Homemade weathervane. Do-it-yourself weather vane for the roof. Prices for various types of soldering irons

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To know the direction of the wind, its speed and strength in such a science as metrology, a special device is used, shown in the photo, which is called a weather vane. It has the appearance of a flag, for the manufacture of which various materials are used, including metal. At the opposite end it has a counterweight. You can make weathercocks with your own hands.

Relatively recently, many homeowners installed these devices on buildings, especially in coastal cities, but today they are less in demand. True, in the Baltic republics that were previously part of the Soviet Union, as well as in the Scandinavian countries and a number of other European states, they can be seen on many roofs of residential buildings and structures for various purposes. There, among the population, making weather vanes with their own hands is popular.

In such cities as Tallinn, Riga, Amsterdam, the weather vane has become a visiting card. Outstanding local craftsmen have turned the manufacture of a weather vane into a real art. So unique in appearance and elegance of execution, these products have been decorating the Moscow Kremlin in the Russian capital, the building of the city hall in Riga, and in St. Petersburg the spire of the Peter and Paul Cathedral for more than one century.

It should be noted that do-it-yourself weathercocks have recently become not necessary metrological instruments, but a tribute to national traditions and beautiful toys that can decorate the roof and appearance of the building. From a practical point of view, they are not necessary, since modern instruments are now used, showing very accurate results.

To decorate the roof of a building and give it an individual style, you can order this product to a professional or make a weather vane with your own hands - drawings for it are available on the Internet and in special literature. For some craftsmen, a drawing and a sketch are enough.

Small products with moving parts are clearly visible on gazebos, garages, greenhouses, and besides this, for example, a do-it-yourself weather vane with a propeller scares birds away from garden plots.

Manufacturing materials

The most common is a do-it-yourself steel or copper turntable weather vane, which is coated with paint for outdoor work. Forged products are less common. Weathercocks made from improvised materials are rare.

It can be a do-it-yourself weather vane from a bottle, worn-out discs, tin, moisture-resistant plywood and other things. Folk fantasy knows no limits and this allows you to make your home original. If wood is used, then the moving elements should not be rigidly connected. But a do-it-yourself weather vane made of paper can only be used as a toy.

The main elements of the weather vane

Before you make a weather vane with your own hands, you need to familiarize yourself with its design and prepare materials and tools.

The weather vane consists of the following main parts:

Making a weather vane

You can make a weather vane with your own hands from metal elements in the following sequence:

The weather vane not only has a practical value in a summer cottage, but also performs a decorative function. Usually it is a metal figure of a rooster or other forged composition on a vertical axis, which rotates with the help of the wind and shows its direction and strength. At first, weathercocks were exclusively made of steel due to the high strength and durability of such a material. And now, in addition to this, a special anti-corrosion coating is applied to them, which protects the metal from negative external influences.

Varieties

Weathercocks differ from each other in their purpose, the following varieties are distinguished:

decorative options (serve as decoration);
meteorological weathercocks (determine the direction of the wind);

chimney models (protect pipes from wind blowing and smoke penetration into the room);
weathercocks (protect the chimney from the penetration of harmful animals or birds due to the action of special rattles or fans that create vibrations).

At the same time, some designs can combine several functions at once.

Material

The metal version of the weather vane is the most common, practical and affordable. Vanes can be stainless steel or copper. In this case, the second option, although more expensive, but the most durable. In addition, this design effectively shines in the sun, is resistant to corrosion and is very easy to clean. In addition, copper is a soft material that is pleasant and easy to work with when forging.

Wooden structures can be used as exclusive weather vane models, but they are less durable. And plastic is a budget option “for an amateur”. Some craftsmen are even able to make a weather vane in the country from improvised materials (for example, plastic bottles). But it is unlikely that he will serve his master for a long time, and will not cause any feeling of aesthetic pleasure.

So, a wooden weather vane, subject to treatment with protective compounds, will last 5 years. Steel will last ten years if it is tinted every year, but copper construction is almost eternal.

