Gallery, Projects and General > The Design Shop
Building a Weathervane
raynerd:
My grandad talks a lot about having a weathervane. He had one some time ago and it was just a cheapo aldi thing and some how broke so he took it down. I think I`d also quite like one myself so my idea is to make a couple.
I suppose I`m just asking advice on how to go about building one. A bit of googling hasn`t really brought up anything of interest. There was a nice one but it has been welded up and I can silver solder but I can not weld (no equipment and something I`ve not tried)
I presume the basics of a weather vane is that you have a art design of some sort with an arrow on the same plane?? Then though could be silver soldered or bracketed to a metal bar that drops into the supporting pole and can turn on a bearing?
Other than the design, I`m also not sure about sizes. If you take the classic image of a cockerel:
art really isn`t my strong point (not that I would draw the image, I`d just trace it from a print out!) but how big would you expect that image should be to get a decent looking size when on the average home roof? Also, would it have to be cut from sheet steel or would some sort of plastic be OK. I`ve just built my CNC router but with only a 12 -x 10" bed it`ll be too small! I`m prepared to cut it by hand, but out of metal it could be tricky!
So a very open conversation if anyone is prepared to chip in. What materials, sizes, tools....etc would you use to make a weathervane - bearing in mind I`m trying to keep within my tool and capabilities? The little N, E, S, W letters I will be able to cut using my CNC machine and I`m looking forward to that, but the bigger image I`d have to do some how by hand!??
Chris
Rob.Wilson:
Hi Chris
You could rivet the parts together and bend the letters from flat bar ,, B n Q do short lengths ,, Not the cheapest metal supplier but if you only need a few short lengths ,,,, just a thought .
How big are you planning on making it ?
Rob
HS93:
you can buy reasonably thick copper sheet on ebay, that can be cut on a fret saw or even ally sheet and as Rob says can be riveted but the copper might look better cover in Yogurt and get the patina started .this one is similar to yours but would probably blow up OK.
Peter
David Jupp:
You ask about plastics - ought to work, but long term exposure to UV (sunlight) will lead to plastics going brittle cracking and eventually falling apart. Some will stand up better than others (depends on additives and pigments incorporated), often impossible to get the detail needed to know for sure. Plastics (unless reinforced) probably also a bit 'floppy' for this.
Plastic or even thin plywood could be useful to try out possible designs for looks/function before finalising in metal...
Rob.Wilson:
--- Quote from: HS93 on March 31, 2012, 05:01:53 AM ---you can buy reasonably thick copper sheet on ebay, that can be cut on a fret saw or even ally sheet and as Rob says can be riveted but the copper might look better cover in Yogurt and get the patina started .this one is similar to yours but would probably blow up OK.
Peter
--- End quote ---
Now thats good idea Peter :med: to use copper :thumbup:
Rob
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