DIY airplane weather vane made of wood

Tools and materials for manufacturing

Since our meteorological instrument has to constantly resist the influence of the environment, sometimes very aggressive, it must be made of appropriate materials, otherwise it will not last long. Often weather vanes are made of wood (even plywood) and sheet iron . Copper is rarely chosen , although this particular metal is more suitable than others.
A wooden weather vane treated with a protective compound will last for several years. The steel analogue lasts for several decades, subject to periodic tinting, which is not always possible, but the copper product is practically eternal. Copper sheet is the easiest to process, and there are no problems with decorating it.

Recently, weather vanes have begun to be made of plastic. The material is easy to process - no complex tools are needed. However, if the product is suitable for the roof of a country house, then it will not look good on a large luxurious house; expensive materials will be required. The following tools will be needed:

metal scissors;
saw;
hacksaw;
file;
Bulgarian;
sandpaper;
drill;
pencil;
ruler.

Features and dimensions of the design

There are two main points in the design of a weather vane . This means the following:

The axis-rod, which is a kind of fastening element, is installed strictly vertically and attached to the roof of the house.
A flag with a counterweight is mounted on the rod. The force of the wind presses on the flag, and the horizontal part of the weather vane rotates around its axis.

On each side of the axis there must be parts of equal weight, which is the most difficult thing in the entire manufacturing process.
Design features include additional elements. For example, a propeller, because many are attracted by the idea of how to make a weather vane with a propeller with their own hands. The more intense the propeller rotates, the greater the wind force - everything is simple and clear. There may also be a vertically mounted plate that is secured so as to remain free. In this case, the plate should swing in one plane. It also gives an idea of the strength of the wind - the greater the deviation of the angle from the vertical, the stronger the wind.

There are no restrictions in terms of shape and design - as long as the design fulfills its functions. The same applies to sizes. True, experts advise making a product 40-50 cm wide and 70-80 cm long. This is the best option for small buildings. When the weather vane is installed on the roof of the gazebo, the dimensions may be smaller.

Airplane on the roof: an original weather vane in our own design

Wind direction and speed can be determined in different ways. For example, by making an airplane weather vane with your own hands. A mock-up of an aircraft with a length of 500 mm and a wingspan of 300 mm is preliminarily designed and manufactured.

Please note. The material for the aircraft should be light: foam plastic, plywood, etc. This will allow the aircraft to rotate freely on the axis of the rod.

A weather vane with a pole is attached to areas unprotected from the wind. Or installed on the roof. Two supports are taken or made with a hole in the middle of 5 mm: from wood, wire, metal plates, etc. The brackets are placed among themselves so that there is a gap of 20 cm between them. A rod is passed through the holes drilled in the support-brackets. It can be a thin tube, iron or wooden rod.

A nail (piece of wire) is attached to the top point of the rod. An airplane is strung on it - a toy model. The plane is at a slight angle to the axis. When wind occurs, the flow blows onto the wing, the aircraft with the rod rises to a certain height, which will be identical to the wind speed. If desired, you can install a graduated scale. Then, when the device rises up, you can read the approximate wind speed.

To decorate your yard with an original weather vane, you need to be smart, use your imagination, put your hands to work, and then it will become the exclusive calling card of your yard.

Stages of product production

First of all, decide on the design of the device, and then draw up a drawing that will show absolutely all the details. Next, the algorithm of actions is as follows:

Make a vertical support from rebar, pipe or other metal rod. The length is 125 mm and the diameter is 13 mm.
In the upper part, use a die to cut a thread for fastening the horizontal part of the product.
At the bottom, install a bearing that will allow the weather vane to turn around the axis. It is important that dirt and water do not get into the bearing. To do this, put a cap made of a metal sheet on it (some people make a cap from a plastic bottle cap).
The decorative element is fastened using four plates installed at the bottom, welded to a metal axis on one side. On the other side, holes are made for self-tapping screws, with which the weather vane is attached to the roofing material.

Since a weather vane with a propeller is a dynamic design, it is not installed on tall buildings, since it will not be visible how much the propeller rotates.