Design

A classic weather vane is usually made of metal up to 50 cm high in the form of an image of an animal. It can be a rooster, a cat, and even any fairy-tale or cartoon characters that children will especially like. If you wish, you can also make a wooden plane with your own hands. If you want the weather vane to perform a decorative function, make sure that its design blends seamlessly into the architecture of the building and the overall style.

For example, figurines with a rustic theme are more suitable for wooden country houses, and Gothic motifs are more suitable for an exquisite roof with a spire.

When choosing the type of figurine for a weather vane, keep in mind that each carries a certain meaning. For example, the rooster symbolizes vigilance and, according to old folk beliefs, scares away evil spirits. The cat symbolizes comfort and coziness in the house, and is also considered the guard of the house and the protector from evil spirits. An owl means wisdom, and a lion means strength and power. A weather vane in the form of a horse will suit purposeful and noble people.

In Asian countries, weathercocks with the image of a dragon are common as a symbol of wisdom and spiritual strength. The image of a chimney sweep, according to popular belief, will bring good luck to your home. George the Victorious, killing a snake with a spear, is the protector of the house from negativity.

The griffin speaks of the strength and vigilance of the owner, and also protects the house from the influence of evil forces. Interestingly, even such a seemingly negative image as Baba Yaga is an excellent solution: it will not only attract the attention of others with its unusualness, but also protect it from evil forces.

The eagle protects the dwelling from enemies and, being a symbol of Heaven and the Sun, embodies strength, power and greatness. Such a weather vane will emphasize the independence of the owner and show his social status. And the stork patronizes families and is a symbol of mutual understanding. A very romantic image - a ship flying through the sky. Old Russian themes are also popular: for example, a weather vane in the form of a boat or a hero.

Therefore, choose the weather vane design not only based on the aesthetic appearance of the structure, but also on the message that the figurine carries.

How to do it yourself?

Before starting work, it is necessary to make a sketch and drawing of a weather vane in order to know exactly what size and shape the structure will be. A standard blank in the form of a rooster can be found on the Internet and transfer the outlines of the drawing to paper. For the drawing, you will need special paper with millimeter markings. In the future, this stencil is superimposed on the metal or other material that you will use. You can cut the figure with an electric jigsaw or special scissors for metal, and process the edges with a file.

To make a weather vane, you will need: metal scissors; bolts; compass; bearing; drill with drills; wire; apparatus for welding; kernel; wrench; cover with internal thread; a tube; file.

The base of the weather vane will be a metal tube. A thread is cut at its end, where the cover is inserted. Where there is no thread, a bearing is inserted. We denote the cardinal points on the weather vane with a wire using a welding machine. On each side, you can fix the symbols of the cardinal points, which are regulated using a conventional compass.

We fix the made structure on the lid, while fixing a metal rod in the support. A figurine cut out of metal and an arrow indicating the direction of the wind are welded to it. And don't forget to balance the figure's weight and counterweight to get accurate readings. And, of course, take care of safety precautions during installation work.

Fastening

The most common and practical option is to attach the weather vane to the chimney. If the chimney is brick, then the strength of the fastening is not satisfactory. The design of the weather vane in this case is fixed in a vertical position with screws at the corners. And if there is a ventilation deflector, you can weld the structure to it.

It is possible to attach the structure on special supporting elements to the horizontal edge of the roof slope. The only drawback is the wooden ridge, which over time can crack under the influence of rain, snow, bright sun and other external influences. The figurine must be fixed strictly vertically at the highest point of the shelter.

Another interesting and very non-standard version of the weather vane is a cat figurine., as if playing with a ball or catching a mouse. The cat figurine in this case is a flag, and the ball or mouse will be the counterweight. A similar design rests on a rotating axial tube enclosed in a thicker copper pipe. Rotation occurs due to the presence of a bearing in the main body.

