How To Make A Weather Vane With A Propeller With Your Own Hands, Including Drawings And Step-by-step Instructions

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

How to make a weather vane with a propeller with your own hands

Many owners are trying to find a flavor for the exterior of their home, but there are not many such devices. A weather vane is ideal for this. It fulfills both a practical and aesthetic function at the same time.

Content

• 1 Features of the propeller vane

  • 1.1 The choice of material for the manufacture of a weather vane

    • 1.1.1 Wood vane
    • 1.1.2 Steel vane
    • 1.1.3 Copper weather vane
    • 1.1.4 Plastic structures
    • 1.1.5 Plywood
  • 1.2 Tools for making a weather vane

• 2 Basic elements of a weather vane

  • 2.1 Vane body and axis
  • 2.2 Flag with counterweight (vane)
  • 2.3 Protective cap
  • 2.4 Compass rose
  • 2.5 Bearings
  • 2.6 Fasteners
  • 2.7 Propeller
• 3 Drawing of a weather vane with a propeller

• 4 Step-by-step instructions for making an airplane weather vane

  • 4.1 Metal weather vane

  • 4.2 Weather vane made of plastic bottles

    4.2.1 Video: airplane weather vane made of plastic bottles

  • 4.3 Plywood weather vane

    4.3.1 Video: wood vane with a propeller with your own hands

  • 4.4 DIY propeller

    4.4.1 Video: DIY tin propeller

Features of a weather vane with a propeller

This device can be of different shapes, most often the weather vane has the shape of a domestic and wild animal, an angel, a fairy-tale hero, an airplane.

The weather vane is not only a functional device, but also a decoration for the roof of a house.

The choice of material for the manufacture of a weather vane

The main criterion when choosing a material for a weather vane should be the ultimate goal of its manufacture. But, despite this, it is recommended to choose the material that will make the structure a decoration of your home for a long time. A weather vane is made from almost any material, but each of them requires different tools and equipment.

Wood vane

Quite lightweight and easy-to-use building material that does not require specific tools and skills. For a weather vane, high quality raw materials are suitable. Before use, it is recommended to impregnate the wood with mixtures to protect it from dampness and harmful insects. However, such a product will not last long.

It is recommended to treat a wooden weather vane with a special preparation to protect it from moisture and pests.

Steel weather vane

This material is durable, resistant to any mechanical stress. Most often, black or stainless steel is used for a weather vane. The second type is resistant to corrosion, has a long service life, but still requires proper maintenance and timely repair. This can be a problem since the weather vane is installed in a location where repairs are difficult.

Steel has high anti-corrosion properties, so it is the steel vane that can be most often seen on the roof

Copper weather vane

It is a durable metal that can withstand even hurricanes. It's pretty easy to work with him. Additionally, a layer of silver can be applied to the surface of a copper weather vane, for which reagents that are used in making photographs are ideal. This metal is resistant to corrosion, due to which the product can be exposed to rain for a long time and will serve for a long time without repair.

Copper is highly resistant to weather conditions, therefore it is best suited for making a weather vane

Plastic constructions

Plastic is a modern material, characterized by high strength and resistance to sunlight. Another advantage is the ease of processing. Plastic products can be sawed, glued, soldered, while the properties of the material do not change.

The plastic weather vane can be made in any color, it is highly durable and resistant to sunlight

Plywood

For the manufacture of a weather vane, only multi-layer waterproof plywood is suitable, but you need to be prepared for the fact that such a product will not last long. Coloring of the material will help artificially increase the service life, but for a very short time.

For the manufacture of a weather vane, only multi-layer waterproof plywood can be used

Tools for making a weather vane

The list of tools for making this device is pretty simple:

• scissors for metal;
• hacksaw or saw;
• sandpaper of different fractions;
• electric drill;
• Bulgarian;
• office supplies such as ruler, pencil, glue.

The main elements of the weather vane

Regardless of what shape your weather vane will be, certain elements must be present in it, the main of which are an axis and a flag with a counterweight.

Weather 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. An axis is located in the body strictly vertically - a rod, usually made of steel reinforcement.

The main function of the support rod is to hold the wind turbine. 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

Counterweight flag (weather vane)

The main part of the device located on the vertical axis. The flag indicates which way 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 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 flag and 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

Indicator of the cardinal points, consisting of two rods crossed at an angle of 90 °. As a rule, the rods are fixed to the top of the lid while stationary. At the ends of the pointer, letters are installed to indicate the cardinal points. To fix the element in the correct position, you need to use a compass.

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

Bearings

They are located inside the body and provide free movement of the bearing rod under wind gusts. The inner diameter of the parts is 9 mm.

Fasteners

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

Propeller

It helps determine wind speed. The propeller can be made yourself from plastic and wood, or you can use ready-made parts.

It is the plane with the propeller that looks the most organically, since this detail is also present in the original design. And it is much easier to model such a shape than others.

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

Drawing of a weather vane with a propeller

The weather vane is usually located on the roof, therefore high aesthetic requirements are set for it - by its appearance, not only the taste of the owner of the house will be judged, but also about wealth. Therefore, it is very important to design the structure correctly, while showing maximum imagination and creativity. The drawing of the future model should be as detailed and accurate as possible.

The drawing of the future aircraft model must be as detailed as possible and with exact dimensions.

Step-by-step instructions for making an airplane weather vane

This device will become a hallmark of the house only if the element is correctly made and installed.