The main part - the “airplane” - is cut out of iron sheet, plywood or plastic. The propeller is made exclusively of metal. The blades of the rotating element are located at a slight angle relative to each other. You can make a propeller from galvanized sheet iron using metal scissors. A hole is made in the center of the blank strip for the fastening element, then the edges of the strip are turned slightly in different directions. There are two options for attaching a propeller to an aircraft:

If the weather vane is made of plywood, the propeller can be attached with self-tapping screws to its end part. The fastener is not screwed all the way to allow rotation.
A small pin is attached to the nose of a metal airplane by welding or soldering, at the end of which there should be a thread into which a nut and washer are screwed. This is how we get both the fastener and the limiter. The pin can be without a thread, but with a cap, but this option is suitable if the propeller is already on.

Assembly and installation of a weather vane

First we decide on the installation location. It is considered good when the symmetry of the roof structure is not disturbed due to the weather vane. So, if there are pipes on the roof, it is better to attach the device to them. If there are no pipes, attach the weather vane to the ridge. To install the product on the ridge, you only need two strips (fastening elements), which are located exactly at the angle of the slopes. Assembly procedure on site:

The main part of the pipe is mounted. It is attached to the ridge using long screws. It is important to attach not to the roofing material, but to the sheathing.
A bearing is installed inside the pipe.
An axle with a protective cap previously placed on it is inserted from above.
The bearing is secured at the bottom of the pipe with a nut and washer.

The inner diameter of the pipe is determined by the outer diameter of the bearing. Since the weather vane is located in the open air, every time it rains it will be exposed to water. In this regard, it is recommended to lubricate the metal structure with grease after painting the product. From time to time you need to tighten the threaded connections, lubricate the bearing, and so on. All parts and components must have a large margin of safety, especially the fastenings, because the weather vane is subject to serious wind loads, and precipitation adds problems.

How to make a turning mechanism

In order for the weather vane to perform its actions, it must be movably fixed. And so that at the slightest wind it turns. To do this, the “body” of the weather vane itself is attached to a rod, and the lower part to the roof or chimney (if a weather vane is made, a chimney cap with a weather vane). These two parts are connected movably - using bearings or other similar connections.

Using a ball

You can find any bearing and weld two parts of the “holder” to it. You can make a turning mechanism without a bearing, but with a ball of a suitable size or cone.

Vane device and rotating mechanism

To make a rotary vane mechanism, you will need two metal pipes of different diameters or a pin of a smaller diameter and a pipe of a larger one. Moreover, they must be selected so that one fits into the other with a minimum gap (2-3 mm).

The weather vane body is attached/welded to the wider pipe. Moreover, it is necessary to make sure that the upper part of the pipe is sealed. The lower tube or pin is used to attach the cardinal direction indicator. This is what is attached to the roof. Its upper part should also be welded or sealed.

To make it a little clearer

If you don’t have a welding machine, you can use wooden plugs - they are driven tightly into the pipe. For reliability, you can lubricate the walls with universal glue. But this option - with wooden plugs - cannot last too long. Frequent turns will wear away the wood, so after a while the rotating mechanism of the weather vane will have to be restored.

One of the metal weather vanes

When assembling the weather vane, a ball from the bearing is placed on the installed pin, and the weather vane body with a welded pipe is placed on top. For smoother rotation, you can add oil to the mechanism. After this, you can consider that you have already made a weather vane with your own hands. True, you still need to secure it, and this is far from easy to do - working at heights with a heavy and bulky product in your hands is quite a challenge.

With a machined cone

If you can’t find a ball of the right size, but you know a lathe or you can work with metal, you can grind a cone that will replace the ball.

Rotating mechanism for weather vane with cylinder

The weather vane assembly diagram itself remains the same: we attach the body to the upper pipe, and fix the lower one on a pole, roof ridge, etc.

DIY airplane weather vane

From a practical point of view, a weather vane is not a mandatory attribute of the yard. Meteorological measurements can be carried out using modern instruments. Most often, a weather vane is made by hand to decorate the roof of a building and as a tribute to national tradition. Simple windmills for children are made from scrap materials, decorating the yard or garden with them. More complex structures are made of metal or wood. They are attached to the chimney or simply fixed on the roof. The most popular model of windmill is the airplane.

Children's windmill airplane made from PET bottles

If a windmill is needed only as a children's toy, you can make it with your own hands from plastic bottles together with your child. When choosing a figure, it is better to choose an airplane. To make it you will need a 2 or 1.5 liter PET bottle, a wooden block, cardboard and a cutting tool.