Following the advice of professionals, you can not only build a weather vane with your own hands without any problems, but also ensure its accuracy and durability.

for greater accuracy of the weather vane, pay attention to the fact that there are no tall buildings or trees nearby, which can significantly distort the wind direction;
the design of the weather vane should not be too weighty, while the figure on the arrow should balance with the counterweight - only then the weather vane will rotate freely;
to connect the axis to the base, use a special bearing with moisture protection so that the rotation is free;

A small structure in the form of a figurine or a flat silhouette mounted on a roof, on a vertical axis of rotation. The weather vane is familiar to most of us since childhood, but hardly anyone thought about the reasons for the popularity of a simple device. The name came to the device from the German Flügel, which can be interpreted as a wing in the wind. In the household, the weather vane has always enjoyed special, inexplicable respect, so the demand for a device that indicates the direction of the wind is only increasing, and there are more and more people who want to install an unusual design on the ridge of their house.

Why do you need a weather vane

We can formulate two reasons why the weather vane has still retained its popularity:

The design is ideal for determining the instantaneous direction of the wind. The device, which is almost a few hundred years old, works on the roof better than satellites and electronic weather stations;
With the right design and installation location on the roof, you can determine the wind speed and even measure it.

The vast majority of owners who have installed a weather vane on the roof of their house believe that a rotating silhouette or ratchet helps to drive away uninvited guests - pigeons, crows, cats. In practice, fixing the structure on the roof scares away only the first three weeks, until the surrounding living creatures get used to the new irritant.

Most owners consider them a fun toy, a symbol of good luck, and nothing more. But, despite the simplicity of design, a roof weather vane can really help with the weather forecast and even predict rain. In any locality there is a so-called rain horizon, the direction from which the clouds come with the obligatory rain. In this case, the figurine on the roof can predict rain a couple of hours before the appearance of a storm front.

Advice! To mount the weather vane, you should always choose a place on the roof away from chimneys and ventilation, otherwise the turbulence of air flows can spin the device in a completely random order.

The design of the weather vane is an asymmetric flat canvas or silhouette, fixed on a vertical axis of rotation. Under the influence of the pressure of the air flowing onto the plane, a torque arises, and the weather vane rotates on the axis until the minimum flow resistance is established. That is, the silhouette on the roof always indicates either the direction from which the wind blows, or where, it depends on the choice of the owner.

How a weather vane works

The design of the weather vane uses four main nodes:

Wind vane - a metal, plastic or plywood silhouette, mounted on a swivel glass of a rolling bearing;
Friction bearing;
Axis of rotation;
Support node that holds the silhouette on the axis in a fixed position on the roof.

The support for the silhouette is made for fastening on the ridge or on the gable of the roof.

Most designs of weather vanes for the roof are made in a similar way, the main differences may relate to the design of the rotation unit. For overall and heavy weathercocks, a sliding bearing is used, in other words, a hardened steel axle inserted into a metal pipe. Silhouettes with a small windage must be installed either on a hardened steel ball or on a pair of rolling bearings.

Important! The landing site of the axis of rotation is necessarily closed with a cap - anther, cut out of tin, to prevent water and dust from entering the bearing.

A prerequisite for the reliable operation of a weather vane on the roof of a house is the presence of an unbalanced aerodynamic silhouette. In simple terms, this means that if you mentally draw a vertical line along the axis of rotation of the device through the entire silhouette, then one of the sides should be larger in area. If the halves of the structure are the same, then the weather vane will simply randomly rotate on the axis.

It is rather difficult to check the quality of the weather vane “on the ground”, for this you will need to fix the weather vane in a place free from trees and buildings and windy weather of at least 5 m / s. Most manufacturers do it easier - they artificially increase the sensitivity of the weather vane by installing an arrow silhouette with a wide flat "tail". Now the device will respond even to a weak breeze of 1-2 m/s.

Often, due to the strong removal of the silhouette or weather vane from the axis of rotation, an imbalance occurs, so the design has to be balanced by installing a counterweight. Otherwise, the device will tend to take one position when the center of gravity of the wind vane, like a pendulum, will be at the lowest point.

Usually, pointers to the cardinal directions are added to the silhouette rotating on the roof, thus, the design takes on a finished “meteorological” look. Real weather vanes look much more modest, it can be a small horizontal pitot tube with a rotary wing or a more primitive propeller speed counter.

