Directions for Making a Sundial
- 1). Cut out an 8-inch square of cardboard. This will form the base of the sundial.
- 2). Locate your latitude on a map of your country.
- 3). Cut out a triangle from one corner of a piece of cardboard to form the gnomon, or vertical piece of the sundial. To do this, measure 6 inches across the cardboard's bottom edge from the bottom-left corner, then place your protractor at that point and measure an angle equal to your latitude from the bottom edge. Draw a line at this angle from the 6-inch marking to the left side of the cardboard, then cut along this line.
- 4). Draw a line on the base of your sundial parallel to, but 1 inch away from, one of its sides. Measure and mark the center point of this line. This line will be the sundial's 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. line.
- 5). Draw a line perpendicular to the first line, starting at the center point marking and continuing to the opposite edge, forming a large "T." This will be the sundial's noon line.
- 6). Turn the base so that the noon line is horizontal, then use your protractor to draw five lines, all emanating from the point at which it connects with the original line, to the edges of the base between the noon and original lines. The lines, measured from the noon line, should be at a 9.4-degree, 19.6-degree, 31.6-degree, 46.8-degree and 66.5-degree angle (for the 11:00, 10:00, 9:00, 8:00 and 7:00 lines respectively). Rotate the base 180 degrees and repeat the process with the same angles for the 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00 and 5:00 lines, making them symmetrical with the first five.
- 7). Label the lines along the edges of the sundial, starting at 6:00 a.m. and proceeding clockwise.
- 8). Apply glue to the 6-inch long side of the gnomon, line it up with the noon line so that the shorter end terminates at the center point of the original line. Press it into place, and allow the glue to dry.
- 9). Place the sundial on a flat, outdoor surface that is as level as possible.
- 10
Use a compass to point the noon line of the compass directly north.