The aircraft is manufactured in the following order:

For the body of a homemade windmill you will need 1 bottle. If you make a propeller from the bottom, you will need to take another container. They are washed from labels and dried.
Cut out a long rectangle with rounded corners from thick cardboard. These will be the wings. The propeller can also be made from cardboard by simply placing it on the neck of the bottle, but it will not rotate well in the wind. It is better to cut this part from the bottom of the second bottle, as the photo shows.
Using a stationery knife, make two slits along the body of the bottle along the width of the wings. The prepared cardboard rectangle is inserted into the slots, and a small cockpit window is cut out above them.
Holding it with pliers, heat the nail red-hot over a fire and burn a hole in the center of the plug and plastic propeller. Next, these two parts are connected to each other, but with a cold nail. It is necessary to check that the propeller rotates freely around its axis.
Similarly, burn a through hole in the neck. Through it, a weather vane is nailed to the end of a wooden block, which acts as a stand, and the lid with the propeller is screwed on.
The body is decorated with colored stickers or you can decorate it yourself with acrylic paints.

In the cockpit of a finished aircraft, you can seat a pilot from a small children's toy, as shown in this photo. Now all that remains is to attach the weather vane to the high mast and admire the airplane you made with your own hands.

In this video you can see the making of an airplane weather vane from PET bottles:

Empty plastic bottles: use as intended

Four empty plastic containers can become material for making a simple weather vane. You will also need a cutting knife, a metal rod, and a pole used as the axis of the structure. We start making a weather vane from plastic bottles... by collecting empty containers.

Bottles are cut differently. For two of them, the upper part (with the stopper) is cut off for further use, almost half the length of the container. The bottoms are also not thrown away, but are used together with two others, cut off from the remaining two bottles. The result is two cut “tops” and four bottoms the height of a 200-gram glass.

On each of the four containers, using a sharp knife at an angle of about 45 degrees at the cut line, make one cut along the oblique in the form of a hangnail. This is a kind of fastener to which the weather vane parts will cling with the same burr. With the upper parts of the bottles, prepared in advance, proceed as follows:

the plug of one of them is unscrewed;
in the center of it, using a knife or a hot rod, a hole is made - a groove for the axis on which the entire structure will be supported;
a plug with a hole is screwed onto the neck.
the other “top” remains without a lid.

The weather vane is assembled in the following sequence. First, the two tops are joined using cut surfaces with pre-cut grooves. Like a nesting doll, they are connected to each other by easily screwing one into the other. They attach the resulting “body” with oblique cuts at the junction of the bottom. They should be located around the volumetric body in one direction.

A rod, branch, metal rod - anything that can be used as an axis - is threaded through the bottom hole of the bottle. The top limiter will be the bottle cap, into the hole of which the axis of the weather vane will fit tightly. The structure is ready. Can be installed in a convenient place. When the wind blows, the light plastic blades will begin to rotate.

Airplane windmill made of plywood

A more reliable and at the same time simpler design can be made with your own hands from sheet materials. In terms of durability, sheet steel wins, but it is more difficult to process. It’s easier to make an airplane weathervane from moisture-resistant plywood.

The manufacturing process involves the following steps:

The self-made weather vane remains to be fixed at the highest point of the roof.

This video shows how to make a beautiful airplane weather vane:

Chimney Decoration

To enhance the efficiency of the chimney, as well as to protect it from precipitation and debris, you can design and install a weather vane deflector with your own hands. The height of the structure should be in a ratio of 1.7 to the internal cross-section of the chimney. The width of the deflector is 1.3 times the diameter of the smoke channel. Galvanized iron sheets, copper or stainless steel are suitable for manufacturing.

First, on thick cardboard, a sketch is made in expanded form of all the parts: cap, cylinder, diffuser. Using the templates made, these parts are cut out on metal. The entire structure is assembled together, the individual elements are bolted together, either welded or fixed with rivets.

The finished product is installed at the end of the smoke channel using a ring with a bearing assembly so that the housing rotates together with the deflector visor. A weather vane on the chimney pipe will not only provide a constant flow of fresh air into the room and effectively remove flue gases, but will also become a real decoration of the roof.

Making a weather vane with a deflector for the chimney

The weather vane on the chimney is called differently, for example, chimney, deflector or cap. Essentially, these are the same device. The weathervane is responsible for the decorative function here, but the chimney itself is protected from reverse draft by a deflector.