But, unlike home weathervanes on the roof, the meteorological instrument is installed in an open space, at a height of at least ten meters above the ground. Only in this case the wind speed and direction sensor will provide reliable data. All designs of Chinese weather vanes with silhouettes of dragons and intricate patterns, which, according to manufacturers, can be installed even on the balconies of high-rise buildings, are nothing more than fun toys.

Wind vane design options

Traditionally, a roof wind vane is made in the form of flat silhouettes of fairy-tale characters, animals, angels, silhouettes of ships, vintage carriages, chimney sweeps, and even beer mugs with fish. In the old days, in dense urban development with high gabled roofs, in this way it was possible to designate the most important places in the city - the city hall, trading shops, pubs, the house of a doctor, a baker and a shoemaker.

Today, silhouettes of cats, birds, roosters, dogs, funny cartoon characters are increasingly being chosen as weathercocks.

The silhouettes of storks on the roof are especially respected as a symbol of the reliability of the hearth.

Often, church silhouettes, figurines of angels and entire religious plots are used for a weather vane on the roof.

A separate category is the so-called weathercocks - chimneys installed on a chimney or chimney. In this case, the weather vane for the roof is made by artistic forging, which ensures high strength and durability of the structure.

A sign of high style is the installation on the roof of three-dimensional figures made of tin and sheet metal. Assembled from stainless steel, and sometimes with a chrome finish, such a weather vane always impresses guests and passers-by.

We make a weather vane on the roof with our own hands

Sheet steel is considered the best material for the manufacture of a weather vane, for small structures, with a format of 400x500 mm, a galvanized sheet 2-2.5 mm thick is used, for complex and dimensional structures, three-millimeter metal can be used.

We select a suitable weathervane sketch. It could be a joke story.

More traditional silhouettes - wolf, cat, bear.

mustang silhouette

The silhouettes of dragons and exotic animals are especially popular for making roof vanes.

We transfer the silhouette of the weather vane we like to the metal and cut it out with a jigsaw.

We clean the edges of the weather vane blank with a grinder.

You will first need to make a mount for installing a weather vane on the roof, photo.

This will require a strip of metal 20 cm wide and 50 cm long. The strip must be bent on a steel corner in a vise in the shape of a trapezoid, as in the photo. We cut a hole in the center and weld a thick-walled steel pipe with an inner diameter of 15 mm and a height of 300 mm. To fix the axis of rotation of the weather vane, a hole is drilled in the side wall and an M8 thread is cut.

At the next stage, it is necessary to select the axis of rotation for the pipe and cut a groove for installing the fixing bolt.

It remains to weld the metal silhouette of the weather vane to the axis and paint it with good weatherproof paint, after which you can select a place on the roof ridge.

The simplest school roof weather vane design can be made in half an hour from a wooden block.

The wind vane is assembled from two bars. The first is used as the base of the axis, an arrow is made from the second. For plumage, you can use tin from a can, and as an axis of rotation, an ordinary nail hammered into a hole drilled to a depth of 40-50 mm. A school weather vane will be able to show the conditional pressure or wind speed. To do this, you need to cut a thin plate of tin and fix it on a thin wire suspension. By adding a frame with a graduated scale, the design can determine the wind speed with an accuracy of 10%.

For use on the roof of a summer house or as a toy, you can make a weather vane from an ordinary plastic bottle. You will need a liter plastic bottle, a knitting needle or a welding electrode and a wooden rail - a support. It is necessary to carefully make a hole in the bottom and cork of the bottle with a heated metal. Further, blades are cut out on the side surface with a clerical knife and bent at an angle of 90 ° to the axis of rotation. It remains to fix the needle on a wooden plank, put on a weather vane and test the device in action on the roof.

Conclusion

The manufacture and sale of weathercocks for the roofs of private houses has now become a well-established and profitable business. If desired, you can buy models with built-in flashlights, beacons, rattles and moving figures. Exclusive designs can be ordered individually, with the development of the plot and installation on the roof of the house. Today, such a weather vane is considered a good housewarming gift in a private house.

