Colin Thorne's - Portable Ring Sundial by Craynerd

[raynerd]

Well over a year ago, in fact probably a couple of years ago I had been shown some plans for Colin Thorne's Portable Ring Sundial while visiting Stew. He has nicely put together a spreadsheet showing the calculations to generate the graph and has passed this on to me. I`ve fancied it for a while and when I ordered my latest clock book (Gearless Clock) and materials, I ordered a copy of the plans. It always did look a simple build, the problem is an accurate graph needed engraving on a piece of brass 20mm wide and I don`t have a steady enough hand. I spoke to my mate at school who is an Art teacher and he said he had a hand engraver for something he does on wood but he hadn`t ever done metal but was willing to have a go. I left it with him and it came back yesterday!!

So I have done everything with the metal but I take no credit for the engraving!

Top section is my initials CR and the latitude:


Graph is on the bottom section:



He couldn`t help doing something on the normally blank back! I like it a lot!


Removed the layout black and gave it a polish:



Then started to bend it around a former:


Got stuck because I couldn`t bend it, posted a message here on madmodder and after taking advice given, primarly annealing all was well  


Silver soldered the two ends together. I`m still a bit messy with my silver solder, I think I still put a little too much on but I`m getting better.


Layed out for the top hanging bracket:




 

And that is a far as a I got this evening, here is a dry pose!



I think it is going to work quite well. I need to give it a really good polish up and then start to assemble the parts!

Chris

[Brass_Machine]

Hiya Chris...

Looking good so far. I like this a lot. Where did you get the plans for it?

Eric

[mhh]

Really nice! I would love to have the plans!

[Stilldrillin]

That's lovely Chris! 

Well done, so far. It's going to be a cutie.... 

David D

[Chuck in E. TN]

Plans are available here:

http://www.clockmaking-brass.co.uk/portable_ring_sundial.htm

An explanation of how they work, and another version is here:

http://leewm.freeshell.org/origami/ringdial.pdf

I would like to build the second one, myself.

Chuck in E. TN

[andyf]

Fascinating, Chris. Chuck's link to Colin Thorne's plans shows a simple ring with no gnomon, so it's hard to see how it works. Future episodes of your build will reveal all, no doubt.

I do admire your optimism in making a sundial when, like me, you live near Manchester. 

Andy

[DMIOM]

......I do admire your optimism in making a sundial when, like me, you live near Manchester. 

Andy

Methinks that's why Chris has made a portable sundial so he can take it to sunnier climes! 

Dave

[Chuck in E. TN]

I just spent an hour making the paper example in my previous reply, looked up my latitude on
Google, and can't get it to work. Probably not holding my mouth right! There's more to this than meets the eye. I'll be watching this thread closely. Dang! More stuff to make...
 
Chuck in E. TN

[DaveH]

Chris,

Looking good.

A sun dial in England
Chris I admire your  optimism

 

DaveH

[raynerd]

Just a quick reply as I`ve had a few  so probably won`t make much sense.

Thanks for the interest - yes, I made it more for concept rather than use 

DMIOM - Dave,

Methinks that's why Chris has made a portable sundial so he can take it to sunnier climes!

  Yes, but I think the name is a bit deceptive, it is only portable as long as I stick to 53 deg North in my latitude!!! Not so portable in my opinion.

In very simple terms, there is a hole to be drilled at a specific location on the side and the sun shines through the hole and lights up the graph relative to the time....in theory! Hopefully will post more soon.

Chris

[andyf]

..... it is only portable as long as I stick to 53 deg North in my latitude!!! Not so portable in my opinion.

The latitude is a bit restrictive, Chris, but (allowing half a degree either way) take it with if you visit Minsk, Petropavlosk, Tolyatti or Samara in Russia, in case your watch ends up in someone else's pocket.
Likewise, Liverpool 

Andy.
 

[DMIOM]

....... Likewise, Liverpool  
Andy.

OT - at least in Liverpool there's more chance of seeing the sun!   I say that from experience - When I went from the Isle of Man to Liverpool to do my first degree, the weather wasn't too bad, but I then went to UMIST to do my Masters and was somewhat unhappy when it rained some part of each of the first 26 days that I was there!

Back on topic - once you've got this one working Chris, then let loose  

How about, for mk II : instead of a hole, mill a slit covering a reasonable range of lattitude. Then, make a profiled slider to run as a clasp on the main ring, with just the hole, and with a suitable scale/pointer arrangement - so you just elevate or depress the hole to match your current lattitude? (if the holes at different lattitudes aren't aren't on the same circumferential, then make the slit follow the locus of those holes and make the slider with just a cross-slit).

Dave

[raynerd]

Very apt that on the sunniest day of the year, perhaps even of the last few years, glorious sun and blue sky without a cloud in the sky all day long, I finished my sundial.....well near enough to test it out.

I first drilled and tapped the ring for the hanger


It is held by two little cheese head 10BA screws:


I soldered up the little ring holding stub on the top. I must admit, it went pretty dirty looking....I need some citric acid for pickling asap.


After a little polishing, more needed, it looks good. I don`t know if my friend knew the position of the gnomon hole but it fits perfectly below the engraving!




The following photo is well out of focus but it shows how clear the "sun spot" appears on the scale!



And here it is working, it was getting late so the sun wasn`t at its best still very clear to read:


The date is July 3 - therefore we are in Cancer which is the very first column. The time relates to around 6:15pm.


The time was 7:15pm and the dial was reading about 6:15pm ....I really really presume this is OK, but in my opinion that is correct as we are currently in british summer time, hence an hour in front of GMT. I`m very impressed with it!

Needs some elbow grease now to polish it up and then a chain!

Chris

[DaveH]

Chris,

Well I have to say I am impressed, looks very good - really smart.

You have done a good job there - well done. 
 
DaveH

[sbwhart]

Good job that man 

The time was 7:15pm and the dial was reading about 6:15pm ....I really really presume this is OK, but in my opinion that is correct as we are currently in british summer time, hence an hour in front of GMT. I`m very impressed with it!

Don't forget British summer time they put the clocks forward 1 hr but they can't put the sun forward.

 


I think thats a very good result

Stew

[Stilldrillin]

Yesterday, Herself remarked our garden sundial was "an hour slow"....... I don't think she understood my explanation. 

Made me think of your project Chris. 

What a beautiful outcome! You must be proud of that..... 

David D

[raynerd]

Thanks chaps and a big thanks to Stew for introducing me to the sun dial and also providing me with the spreadsheet he had made. I`ll give it a good polish and put it on a hanger and then  take some final pics soon.

All the best
Chris

[spuddevans]

Looks really good Chris  


Tim

[srm_92000]

 
Nice work Chris
Now you don't need to make your clock
 

Or - now you've got the knack, try one of these instead -
 

Franck Muller Aeternitas Mega 4NR (From 2008 catalogue)
 
Cheers,
Steve.