Before you make the weather vane yourself and install it on the chimney, you need to understand what a deflector is. Its design has a cap that protects the chimney from air flow. Even if the wind blows from below, the deflector will still provide traction and even increase it. A chimney with a rotating hood and the principle of its operation are shown in this photo.

In this design, the deflector is connected to the weather vane through a bearing. The wind turns the cap, creating turbulence that prevents air from entering the chimney.

However, the chimney may have a deflector with a non-rotating cap, and the upper weather vane itself plays only the role of decoration, as the photo shows.

This design is easier to do with your own hands. As an option, it is better to buy a ready-made deflector, and then decorate its cap yourself with a weather vane.

This diagram shows how to install a deflector with a round fixed cap on a chimney made from a round pipe with a diameter of 120 mm. Here the racks (4) are secured to the cylinder (9) with nuts (8) and bolts (7). The upper cylinder (3) is secured with a clamp (5). The reverse cone (2) and the upper cap (1) are attached to the posts with rivets (6).

The deflector is ready, all that remains is to decorate its cap with a weather vane. You can make a weather vane according to the presented diagram.

Manufacturing consists of the following steps:

A support is made from a piece of pipe with a diameter of 15 mm and a length of 120 mm. A thread is cut on one side.
The bearing is selected according to the size of the workpiece. It is hammered into the pipe.
Two fastening plates are welded to another section of a similar pipe without thread. They are bent to the shape of the smoke cap. The bearing is hammered inside in the same way.
A compass rose is made from thin strips of stainless steel. They are bolted to the support rack.
To prevent water from getting into the bearings, a protective cap is screwed onto the pipe threads. The two workpieces are connected to each other by an axle made of a rod, tightly seated in the inner races of the bearings.

The finished rotating stand is bolted to the chimney, and a weather vane is fixed directly to it, for example, like this airplane.

The main stages of making a weather vane

To make a weather vane with your own hands, first of all, prepare a small sketch on graph paper or other marked paper, or a life-size template of the figure you like. In addition, you will need the following materials and tools:

sheet of metal 1.5 – 2 mm thick;
wire with a diameter of 3 mm;
steel pipes with a diameter of 15 mm, 22.5 mm, 25 mm;
copper tube Ø18 mm;
50 mm piece of pipe Ø 60 mm;
square rolled metal 15x15 mm;
steel ball Ø 80 mm;
ball from a ball bearing Ø 15 mm;
round metal Ø 12 mm;
metal plate 60x60 mm, thickness 12 mm;
angle grinder (angle grinder, grinder);
jigsaw;
hammer;
chisel;
set of files;
electric drill and set of metal drills;
welding machine.

The process of making a weather vane with your own hands can be divided into several stages:

preparatory activities;
cutting out figures;
arrow preparation;
manufacturing of the rotation mechanism.

When working with metal, it is important not to forget about safety precautions . Welding work must be carried out in a ventilated area, away from fuels and lubricants. In this case, it is important to use special gloves and a protective shield, and choose clothes from natural fabric of sufficient thickness.

Tips for attaching a weather vane to a dome

To make the weather vane easily rotate around its axis, lithol is stuffed inside the body. Now all that remains is to correctly set the letters of the wind rose according to the cardinal directions. They are aligned according to the compass by clamping the bolted connections of the plates near the rack.

The video shows the smoke vane:

An airplane weather vane made of metal is a kind of lightning rod. To avoid accidents, the structure must be grounded.

How to make a weather vane from wood with your own hands?

A weather vane is a device that is installed on the roofs of houses and is used to determine the direction and strength of the wind. Initially, it was used by meteorologists, but now, when more reliable and accurate methods for this have appeared, it has become a decorative element that emphasizes the individuality and style of the owners. You can buy a beautiful and original weather vane in a store or order a model with an individual design from a craftsman. In this article we will tell you how to make this useful device with your own hands from wood and other available materials.

Homemade weather vanes of varying complexity: photo reports

When making a wind direction indicator with your own hands, many questions arise. The design is simple, but there are many options. For example, the swivel assembly can be made in different ways, not to mention the shape and size of the housing. Everyone chooses what they like best. To form at least a general idea of how you can make this useful device for a summer cottage or garden plot, we will give several examples of homemade weather vanes with step-by-step photos.