The history of the weather vane goes back hundreds of years. The convenience of an unpretentious device, which made it possible to quickly determine the direction of the wind, was first appreciated by the sailors. Therefore, the tradition of installing weather vanes on roofs first came to us from Holland, the Netherlands and other European countries with access to the sea. Over time, a simple mechanical windsock has evolved into a stylish decorative element that can add personality to the most ordinary roof. An original and at the same time simple weather vane can be easily made with your own hands from tin, plywood or plastic. If, however, this process is approached with fiction and fantasy, then the rotating figurine will be able to tell others about the character, tastes and preferences of the owner of the house.

Windsock on the roof: device and principle of operation

Although today the weather vane is most often used as an element of the decor of country houses, it is too early to write it off from the pages of history. Even in this digital age, mechanical windsocks are still in service at small weather stations, ports and airfields. Depending on the purpose, several types of weather vanes can be distinguished:

meteorological windsocks, which are made of forged metal and are characterized by high mobility, which, in turn, has a positive effect on the accuracy of the readings;
A modern weather vane is not a simple mechanical device, but a complex electronic device.
devices combined with a device for determining wind speed, which, after the name of the creator, are called Vilde weathercocks;
The turning plate of the Vilde weather vane shows how strong the wind is blowing
chimney - with a body, which additionally plays the role of a chimney cap;
In addition to its main purpose, a weather vane installed on the chimney will protect the chimney from precipitation and debris.
decorative - they serve mainly for decoration, so their flag and pointer are made in the form of figures of birds, animals, fairy-tale characters, etc.
Used as a decoration, a decorative weather vane will indicate the direction of the wind just as good as a real meteorological instrument.

No matter how simple the design of the weather vane may seem, a reliable and durable windsock can only be obtained if it contains the following parts and assemblies:

The vertical axis on which the flag and counterweight are mounted. The axle can rotate 360° freely thanks to the sliding or rolling unit.
Housing that is attached to the chimney or mounted on the roof. Being the basis of the structure, the body acts as a holder for the movable axis.
Bearing. This assembly is fixed in the body and provides ease of rotation of the axis of the windsock. The design can use one or more ball bearings, as well as sliding units consisting of low friction bushings.
Protective cap. It is mounted on a vertical axis and prevents the penetration of precipitation into the windsock housing.
Reference angles or rhumbs. They are two bars crossed at an angle of 90 ° with printed letters indicating the cardinal points (North-South and East-West pairs). The points are rigidly fixed to the body and during the installation of the weather vane they are oriented according to the compass.
Arrow (pointer) - is attached to the axis at an angle of 90 ° and serves as an indicator of the direction of the wind.
The flag is a blade mounted on one side of the boom. In a large surface area of this element, in fact, lies the entire decorative potential of the weather vane.
Counterweight. Mounted on the other end of the pointer and serves as a balancing device that balances the boom.

The turning part, which consists of an arrow and a flag, is also called a weather vane.

The design of the weather vane is so simple that it can be easily recreated at home.

Already one glance at the weather vane circuit is enough to understand how it works. Due to the high windage of the flag, the indicator turns even from a slight movement of air masses. The rotation of the blade will occur until it is installed parallel to the wind - in this position, the area of \u200b\u200bdrag will be minimal. In this case, the arrow will be directed in the direction from which the wind is blowing, and the flag will accurately indicate the place where the air masses are moving.

Video: roof weather vane - design ideas

What can a weather vane be made of

If you decide to approach the manufacture of a weather vane thoroughly, then there is no better material for a flag than a sheet of copper. A figurine made from this material will not only look good against the background of tin products, but can also become a reminder of your skills for future generations. And all thanks to the fact that copper perfectly resists corrosion. Copper roofs and domes of ancient cathedrals have not lost their functionality for several centuries and also successfully resist precipitation. The advantage of copper as a material for a flag is that this ductile metal is easily processed, so the figurine can be made more voluminous, and its surfaces can be decorated with embossing.

