I am sure I could not agree more. Further discussion of the natural world as a guide will involve my use of the term woody and it might make some of the more genteel minds uncomfortable. Of what material will this construction be made? I have a longer term idea of concrete with imbedded metal?
I was thinking of cement or plaster, with embedded pieces of colored glass. It will be 100% weatherproof, and will literally stand the test of time, (in both ways)...
White cement for pools or mortar might be good options. I have watched many planters made with mortar upon a sand form, cut like a potters wheel would be used except a form is fashioned as a scraper. I bought some 12" lazy susan bearing for the turntables some months ago, a project that awaits me yet. The use of foam for cutting out allows for intricate molds, so save the packaging from Christmas if any. Matching molds can be glued together with modern adhesives, encapsulating glass. Also pvc is available that can be cut like wood and therefore even a stained glass window could be fashioned for the (insert name here) solar indicator part.
Youtube taught me about this link. Sundial calculator. There are quite a few actually. https://blocklayer.com/sundialeng.aspx
Just wait till I reinstall all my software, (I have experienced a hard drive crash). No worries as I had back up all my data. But reinstalling everything back into the new hard drive, (and configuring it all the way I like it). Is going to take a while...
The highest point in this photo of the arc of the sun is the summer solstice, the lowest point in the middle is (also today) the winter solstice. This exposure was taken at an observatory over 8.5 years. It makes me think of a flat shape where the shadow length would also indicate seasonality as well as solar time. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/someone-took-eight-year-photo-exposure-beer-can-180976552/ On the flat shape, the longest shadows would be in winter, so the indicators would be further away, summer numbers closest to the gnomon. It took some reading on my part to realize the picture above shows the bending of a dial necessary to make up or calibrate for the time of day relative to seasonal change. Which of the designs already do this? Is this the equatorial design?
Saw this just now and thought very French like but more gentle.. example..when we first arrived here the Doctors were on strike..the government wanted to change the way they were being paid...Caused them real concerns....So they stood their ground and won the day...As citizens though it gets very confusing as the rules are followed by some areas and not by others...I just received a health summons which somewhere along the system has messed up my payments ..Taken advice from our young neighbours ..census of opinion.. as less than 50 Euros..pay now and try and claim back as they will double the fine in 8 days...haha as we say jokingly..Living the French Dream...
I've only one, which I need to do for about the third time in fifteen years. It's the replacement of these decorative panels. This pergola I built at the request of my wife, over thirty years ago. It was a safety measure, as I'd just built our five foot deep koi pool. She was concerned that with her MS she'd otherwise be apprehensive about walking down to the bottom of the garden, in case she fell in. Two weeks after I'd built it, I came home from work to find her on the rockery on the other side of the pool a couple of feet away from the water, "just doing a bit of pruning." Anyway, I've made these panels using exterior grade plywood with a jigsaw. The problem is the quality of wood these last couple of decades. The bonding of the plywood layers is poor and the action of the jigsaw blade disturbs the laminations, so however carefully you fill and paint them, eventually, water gets in and rots them in a few places. I'm going to have to make them of solid wood. The similar panels in the veranda hand rails of our tea-house I made from roofing ply in 1987, which due to the far better quality of wood in those days are still in perfect condition, photo from last year, I'd just repainted it all.
Very nice Doghouse Riley I can see you take great care of your Garden and the Wisteria looks beautiful. I am hoping the pod I got from my daughters french holiday home is a Wisteria, now about 2 metres long and yet to show its leaves this year..if not it will be a trumpet type shrub I can only recall it grew like a Wisteria's habit and took the pod after it has already flowered. Time will tell. I am going to plant my potatoes now. Glad I have got the veggie in a weed free state..will not last of course, but I have been very through this time...By the time the weeds come fighting back they will have to contend with the Bushy Potatoes and whatever else I decide upon..Good luck with the DIY.
Photo taken from our last UK garden.The workshop was built with and up and over garage door because space was limited. The simple style gate just showing as a DIY idea along with the front garden we planted from scratch and loved it..the bench was made from driftwood from Bexhill Beach and shop purchased posts used for the supports legs..concreted in the ground, because everywhere it was sloped, it would been have difficult to keep it upright...the stream we built was another good idea, lined with pvc liner with rocks and a top pond and base pond with a pump to keep the flow going nicely. One more if I can find the photo... Husband made a bench for our garden and then made them for Charity at Barbie Keel's Animal Sanctuary,we use to do voluntary work there and lucky to have had 1st refusal of our present Tom Cat Saber. The Boss around here...
Really want a sundial.of some kind.. when we lived in Bexhill on Sea our last UK home the beach was a stones throw away..I guess though the name of the town kind of gives it away...we walked the beach every day and along the front parade was a beautiful Sundial.... https://www.google.com/search?q=bexhill+beach+sundial&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=JjjfTToZ0jgQVM%2Clxd4bo2p38K8EM%2C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kR64jpkTsIMu1-zmqkbTguZ5U5Ikw&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiDw7fJg7DvAhWo3eAKHdLKBIsQ9QF6BAgMEAE#imgrc=JjjfTToZ0jgQVM and don't miss the one at nearby Herstmonceux Castle info is in the first link...
I've just added to my list. I'm going to jet-wash the patios and path in the back garden. I've been using "Wet n' Forget" for a couple of years, but now some areas are beyond that, also some of the pointing between the crazy York stone slabs needs attention. The jet-wash is likely to disturb more of it. A path connects the two patios past the shed and then continues down to our tea-house, and along the front of it. So there's quite a bit that will need attention, though some of it is OK. This is always a pain, I've not done it for a few years, as I have to get the mortar to match the stone. I like it to blend in with the paving as far as possible. Red builder's sand is no use.. So I need a bag of silver sand. I'll go to Travis Perkins tomorrow. I've ordered some yellow cement dye on e-bay (the local Travis Perkins don't stock it) as well as some SBR bonding agent. It'll be a fairly big job and I need to pick some days when the weather's likely to be reasonable.