You can do something like this too

Based on a bearing from a VAZ pump

The bearing was taken from an old VAZ. Based on the size of the bearing, pipes were found - one of which this bearing fits into. We install a stopper in this pipe so that the bearing does not fall inside; after installing it, we weld it. From pipes of smaller diameter we make a cross, to which we will then attach letters indicating the direction of the cardinal points.

Making a weather vane with your own hands

We weld another piece of thin pipe to the top of the bearing. This will be the rotating part, to which the body of the weather vane will then be attached. We weld two short sections of pipe perpendicular to this pin - we will weld the cut weather vane to them. To protect the bearing from moisture and dust, we use a boot from the steering rod, pulling it before we started welding the rotating part.

We are gradually assembling the structure

A cat is cut out of an aluminum sheet 2 mm thick, the letters are made of galvanized steel. We'll spray paint them with bright red auto enamel, and the cat with black.

Components for a homemade weather vane

All that remains is to weld/attach all the parts to assemble the weather vane.

This is what everything looks like assembled

A homemade metal weather vane on a bearing is ready. Can be installed on the roof.

The simplest weather vane in 5 minutes from scrap materials

When hunting, fishing or dacha, you may need a wind direction indicator. You can make a very simple model literally from nothing. You will need:

plastic or paper glass (preferably large capacity);
thick wire (you can use aluminum or steel);
plastic screed;
a washer with an internal diameter not less than the diameter of the wire.

The manufacturing process is very simple. First of all, carefully, without damaging the walls, remove the bottom. You can remove it from a paper cup, but you will have to cut it off from a plastic cup. Next, stepping back from the wider edge about a centimeter, we make two holes in the walls, located one opposite the other, and thread the wire. We bend one edge of the wire so that the wind indicator does not fall off.

We make a weather vane with our own hands from scrap materials

From the opposite side - from below - we put a washer on the wire, raise it to the level of the glass, leaving a very small gap (a few millimeters). We take the tie, tighten it, fixing the washer at the desired level.

Pointer at work

That's all, we made a simple weather vane with our own hands. Of course, it is very short-lived, but long-term service is not always necessary. And it will correctly indicate where the wind is blowing.

Device

A weather vane is a simple meteorological instrument that can be used to easily determine which way the wind is blowing. It is installed on the roof ridge or on the head of a pipe and serves as an entertaining decoration, which also has practical applications. The design of this device includes the following elements:

Frame. The body or glass is the part of the weather vane into which the axle is inserted and the wind rose is secured. With the help of struts it is fixed to the roof ridge. To make a housing with your own hands, use a piece of pipe; sometimes, to facilitate the rotation of the axis, a bearing is placed in it.
Axis. The axis of rotation is the element due to which the weather vane rotates. It is made from reinforced twigs, sticks or other materials.
Cap. A small part in the form of a funnel or circle with a hole in the middle is called a cap. It is attached to the axis of rotation of the weather vane and serves as a limiter and protection for the body from moisture penetration.
Wind vane. The flag is attached to the axis of rotation, it is driven by wind currents and indicates its direction. The pointing part of the weather vane is called the arrow, and the opposite part is called the counterweight. Experienced craftsmen can make this part in the form of an animal or a whole plot picture, and they do not need drawings to work, just show the photo you like. You can make a weather vane from wood or plastic with your own hands.
Rose of Wind. The compass rose is the name given to the compass pointer; it consists of two twigs crossed at right angles with letters or colors that indicate where north, south, west and east are located. To correctly make a wind rose with your own hands, during installation you need to orient the pointers along the compass.

Note! If you have visited seaside towns, you have probably noticed that almost every house there is crowned with an intricate weather vane in the form of animals, plants, or even entire scenes. It can reflect the occupation of the homeowners, the family coat of arms. At all times, people believed that a weather vane scares away evil spirits and protects against the evil eye. If you do not take into account superstitions, then a weather vane made by yourself is an excellent bird scarer.

Chimney weather vanes-deflectors

These devices are installed at the chimney outlet and serve to decorate it and disperse smoke. In addition, the deflector prevents raindrops from entering the chimney and birds or small animals from entering. As smoke exits the chimney, the device begins to rotate, dispersing the flow to the sides. In addition, the weather vane is directed along the wind, which prevents the flow from blowing into the chimney and smoke from entering the premises. The manufacture of such a weather vane is simple; galvanized steel is used as the material. The shape of the weather vane is an inclined section of pipe cut in the longitudinal direction. A tail is installed on top, guiding the device in the wind.