Due to the plasticity of copper, the figure of a weather vane can easily be made voluminous

If you can’t get a copper sheet, then you can use aluminum or stainless steel - they certainly won’t let you down in terms of durability. The situation is a little worse with sheet structural steel, however, if a ferrous metal flag is painted in accordance with all the rules, then it will also be able to survive more than one owner.

If you need "quickly and inexpensively", then you can use materials such as plywood or plastic. And although a weather vane made of these materials will not be as solid as a metal one, it will also be able to please your family and give invaluable experience in making a functional windsock.

A weather vane made of wood is less durable, but it is not inferior to metal in beauty and functionality.

It is wood and thermoplastics that are often chosen by novice home craftsmen, preferring quick processing with sandpaper and a jigsaw to more time-consuming work with power tools and an emery wheel.

For the manufacture of other parts of the weather vane - arrows, hulls and axles, pipes and metal bars of various diameters are suitable. As a rotation unit, you can take suitable bushings, balls, thrust or radial bearings from automotive or agricultural machinery.

We make a weather vane with our own hands

Having decided to decorate your house with a windsock, first of all, you should decide what kind of weather vane and rhumbs will be, think over the design of the turning part and the method of attaching the decorative device to the roof. Then they prepare all the necessary materials and tools, and only after that they proceed directly to work.

Whom to settle on the roof: symbol meanings

Being both an original decorative element and a real meteorological instrument, the weather vane can become a talisman and protector from dark forces for your home. It is able to create an aura of romance and magic, reminiscent of the times when the inhabitants of medieval cities looked closely at the figurines revolving on the pointed towers of castles and the spiers of city halls.

When choosing a weathervane flag, one should not make hasty conclusions. This simple action gives you a unique opportunity to declare to others about your passions, to show the strength of your character and the romantic nature of nature.

When making a weather vane, you can choose a flag of any type - either a simple silhouette or sign, or a complex composition of several figures - it all depends on your skills when working with metal

Belief says that meeting a chimney sweep on the street is good luck. By installing such a figurine at home, you give every passerby a chance to try their luck and attract prosperity and well-being.

A figurine of a man in a cylinder on the roof will attract happiness and money to the house.

Ethnic plots can be a series of figurines in different parts of the roof. Such weather vanes look great on wooden houses and characterize the owner as a person who is not indifferent to the history of his native land.

A series of weather vanes based on folk motifs is suitable for buildings made in the traditional Russian style

The cat has long been considered the worst enemy of evil spirits, so its silhouette will serve as an excellent amulet against dark forces. And also a fluffy creature will create a mood of kindness and tranquility.

The cat and the rooster are perhaps the most common characters that can be seen on weathervanes.

When installing an eagle figurine on the roof, do not forget that this bird is the master in heaven. Such a symbol is the best fit for a person with an imperious character and high social status.

An eagle-shaped weather vane would be appropriate on the roof of tall buildings

The silhouette of a horse on the roof testifies to the desire of the owner to explore the world and love to travel. Perhaps the figure of a running horse will be the starting point that will move you to new achievements.

A horse flying at a gait, or a calm, peaceful animal - you can put any idea into its silhouette

The griffin is a mythical animal with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle, which is a symbol of dominance in heaven and on earth. Describing strength, retribution and vigilance, the griffin above the house will show others your independence and ability to fight for your interests.

The figurine of the griffin will show that you will defend your ideas to the last

A weather vane in the form of a sailboat will tell about the owner's aspirations to explore the world around him, his love of travel and the search for new horizons in his career. Such a windsock will look harmoniously on a large cottage with a pitched roof, several entrances and a grand staircase.

A weather vane in the form of a sailboat is quite difficult to manufacture, so it can be recommended for experienced home craftsmen

An owl, as a symbol of knowledge and wisdom, will tell others about the remarkable mental abilities of the owner of a country house. When deciding to install a weather vane with a turning owl, consider whether you can match this symbol in terms of self-improvement.

An owl-shaped flag is a great way to declare the owner's intelligence

If you are a religious person, then you can rightfully decorate the roof with some scene from the Bible or the Koran. At the house of an inveterate atheist, a weather vane based on the lives of saints and prophets will look ridiculous. If it is this theme that attracts you, then choose some neutral scene or a heroic plot - for example, the figure of an angel or St. George slaying a snake.