Metal weather vane

It is performed in the following sequence:

1. Cut off the pipe 120 mm long. Make small holes in it for fastening to the support with rivets or bolts. Pre-thread in the holes.

2. Insert bearings at each end into the pipe, securing by welding. Additionally, the bearings can be fixed by heating the pipe, into which the bearing must be inserted. After the pipe has cooled down, the bearings will sit down quite firmly in it. Fill the pipe itself with grease.

   

   Bearings help the vane to rotate easily around its axis

3. Close the top of the pipe with a cap, which can be a plastic plug. Now it is necessary to seal this place with insulating tape. A layer of felt gland must be inserted between the cap and the body.

4. Now you can start making a weather vane. You need to make a drawing on paper, which you need to transfer to a steel sheet in the future. Remember that the dimensions of the aircraft must be proportional to the parameters of the hull. It is recommended to make a product with a length of 400–600 mm and a height of 200–400 mm.

   

   Steel sheet is very easy to cut with special scissors for metal

5. After the airplane figurine is ready, you need to attach it to the support rod using clamps or welding. The last step is to mount the propeller. You need to install it on a weather vane or on a supporting rod. In the case of an airplane, it will look more harmonious on the weather vane. It is recommended to use a bolt for fastening, which must be placed between two washers. To reduce the noise of the weather vane, it is recommended to fit it onto the bearing.

Weather vane from plastic bottles

You can make an airplane weather vane from plastic bottles. For this you need:

1. Collect empty containers, wash them thoroughly. For a weather vane in the form of an airplane, 4 bottles are enough. For two bottles, cut the top part with the cork to half. As a result, you should have 2 cut off tops with a cork and 4 bottoms, the height of which is 5 cm.

   

   Cut off the top and bottom of the bottle

2. On each bottom at an angle of 45 °, make cuts in the form of burrs, which will be the fasteners.

   

   Cut the bottom of the bottle into strips

3. Now you need to work with the tops of the bottles. It is necessary to unscrew the plug in which to make holes for the axle. This can be done with an awl or a hot rod. Screw this plug back on. Leave one upper part of the bottle without stopper.

   

   In traffic jams with an awl you need to make holes for the axis

4. Now you can start collecting the weather vane. The two upper parts are connected with cut surfaces to each other. This process is reminiscent of collecting nesting dolls. It is necessary to attach the bottoms with slices, placing them around the body in one direction. Now, through the bottom holes of the bottle, you need to thread a bar or metal rod, on top of which you place the bottle cap. That's it, the airplane is ready. Install it in a suitable location.

   

   The weather vane from a plastic bottle does not look very aesthetically pleasing, but it performs its functions effectively

Video: weather vane plane from plastic bottles

Plywood weather vane

For a homemade weather vane, you can use plywood scraps. In addition to this material, you will need:

• nails or screws;
• flat beads - 3 pieces;
• special glue for plywood;
• a small wooden block;
• protective paint.

All work on the manufacture of a weather vane from this material is performed in the following order:

1. Cut 3 equilateral triangles from the prepared material. The first is the base, its dimensions are 30x20 cm. In the middle of this part it is necessary to make a small hole for attaching the weather vane to a wooden block. The dimensions of the second component are 12.5x12.5 cm. It is necessary to cut a hole in it in the form of a rectangle reaching the middle of the part. The third is the smallest, its side is 7.5x7.5 cm. It is necessary to cut out the same rectangle, but from the side of the base.

   

   For a plywood weather vane, you need three triangles of different sizes

2. Now these triangles need to be connected together. The largest is the base. It is necessary to glue the middle triangle perpendicularly to it. It is necessary to glue on the cut out rectangle. After this step, you will receive a wind vane tail.
3. The smallest triangle should be used as the nose of the weather vane, which also needs to be glued to the rectangle.

4. Now the weather vane must be attached to the wooden block. A nail with a bead must be inserted into the hole that was made on the large triangle, the other two beads must be put on from the bottom side. Now this nail needs to be driven into a wooden block. This completes the manufacture of the structure, the weather vane can be fixed on the roof.

   

   The service life of a plywood weather vane is only one season

Video: do-it-yourself wood vane with a propeller

DIY propeller

Consists of several blades that are attached to the axis of rotation. For manufacturing you will need:

• bar;
• nails;
• a piece of tin.

The propeller can be made from any material

The manufacturing process is as follows:

1. Prepare a wooden block with a side of 5 cm. Draw diagonals on each face of the cube, mark the place of their intersection. Drill a through hole in one of the planes.
2. On a sheet of tin, mark the segments equal to the width of the bar. Cut strips 15x5 cm in size. There should be 4 strips of this kind. Grind the edges of each strip with a grinder.
3. Each strip is conventionally divided into 5 parts. Bend one of them with pliers at a right angle. As a result, you should have four L-shaped blades. Place each piece diagonally on one side of a wooden cube with a hole.
4. The protruding parts of the sheet must be cut off in such a way that the part that will be fixed is acute-angled.
5. Now the blades need to be fixed with screws in two places.
6. Sharpen the other wooden block from one end under the cone, on this side, fasten the cube with blades with a nail. This propeller can be mounted on a pre-fabricated weather vane.

Video: do-it-yourself tin propeller

Remember that when installing a weather vane on the roof, you need to ensure that the waterproofing of the latter is not violated, otherwise leaks cannot be avoided. It is also not recommended to install a weather vane on a ridge or chimney pipe. Improper installation can also lead to the fact that the device will make a lot of noise, scaring away birds and annoying others.