The device is simple, but requires periodic maintenance, since soot and condensation clog the bearings or bushings, making rotation of the device difficult.

Self-production

A weather vane of a simple design can be easily made with your own hands from scrap materials, using galvanized steel, plywood, plastic bottles or even unnecessary disks. The advantage of this method is that such a product looks unique and does not require large expenses. Spending the weekend at the dacha, this idea can be turned into joint entertainment for children and adults. To make a weather vane with your own hands, you will need scraps of building materials, for example, thin plywood. In addition, you will need a long nail or self-tapping screw, a block of wood, 3 large flat beads, a hacksaw, a pencil, glue and a marker. The manufacturing process is as follows:

Print or make a pattern of the weather vane parts on paper. We suggest choosing a model in the form of a simplified airplane made of three triangles of different sizes.

Important! Wood is not the most durable material for making a weather vane; from constant exposure to moisture it darkens, becomes moldy, and then collapses. To make the craft pleasing to the eye longer, you need to coat the plywood with paint or varnish. This measure will preserve the appearance of the weather vane and make it more noticeable.

Vane

One of the interesting and aesthetically attractive roles of a wind turbine is to act as a weather vane. This device, in addition to its decorative value, performs the duties of a meteorological instrument. The weather vane is capable of determining the speed and direction of the wind, allowing it to obtain statistical information.

The accumulated data can be used, for example, to make calculations when creating a large wind generator. Installing a weather vane on the roof creates a stylish decorative element and decorates the protruding parts of the roof. The following materials can be used to make a weather vane:

metal,
plastic,
wood.

The choice of material is determined by the capabilities and preferences of the home owner. You can create a highly artistic forged product from metal, but this is not accessible to everyone. A plastic weather vane is not afraid of exposure to atmospheric moisture, but does not react well to cold and sunlight. Wooden structures are accessible to most home craftsmen, but they greatly require the application of a high-quality protective layer from moisture.

Installation of a weather vane

After you have made your own weather vane, you need to secure it to the roof. In order for it to correctly determine the direction of the wind, and not serve as a useless decoration, the following rules should be followed:

The weather vane is installed on the highest point of the roof - the ridge, chimney or ventilation pipe. You can attach it to the roof of a house, gazebo, or greenhouse. If you want the weather vane to correctly indicate the direction of the wind, then install the device at a height of 4-5 m.
Construction stores sell special mounts for weather vanes. They are corners for fixing on the roof ridge. More expensive models are equipped with special screws, with which you can adjust the position of the weather vane and make it exactly vertical.

Note! In order for the weather vane to show not only the direction of the wind, but also the strength, a special suspension is made. It is cut from a sheet of metal, foam plastic or thin plywood in the form of a small rectangle. A hole is made on one side of the workpiece, a thread is inserted into it, and then hung to the arrow of the weather vane. When the wind blows, the gimbal deflects, showing how strong the gust is.

Final revision

In order for a metal weather vane to serve for a long time and at the same time have a presentable appearance, it must be carefully painted, having first prepared the surface well. First, use sandpaper to remove the rust, completely down to bare metal. Then we coat it with automotive primer (you can also use a rust converter). After the primer has dried, you can paint it.

Winged horse - why not decorate your home

We take paints for exterior work. All automobile ones are perfect, but oil-based ones, such as hammer ones, are also suitable. They give an interesting effect. You can also try painting with powder paints, but they require special conditions - high temperature. Otherwise, the coating will quickly fall off.

After applying the paint, leave the product to dry for two days without touching it with your hands. Such paints take a long time to dry (with the exception of powder paints), and after “testing” stains remain. If you are satisfied with the quality of the painting, you can install the weather vane in place.

Recommendations on how to make a weather vane with a propeller with your own hands

Every country property owner wants to make their home beautiful and unique. If you know how to make a weather vane with a propeller with your own hands, then you can equip any building with it. Despite the availability of modern instruments with software, the weather vane remains a fairly accurate device for determining the direction and strength of the wind, which operates around the clock, without the need for energy sources, adjustment or frequent maintenance. In addition, these products perform a practical function by driving away birds that can destroy crops. Having a little free time, you can make a weather vane yourself from scrap materials that you can always find in the pantry.

