Amateur astronomers also deal with polar alignment when they have to
set up an equitorial mount. This is usually done with a low power
finder scope (6 to 8 power). If you can attach a finder scope to the
sundial, this would be much better than trying to align by eye.
Some finder scopes just have crosshairs so you have to know the
offset of Polaris from the pole, but some finder scopes have special
reticles and adjustments so you can dial in the date and time to
compensate for the specific position of Polaris with respect to the pole.
Here's a description of the Meade polar alignment finder
#814 Polar Alignment Finder: Meade LXD 650 and LXD 750 equatorial mounts
have provision in their polar axes for the addition of the #814 Polar
Alignment Finder, a borescope device that facilitates quick, precise polar
alignment of the telescopes. The reticle internal to the Finder contains an
etched clock-like scale, the separate Polar Reference Circle, included,
shows the correct position of the North Star (Polaris) on the Finder's
reticle scale at any time and day of the year.
The AAVSO (American Association of Variable Star Observers) in Cambridge,
Mass., USA, used to have a nice star chart of the area close to the pole that
showed the path of the pole near Polaris. You could easily see the change with
time, and I use that chart when I polar align my 8" equitorial telescope.
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