Sundials in Durable Color

[John Carmichael]

Hello all,   I'd like to share with you what I have learned about making long-lasting sundial faces in color or black and white. After extensive investigation on how to make the faces for my Sundial Cupola tower, I have found out the following:   1. The only colored materials that last longer than 100 years are these (not necessarily in this order): a. stained glass b. kiln-fired ceramics c. baked porcelain enamels   2. The shortest lasting materials (< 10 or 15 years): a. paints b. adhesive vinyls (like on most signs) c. acrylics   3. Powercoating is a poor option since it is almost impossible to apply two or more colors.   4. Anodized aluminum is ok and lasts a very long time, but the colors and texture are not as nice as porcelain.   4. No sundial makers that I can find offer porcelain sundials for sale.   Here are my comments:   It's a shame that no dials are being made with porcelain.  After all, old clock faces were usually made from porcelain and they've lasted hundreds of years. In the old days, a (usually white) background was baked onto a metal sheet.  Then the artwork was painted on by hand (called an "overglaze") and the piece was fired again.  There are still artists that offer custom hand painted porcelain.  But there exists a new computerized photographic process that allows you to overglaze with an exact copy of a drawing or photograph.  It's a wonderful process, and much cheaper and more exact than the hand-painted ones.  And it's not too expensive!   My cupola sundial faces will be made with this photographic technique.  These four round 21" (53cm) faces will have my DeltaCad/Photoshop drawings (in pdf files) baked onto a white porcelain background on a 14 gauge sheet of stainless steel.  These will go into copper frames.  I was quoted a very good price of only $175.00 for each face (this doesn't include the cost of the steel sheet).   If the first sample comes out nicely, I hope to add porcelain dials to my product line of sundials.  Then I can offer sundials in full durable color!  (By the way, to attach the triangular copper sheet gnomons to the face, I will cut to slots in the steel before the porcelain is fired on.  Two flaps on the bottom of the gnomon will go through the slots on the steel sheet to be bolted to an angle iron that's attached the back side.)    Some of you may want to consider using porcelain covered steel for your next sundial project.  The name of the company who is doing the work is: Photo-Tech Inc. at http://www.phototech.websbest.com/   So far, they are the only ones I've found that do this technique.   John   John L. Carmichael Sundial Sculptures 925 E. Foothills Dr. Tucson AZ 85718-4716 USA Tel: 520-6961709 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]   Websites: Sundial Sculptures: http://www.sundialsculptures.com Stained Glass Sundials: http://www.stainedglasssundials.com