Scheme of the weather vane. Despite the availability of modern instruments with software, the weather vane remains a fairly accurate device for determining the direction and strength of the wind.

Where to get it or how to make a sketch

Sketches for a weather vane can be found with dimensions, or you can create them from a suitable picture. To do this, any picture you like must be loaded into one of the photo editors, enlarged to the desired size and printed. This trick can be done with COREL.

Another option is to open the drawing in AutoCAD, outline the contours with half lines. You will get the desired outline. It can be increased to the desired size.

In programs, you can make a sketch for a weather vane from any image

If you are not very comfortable with computer programs, you will have to work with your hands - draw the drawing into small squares, then transfer it to paper on a large scale.

Materials used

Weather vanes made from a wide variety of materials are used to decorate houses.

Metal weather vane design.

Handling them requires different skills, tools and equipment.

Tree. This is a lightweight and easy-to-work material that has been proven over centuries. There is no need for complex tools or professional skills to process wood. To make a windmill, it is necessary to take waterproof wood with good hydrophobic qualities. The wood must be impregnated with a special composition that will protect it from dampness and insects. But a significant disadvantage of wood products is its low strength and fragility.
Steel. This is a fairly durable material that is resistant to strong mechanical stress. You can make a weather vane from black or stainless steel. Stainless steel is resistant to corrosion and has an almost unlimited service life. Regular steel can last quite a long time with periodic maintenance and repair. But, given the location of the outbuilding, performing this task is quite difficult.
Copper. This metal is strong enough to withstand strong gusts of wind. Sheet copper is quite easy to cut and saw. An important factor is that soldering can be used to connect copper parts together. The softness of the material makes it possible to process it using the embossing method. In addition, copper can be coated with silver using photographic development reagents. The metal is resistant to corrosion and does not require additional finishing.
Plastic. Modern polymer materials have sufficient strength and resistance to ultraviolet radiation. Plastic lends itself easily to all types of processing. It can be sawed, glued or soldered. Polymer plastics do not lose their qualities when subjected to strong heating or cooling.
Plywood. Only multi-layer waterproof plywood is allowed to be used in the work. But a plywood product will not last long. Even covering it with several layers of paint will not save it from destruction. If a plywood outbuilding lasts one year, it will be considered a great success.

When choosing a material for work, you should take into account the ultimate goal of making the outbuilding. In any case, it is better to choose a durable material that will last for many years.

Weather vane device

Scheme for creating simple weather vanes.

As a rule, outbuildings are installed on the roof of the house. At this point they can be seen from anywhere on the site. Based on this, increased aesthetic requirements are imposed on the appearance of such a product. Based on it, an opinion will be formed about the tastes, worldview and wealth of the owners of the land plot. Therefore, when making a weather vane, you should show maximum imagination and creativity when designing and creating every detail.

The design of the weather vane is quite simple:

Frame. It is made from inch steel pipe. It is possible to use brass pipe, which is quite durable and resistant to corrosion.
Bearing rod. It is inserted into the body. It is steel reinforcement without notches. The windmill itself is attached to it. Based on this, it is recommended to use reinforcement with a cross section of 9 mm. This is enough to withstand the wind load acting on the weather vane.
Wind vane. It is the rotating part of the device, which indicates the direction of the wind. In addition, the weather vane contains an artistic component that determines the theme of the product.
Bearings. These parts are necessary for free torsion of the supporting rod inside the housing. For assembly, products with an internal diameter of 9 mm are used.
Fasteners Depending on the method of fastening the outbuilding, corners, plates, screws, bolts or rivets are used.
Propeller. This is a part whose rotation frequency can be used to determine wind speed. The propeller is made of tin, plastic, plywood or wood. A good option is to use an old computer fan.

Despite the abundance of ready-made products on sale, a homemade weather vane will allow you to put your soul into your work and bring together all family members to implement a joint project. When making this device with your own hands, there is a job for everyone.

Since the main part of the windmill is the weather vane, its design needs to be given special attention.

It may look like this:

cockerel;
sailboat;
ship with propeller;
an airplane with one or more propellers;
galloping horse;
a cat sneaking after a bird;
hunter with a gun;
moon with stars;
lion on the hunt;
angel;
swans or stork in the nest.

