At first glance it may seem that this thing has no practical application, but it is not. With the help of a weather vane, you can determine the movement of the wind in relation to the cardinal points, you can even determine how fast the wind is moving.
General description of the item
Of course, today there are more specialized instruments to determine the speed and direction of the wind. Therefore, in our time, the weather vane has acquired a greater decorative value. It is considered an excellent decoration for the roof of a building, for example. It does a great job of scaring away birds from the roof of the house. In ancient times, they even believed that this thing is a talisman that protects housing from evil spirits. In any case, making a weather vane with your own hands today is quite a feasible task. Initially, these items were made only from wood. However, a wide variety of source materials are now used.
Weather vane with propeller
As mentioned earlier, there are now many specialized devices for determining the strength and direction of the wind. However, having made such a thing,like a weather vane with a DIY propeller, you can get the most accurate instrument that does not need a power source and works 24 hours a day.
In order to assemble such a thing on your own, you will need certain tools: a welding machine, an oil-type level, a tape measure, a grinder, a drill, sandpaper, a jigsaw, a drawing paper, a pencil. Before starting work, you need to make sure that all of the listed tools are at hand. If there are no skills and abilities to work with welding, then you will have to call for help from knowledgeable people.
Material use
In order to assemble a weather vane with your own hands, you need to have certain skills.
The first and easiest material is wood. With its use, few people have difficulty, since it can be processed quite simply. In order to make a windmill, you need to purchase good wood, which has high hydrophobic properties. Also, the material must belong to the group of waterproof. However, this does not negate the fact that you still have to impregnate the wood with protective agents from harmful insects and moisture. Naturally, low strength and short service life stand out from the minuses here.
You can use steel to make your own weather vane. The material is characterized by high strength, high resistance to any mechanical stress. Most often, a weather vane is made of black or stainless metal. If stainless steel is used, which has high corrosion protection, then its lifeservice will be almost eternal. When using ordinary metal, you will have to periodically cover it with a protective compound (paint) to extend its service life.
Copper would be a great choice. The metal is characterized by sufficient strength so as not to deform under the influence of wind. Cutting or sawing sheet copper is a fairly simple task. A significant plus lies in the fact that you can connect copper elements to each other without problems using soldering. The raw material is excellently resistant to corrosion and does not require special care. It is also possible to apply silver as a coating.
Additional materials
Some people use plastic or plywood.
Plastic today has become quite widespread, largely due to the fact that it has sufficient strength, as well as resistance to ultraviolet radiation. In addition, processing plastic is quite simple by any method. Also, if this material overheats or, conversely, freezes, it still will not lose its qualities.
As for making a do-it-yourself weather vane from plywood, multilayer waterproof material is most often used here. However, the service life is rather short. Even covering the fixture with several layers of paint will not save. Most often, the operation of a plywood weather vane, even for just 1 year, is considered good luck.
What does a weather vane consist of
Because this thing is installed onthe roof of the house, from where it is clearly visible, then the requirements for appearance are significantly increased. Since the device of the weather vane is quite simple, you can show maximum imagination when creating it.
- The first is, of course, the body. Most often, this element is made of an inch-section steel pipe. Here it is worth noting that it is allowed to replace the steel material with brass.
- The second element is the supporting rod. This part is inserted directly into the body. This element is a conventional steel reinforcement without notches. A windmill will be attached to it. For this reason, it is recommended to take reinforcement with a cross section of at least 9 mm.
- The next element is a wind vane. If you look at different photos of the weather vane with your own hands, you will notice that they all have a common detail, which is rotary and indicates the direction of the wind. This is the flute. Also, this element is considered to be the one that sets the theme for the entire product.
Additional parts
- Bearings. Naturally, to ensure the free rotation of any part, it is necessary to have bearings. In this case, elements with an inner diameter of 9 mm are used.
- Fasteners. There is no consensus here. It all depends on the chosen method of attachment. Corners, self-tapping screws, bolts, rivets, etc. can be used.
- The last detail is the propeller. This detail is the one by which the wind speed is determined. The rotation frequency corresponds to the wind speed. As a material forproduction is used plywood, tin, wood, plastic. A good choice would be to use the steel cooler that comes with your computer.
How to make a weather vane with your own hands
It's worth starting with the manufacture of all the components. It should be noted that there are no specific sizes, all dimensions are considered approximate and generally accepted.
The length of the wind vane is most often from 70 to 80 cm. The width (or height) is about 40 cm. Next comes the body or stand. The dimensions of the steel pipe used here are most often in the range of 12 to 16 cm. The pipe itself is usually three inches. A steel rod (reinforcement) with a cross section of 10 mm is used as an axis. The length of the product is approximately half a meter. For the manufacture of the simplest propeller, 4 steel rods with a cross section of 6 mm are used, and their length is 18-20 cm. It is worth noting that if a weather vane is made on the roof with your own hands for a country house, then the dimensions are usually slightly reduced.
Workflow
The whole work process is divided into several steps.
The first step is sawing off a piece of steel or brass pipe measuring 120 mm. Next, holes are drilled that will be used to attach the corners. For fixing the corners, either rivets or bolts are used. To carry out this process, you will have to cut the threads in the holes.
The second step is to install bearings at both ends of the pipe. You can fix them inside if you use welding or the pressing process. There is another way calledthermal. The pipe must be heated, and then the bearing must be inserted into it. When the product cools down, the pipe will tightly wrap around the part. After finishing the fasteners, you need to grease well with grease.
The next step is to work on the body. Its upper part is closed with a cap. As this element, either a brass or plastic part is used. To get a tight connection, it is best to wind an insulating or plumbing tape. The final touch is the placement of a felt seal between the cap and the body.
Final stage
To complete the manufacture of a weather vane with your own hands from metal, you need to do a few more steps.
Production of a wind vane. In order not to be mistaken at this stage, it is best to make a drawing on paper. After that, using carbon paper, the drawing is transferred to the material from which it will be made. This is followed by tap cutting and grinding of the part. Here it is worth noting that the weather vane should be proportional to the size of the building on which it will be installed. Most often, the length is from 400 to 600 mm, and the height is from 200 to 400 mm.
After the figure is completely ready, you can start fixing it. It is attached to the bearing rod, which was taken as reinforcement. Here you can use both welding and bolts, clamps and more. Next, it is worth painting or varnishing the entire product.
The final touch is the installation of the propeller. It can be mounted either on a wind vane or on a carrier rod. It all depends on whatmodel was chosen from the start. Bolted connection is considered the best option for fastening. The propeller is bolted between two washers.
Making a metal weather vane on the roof with your own hands after that can be considered finished.