If faith is close to you, install a weather vane in the form of a singing angel on the roof

A great find is a weather vane in the form of a flying Baba Yaga, since her broom is an excellent blade. It should be noted that fairy tales are an excellent basis for developing a weather vane of your own design, and the windsock itself will magically arouse delight in the views of passers-by of any age.

Baba Yaga is not only a favorite character in Russian fairy tales, but also one of the most popular figures on decorative weather vanes.

Windsock drawings

One of the advantages of the windsock is a simple and uncomplicated design. When developing your own device, you should take care of the stability of the device and good mobility of its rotating part. To do this, you need to think through all the ways to reduce friction between the parts of the weather vane and decide how and to what it will be attached. You can make a one-to-one weather vane or use individual ideas - it all depends on the availability of a particular material, capabilities and personal preferences. In any case, even the simplest weather vane will function and delight others in the same way as a custom-made windsock.

Photo gallery: drawings and diagrams of weather vanes

The dimensions of the weather vane must correspond to the drawing Even a novice master will cope with the model of a simple windsock Dimensional grid for figures can be increased or decreased The weather vane in the form of Carlson is equipped with a working propeller The figurine can be made fully movable

What will be needed in the process of work

The weather vane design presented above is easy to repeat at home. Everything you need for this can be found in the nooks and crannies of any garage or locksmith shop. The complete list of required materials is as follows:

copper, aluminum or sheet steel with a thickness of 1.2 to 2 mm;
steel pipes Ø1/2˝, Ø3/4˝, Ø1˝;
copper pipe Ø18 mm;
steel pipe Ø2˝ 50 mm long;
profile steel pipe with a section of 15x15 mm;
steel ball Ø80 mm;
steel bar Ø12 mm;
ball Ø15 mm from a rolling bearing;
steel plate with a thickness of 12 to 15 mm, size 60x60 mm.

Since you have to work with steel, you will need not only the simplest plumbing tools, but also electrical equipment. Before starting work, prepare:

electric jigsaw and metal saws;
"Bulgarian" with a cutting and grinding disc;
electric drill and a set of drills for working with steel;
welding machine and electrodes Ø3 mm;
chisel;
files;
a hammer;
roulette;
pencil.

To reduce friction in the nodes of the weather vane, they will need to be lubricated. You can take any automotive grease or even grease. In addition, be sure to take care of protecting windsock parts from corrosion. For high-quality painting of the flag, arrow and other parts of the device, you will need a rust converter, solvent, primer and enamel.

The weather vane needs corrosion protection

Step-by-step instruction

The manufacture of a weather vane consists of many stages, so the work is best done in a certain sequence. The algorithm presented below will not let you lose sight of the slightest detail and will allow the novice locksmith to avoid rework and improvements.