You can make a weather vane in any design. For a fishing enthusiast, this could be catfish or pike. Car enthusiasts will love the contours of a sports car. There are no restrictions for imagination in this matter.

Basic elements of a weather vane

Regardless of what shape your weather vane will be, it must contain certain elements, the main ones being an axis and a flag with a counterweight.

Vane body and axis

The body serves as a support for the entire structure. Both steel and brass pipes with a diameter of 1 inch are suitable for its manufacture. The body has a strictly vertical axis - a rod, usually made of steel reinforcement.

The main function of the support rod is to hold the windmill. The diameter of the reinforcement is about 9 mm, this is enough to withstand strong winds and any other mechanical load that will act on the weather vane.

The weather vane body is the support of the entire structure

Flag with counterweight (wind vane)

The main part of the device located on the vertical axis. The flag shows which direction the wind is blowing. The counterweight serves to balance the flag and is located on the opposite side. The main difficulty in the manufacture of this element is that the flag and the counterweight must be located evenly on both sides of the axis, that is, have the same mass.

Of the entire structure, it is the weather vane that is of artistic value. An experienced craftsman is able to make a part of any shape without disturbing the balance between the flag and the counterweight.

When making a weather vane, it is important to maintain an even distribution of mass on both sides of the axis

Protective cap

The protective cap has the shape of a circle or a cone and is located on the axis of the weather vane, most often directly above the body. Its main function is to protect the housing and bearings from moisture and dirt.

Rose of Wind

A cardinal direction indicator consisting of two rods crossed at an angle of 90°. As a rule, the rods are attached to the top of the lid in a stationary state. At the ends of the pointer, letters are installed to indicate the cardinal directions. To fix the element in the correct position, you need to use a compass.

To set the cardinal direction indicators in the correct direction, you need to use a compass

Bearings

They are located inside the body and ensure free movement of the supporting rod under gusts of wind. The internal diameter of the parts is 9 mm.

The choice of fasteners depends on the material used and the method of fastening. These can be corners, overlays, bolts, rivets.

It helps determine wind speed. You can make the propeller yourself from plastic and wood or use ready-made parts.

It is the airplane with the propeller that looks most organic, since this detail is also present in the original design. And it’s much easier to model this shape than others.

The plane is ideal for making a weather vane with a propeller

Manufacturing and installation of a weather vane

First of all, you need to decide on the installation location. As a rule, the base is a chimney. It must be thick enough to withstand the pressure of the weather vane. If the pipe is asbestos, then its walls can be reinforced with steel linings. For a brick pipe, reinforcement is not needed. A base in the form of a shelf is attached to the side of the pipe. A weather vane will be installed on it. After preparing the base, assembly is carried out.

It is carried out in the following sequence:

A piece of steel or brass pipe 120 mm long is sawed off. Holes are drilled in it for attaching the corners. The corners are attached to the support with rivets or bolts. To do this, threads are made in the holes.
Bearings are inserted into both ends of the pipe. They can be secured by welding or pressing. The bearings can be fixed thermally. To do this, the end of the pipe is heated and a bearing is inserted into it. After cooling, the pipe firmly compresses the bearing. Solid oil is filled into the pipe.
The top of the case is closed with a cap. A brass or plastic plug is used for this. To achieve a tight seal, insulating or plumbing tape is wound. A felt seal is placed between the cap and the body.
A weather vane is being made. First, a drawing is made on paper. Then, using carbon paper, it is transferred to the material. The figure is being cut out and polished. The size of the figure should be proportional to the structure on which it is installed. As a rule, the length is 400-600 mm, the optimal height is 200-400 mm.
When the figurine is ready, it is secured to the supporting rod. This is done using bolts, clamps or welding. The workpiece is painted or varnished.
The propeller is mounted. It can be mounted on a weather vane or on a supporting rod. It depends on the weather vane model. The best option is to use a bolt. The propeller is secured to a bolt between two washers. To increase the service life, it is recommended to mount the propeller on a bearing. This way it will work much quieter.

For better entertainment, a wind rose is installed on the base. It is made from wire and sheet metal. The weather vane is installed on the roof either assembled or in stages. It is more convenient to mount the base first. After this, all that remains is to insert the weather vane attached to the rod into it and fasten the parts together.