Gardeners love to talk about the weather and many keep journals from year to year of the weather in their area, including how much rain they have received. This easy-to-make rain gauge can help determine when rainfall needs to be supplemented with watering and can also measure water from overhead sprinklers to help make sure you've watered your garden sufficiently.

Siting the gauge is essential to ensure that the measurements are accurate. The collection jar must be at least 1' off the ground to ensure that no water splashes into the gauge, yet low enough to minimize the effects of wind on measurements. In addition, it should be located away from structures or trees and be set level with a level to be perfectly calibrated.

An accurate rain gauge requires a cylindrical "collector" with at least a three inch wide opening - and cylindrical floral vases work perfectly for this. For this project, four dowels set into the top of a post hold the collecting jar in place and allow it to be easily removed and emptied. By simple gluing a stainless steel ruler to the cylinder's side, measurements are easy to read.

Materials:

One 4"x4" cedar post, 3' long
Four 9 ½" long pieces of 3/8" hardwood doweling
Exterior wood glue
Glass jar, 9" tall and 3" in diameter
6" stainless steel ruler
5-minute outdoor epoxy
Steel wool or coarse sandpaper

Tools:

Miter saw with finish blade
Drill
3/8" brad point drill bit
Tape measure
Level
Pencil

Directions:

1. Cut cedar post to size. Mark positions for dowels by centering jar on top of post, placing a dowel perpendicularly against edge of jar at corner, and tracing dowel with pencil. Mark all four dowel locations. These dowels will hold cylinder in place and allow it to be removed for emptying.

2. Using 3/8" brad point bit, drill out holes for all four dowels, about each 2" deep and perpendicular to top of post. Clean out sawdust from holes, put in several drops of wood glue, and insert a 9 ½" length of dowel into each hole. Ensure the dowels are perpendicular before the glue dries.

3. Thoroughly clean glass jar. Roughen back surface of stainless steel ruler with steel wool or sandpaper, to increase adhesion of epoxy. Mix epoxy following manufacturer's directions and apply to back side of ruler. Affix ruler to wall of cylinder so that zero point is lined up with bottom of cylinder and ruler runs straight up side of cylinder, perpendicular to cylinder's base.

4. Per instructions above, select appropriate site, dig hole, and set cedar post into ground, after the glue holding the dowels has dried.

5. After epoxy dries, place jar on top of post between the dowels. Wait for rain.