Bronze, Stone, Stainless Steel or nothing?

 Of the  millions of dials that were ever made, those made of stone or bronze are the ones that survived to the present. consequently sundials have become synonymous with permanence or timelessness. Most new dials are made of indestructible materials but don't tell time, they're just ornaments.

Commissioning  a working dial made of stone or metal nowadays means taking out a loan or selling an arm or leg on the black market.    

My challenge has been to make a working dial that will survive the elements for a reasonable length of time (30 or 40 years). It should also be appropriate for a wood frame house as well as a brick house, or even for a fence or barn, and still be affordable.

 I've made the challenge a bit more complicated by not using exotic woods from a third-world rain forest, wood treated with dangerous chemicals, or use finishes that will oxidize and stain walls over time. 

I have settled on three alternatives: the first is a synthetic board that has the look and feel of wood.  The material is a cellular PVC, It was developed for the building trades as a zero maintenance exterior trim, it's warranted for 25 years not to cup or split and has UV blocker blended in. The second is a  locally grown Red Oak with a premium grade transparent stain and the third is western Red Cedar. All three  will last a life time with a little care.

Attaching hardware is included along with mounting instructions. The final mounting will be your responsibility.  Also included are instructions for reading the dial and information about the equation of time and the analemma.

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