Circular paver driveway

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Hey Don, since you took that welding class, could there be a stainless steel sun dial in order?

 

[txdon]

So I trust that you're aligning to True North, not magnetic?? :wink:

.

Yes it is true north. The iPhone gives either and I chose the true reading after moving the phone in a circular "8" motion as directed. I double checked with compass reading on the land survey and it is accurate.

Kyle, a sundial would be a nice addition but it will have to go inside the circle of the circle drive. The trees are on the north side of the circle so it could work. Do you have a particular kind in mind? I took a beginners welding class and we did not have stainless steel so another material will have to be used or maybe I could find one.

 

[forgeblast]

David Brown Sundials: Sundial Making and Letter Cutting
paver stone sundial.

 

[smalltown]

txdon I have been following your entire project with much interest and of course the greatest admiration of not only the physical labor involved, but the quality product. Your latest photos of the circle really peaked my attention.
View attachment 288125

I have a project in my mind of constructing a stone/rock wishing well. I was hoping to cast a number of pieces to form a circle to cap the stone work and saw your great work. I am trying to do what you did, but on a much smaller scale.

Your forms appear to be oiled, bent plywood with stakes to hold the forms, and a couple of clamps. My forms would need the addition of a bottom.
Is there any special cement mix you use or is it something I could buy at Home Depot?
Also any hints on how you get it smoothed out they really do look professional.

 

[txdon]

txdon I have been following your entire project with much interest and of course the greatest admiration of not only the physical labor involved, but the quality product. Your latest photos of the circle really peaked my attention.
View attachment 288125

I have a project in my mind of constructing a stone/rock wishing well. I was hoping to cast a number of pieces to form a circle to cap the stone work and saw your great work. I am trying to do what you did, but on a much smaller scale.

Your forms appear to be oiled, bent plywood with stakes to hold the forms, and a couple of clamps. My forms would need the addition of a bottom.
Is there any special cement mix you use or is it something I could buy at Home Depot?
Also any hints on how you get it smoothed out they really do look professional.

Smalltown, The forms are four 20' sections of 1/8" metal 6" wide with cut metal purlins welding on every 4'. The clamps hold the two 20' sections together at the seam. The resulting 40 feet of framed curbing will use 40 - 80 pound bags ready mix. I bought a pallet at a time (42 bags) and was able to set-up where I could mix and pour 40 bags in 2 hours. The picture below shows the set-up.

The gray cart to the far right (you can only see the top edge) is where I would cut 2 bags in half and set them in it open side up. I would the pour the 4 bags (now 40 pound bags) into the red electric mixer I got from Home Depot. I turn on the mixer and spray water in as it is mixing to the right consistency and then dump it into the yellow wheelbarrow.

From there I would pour it into the curbing frame where my wife would be holding a plywood backstop to prevent overflow at the pour area.

I would return to cut two more bags etc.... while my wife would tap the side of the curbing and poke the middle with a piece of rebar to make sure there were no air bubbles in the poured cement.

After about 16 bags I would go and smooth it with a hand float. At the end I would use an edging tool to round off the top edge.

40 feet of curbing complete!

Repeat 17 times.

The prep time of leveling the frames and setting the rebar took a few days on each 40' pour.

I rough leveled the white rock with the tractor and then with a 2X4 screed board. I then Compacted with a plate compactor, added sand, washed it in, and compacted again. I then toped it off with about an inch of corse sand and leveled it for the right slope matching the top of the curbing leaving enough space the thickness of the paver. Then I was ready to set pavers.
_________________________
OK, now to the wishing well. Actually that is my next project down by my spring pond.

During the drought I dug down to the spring, cleaned it out, set in the bottom half of the culvert. I then bought a 3' piece of culvert (not in picture) to add to the top clamped piece and will make a wishing well. The water has cleared up and the culvert is full and I can see the bottom 5'. I was thinking of using rock and mortar around the culvert but your idea of a cement form using plywood or fiberboard is also a possibility. It looks like you will be the first so please keep me advised on how you do it and what it looks like.

Another way to do it is to stack rocks on the outside edge, inside the form, and pour cement on the inside of the form After a day take off the framing then clean the rocks facing the outside.

If you are planing on pouring one block or 6" layer at a time, that would also work. Make sure you put some support wire or metal in the cement for strength if it is a longer pour.

