|
Subject: Mixing medias for sundials
Hello all:
When I found out that it was possible to bake a
sundial design onto porcelain, I told a client in Kansas City about it.
She loved the idea of a durable sundial in full color for her garden. (It
will be a circular 34" declining wall dial.)
I was going to put it in a round metal clock frame,
like the type used for large outdoor clocks, but she had a better idea.
She wanted a border around it of stained glass. It turns out that is easy
to do. Since the porcelain face is baked on a sheet of stainless steel,
and since the sheet's thickness is almost the same as stained glass, the metal
sheet can be treated as if it's stained glass. I'll simply put zinc or
lead "H" came around the metal sheet. Then it's easy to attach the glass
to that came. This is a great way to combine both medias.
Similarly, a client in the Carribean (Bonaire) is
making a large mosaic sundial. But he dreads having to cut and inlay the
little mosaic tiles for the Equation of Time graph. As a solution, I
suggested that he have the EOT graph painted and fired onto a single ceramic
tile. Then he would inlay the tile into the mosaic design.
You could mix other medias as well such
as stones or beads inlayed into a metal or stone face.
To see my colored design mockup for the Kansas
City Dial click here: http://Advanceassociates.com/Sundials/Stained_Glass/PorcelainDial.html
thanks
John
p.s. For my cupola sundials, I've had horrible luck
in finding large round metal frames for the porcelain dial faces. I've
checked picture frame shops, window manufacturers, and even mirror and porthole
supliers. Nobody sells large round metal frames. You can find wood
ones, but not metal. I really wanted to use the large round clock frames
that are on outdoor clocks, but it turns out that you can not purchase just the
frames. You have to buy the clock with the frame, remove the clock and
throw it away! All those clocks are made in China. to see examples, click
here: http://www2.yardiac.com/show_category.asp?tgs=13721019:7765015&cart_id=2244100:547607201337&category=1446
So I'm investigating the possibility of
custom-making them by stamping sheet metal. It might be too expensive though, I
don't know. I might have to buy the chinese clocks and throw the clocks
away!
|
