then be cut from vinyl with the special plotter used by signmakers. The vinyl will then be applied to the aluminum. Since all the hard work will be in the drawing itself, I plan to make the face quite detailed, perhaps using more than one color vinyl.  top of the Shadow Garden Pages. Twig's Digs.
|