If you are just pouring the top edge what is the diameter and will you be pouring it in a half or quarter circle pieces, or one piece?
(Your attachment does not work please try again)

Don

 

[txdon]

David Brown Sundials: Sundial Making and Letter Cutting
paver stone sundial.

forgeblast, Thanks for the link. I did not have a clue on how to make the compass rose a human sundial also, now I know! I am curious to see if my shadow is true North at noon. All I will need to do is engrave some special pavers with numbers 1-12 about mid center circle and the figure where to put the month standing pavers for the coordinates in central Texas. Any idea where that would be or how it is figured?

 

[forgeblast]

I will search around. We took our little one to a community garden where they had one and it was really something.
NASS
this link (sorry im posting and searching) shows a variety of TX sundials.
Hila Sundial Calculator
Videos supporting workshops and programs from Hila Science Camp
Large driveway, patio or garden sundial

Horizontal Sundial Shadow Angle Calculator
(Horizontal sundial calculator) seemed very detailed
Sundial : How to make your own Cut Out Paper Vertical Sundial

But the real break through in finding the right site came when I came across the search term for "sunclock".
If you really prefer to do all your own calculations, and you are
also confident using 'trigonometry' - then two main equations
which you will need to use for this, would be as shown below:

together with 'SUNCLOCKS', (or HUMAN SUNDIALS) - Calculating your own Layout Plans, for these UNIQUE features shows the equation (TRIG)


However, you would still require to set-out the correct elliptical
shape and size for your own specific layout (which depends on
geographic latitude, in the world) - in addition to also finding a
very accurate North/South direction, at your intended location.


If you want any Human Sundial to indicate correct 'clock' time,
it will be necessary to include other factors in the calculations
to allow for geographic longitude, plus 'Daylight-Saving' Time

'SUNCLOCKS', (or HUMAN SUNDIALS) - Customized Layout Plans, for creating your own UNIQUE feature they are saying for 60.00 US they can give you a customized plan.
Somers Eagle Scout Tracks Hours With Sun Clock | The Somers Daily Voice is an eagle scout project that used their plans
I hoped this helps, I really am impressed by your paverstone project!

 

[smalltown]

txdon thanks for the reply. I have been collecting rocks in my yard for the last two summers as I attempt to smooth out the yard. I have amassed a good number. All different sizes and shapes.
Never having worked with rock before I thought that after building the wall row by row with motar I might try to copy your center circle pouring technique, and pour small sections to use as the final cap stones around the top.

Something like this although not with nice stones as pictured, but rather my random collection of sizes, shapes, and type. Since it's not going to be functional I don't need to worry about the inside face of the well.

Still undecided how to best attach the roof to the base. Some place the timbers inside the circle, others outside, and in this picture I am not sure.


I've got a good size rock lurking in the ground so rather than try to remove it I thought why not try to pour cement around and build on top of it.
I am hoping such an attachment would help as I am in a zone where the frost goes down 4' below the surface.

The picture I tried to attach was one of your own showing the circular design apparently in the middle of your turnaround area.


I am imagining the well to be about 4' to 5' across. All outside work for the season is over up here. So I've got all winter to come up with a final design. Maybe then people will finally stop asking "what's with all the rocks in the back yard"!

 

[txdon]

On the place to stand: December 21 is the farthest and June 21 is the closest to the numbers. I will see where my shadow falls tomorrow. My mind is spinning on how to do it with the existing compass rose or make a separate human sundial. There is one section on the west side of the compass rose not yet paved and it is in the sun all the time. It's been a long time since I was in Trig. Since my projects seem to take forever, I probably have enough time to figure it the old fashion way: stick a stake in the ground each month.

 

[txdon]

txdon thanks for the reply. I have been collecting rocks in my yard for the last two summers as I attempt to smooth out the yard. I have amassed a good number. All different sizes and shapes.
Never having worked with rock before I thought that after building the wall row by row with motar I might try to copy your center circle pouring technique, and pour small sections to use as the final cap stones around the top.

OK I got it, random rocks. I had random rocks and made a keyhole garden. The pictures below show how the exposed rock with no mortar would look. The top edge is river rock. (I'm redoing it this winter adding mortar.)

The braces for the top of your wishing well should be incorporated into the wall. (or at the least, inside). The hard part will be forming a good round circle that small with the framing material. I tried with fiber board and it was kind of tear shaped. Place dividers into 4ths or 8th when you pour so you can lift them. You could even leave a space for a 4x4 in the middle of two of the cap pieces.