Making a flag begins with transferring the outline of the selected figure to a sheet of metal. To avoid displacement of the template, it is attached to the workbench together with the metal blank. To do this, you can use carpentry clamps.
Cut out the pattern along the outline. It is best to use an electric jigsaw with a metal file for this purpose. If there is no such tool at hand, then on straight sections you can use an angle grinder, and in places with bends and roundings, perform a series of drillings and cut through the contour with a chisel.
An electric jigsaw is best suited for cutting a weather vane figure.
Perform processing of the edges of the workpiece. If the flag was cut with an electric jigsaw, then a “grinder” with a peeling wheel will be enough for this work. Otherwise, you will need an emery machine with a coarse-grained wheel. Sharp corners and hard-to-reach places are processed with files of various shapes.
For processing edges in hard-to-reach places, it is convenient to use several files of various shapes and sizes
Having fixed the workpiece on a workbench or clamped it in a vise, drills are performed, which in the future will play the role of the nose and eyes, and will also be used to fix the mustache. Holes for the eyes with a file give a characteristic elongated shape.
Holes for the eyes are made by drilling, followed by finishing with a file
Make mustache blanks. To do this, L-shaped fragments 90–100 mm long with a part of 10–20 mm bent with pliers are cut with pliers from a steel wire Ø3 mm.
For the manufacture of blanks of the cat's whiskers, steel wire is used.
Make a cat's nose. To do this, you can cut a ball bearing of a suitable diameter or make a hemisphere from a bar Ø20–25 mm. In the latter case, notches can be made with a chisel, resembling the characteristic depressions on a cat's nose.
The nose of a cat can be made from a bar or a steel ball.
Using a welding machine, the nose is mounted in place. After that, the mustache blanks are fixed by welding, having previously inserted them into the prepared holes.
For mounting and nose use a welding machine
Clean the welds until the surface is perfectly flat.
In a similar way, they are transferred to the metal and the outline of the pointer is cut out.
Drawing is applied to a metal plate
Prepare two segments of a round or square bar with a cross section of at least 15 mm in diameter. An arrowhead is welded to one of them, and plumage to the other. Clean up the seams.
The weather vane boom consists of two parts, which are connected by welding
Make a pivot point. To do this, Ø12 mm is drilled in a 60x60 mm steel plate with a thickness of 12 mm. The same hole is made in a steel ball.
The figurine will be attached to a hollow metal ball in which a hole is drilled.
On one side of the plate, a 50 mm piece of pipe Ø60 mm is welded, and on the other, a piece of metal profile 20x20 mm 150–200 mm long.
Small cuts are made on the surface of the steel ball. They will be needed for a tighter fit of the ends of the boom base and the swivel assembly. After that, an axis from a bar Ø12 mm is threaded through the swivel unit and the steel ball.
Both parts of the indicator base are welded to the sphere.
When assembling the weather vane, be sure to lubricate the moving parts

In the presented design of the weather vane, you can do without a copper tube. To do this, use a ball bearing with an inner diameter of 12 mm, which is mounted at the upper edge of the housing - a pipe section of a suitable size can be used as a holder for the rolling unit. The bearing support is fixed by welding after the assembly of the structure, observing the principle of alignment.

On this, the construction of a homemade windsock can be considered completed. A steel ball and a copper tube will eliminate friction between the axle and the hull, so that a hand-made weather vane will easily rotate from the slightest breath of wind. All that remains is to correctly install the weather vane on the roof and securely attach it to the chimney or roof.

Video: do-it-yourself metal weather vane

How to fix the weather vane on the roof

Collecting a weather vane is only half the battle. In order for the device to function reliably and be clearly visible from any place around the house, it must be installed correctly.

it is necessary to fix the device in such a way that its weather vane is at the highest point of the roof, at a distance of at least 0.5 m from the roof;
for the correct orientation of pointers (rooms) on the ground, use a compass;
vertical alignment of the body is performed using a plumb line or building level;
fastening of the windsock is carried out with the help of strong metal brackets, anchor and dowel connections;
before installation, the rotation unit must be lubricated;
in order for the structure to perform the function of a lightning rod, the case is connected to the ground loop using steel wire.

You can fix the weather vane on the roof in several ways:

To the chimney. This option is the most successful, since the chimney is most often made of brick. To ensure the stability of the structure under strong wind loads, strong metal brackets with holes are welded in the upper and lower parts of the vertical base of the device. For fastening, metal anchors with a diameter of 10 mm or more are used. If the house is equipped with an exhaust pipe or a metal chimney, then the weather vane can be attached with crimp C-shaped clamps made of a metal bar with a diameter of at least 8 mm.
A weather vane mounted on a chimney not only indicates the direction of the wind, but also additionally protects the chimney and enhances draft
To the pediment. If the side surfaces of the gable roof are covered with bricks, then the windsock housing is attached to the upper part of the gable in the same way as in the case of a chimney. If boards are used for sheathing the ends of the roof, then through holes are made in them, and pads or washers with an area of at least 25 square meters are used for fastening. cm.
To fix the weather vane, the gable board must be impregnated and have a thickness of more than 50 mm
To the horse. The ridge is most often made of wood, so this option should only be considered if it is impossible to fix the weather vane in another way. To securely fix the structure on the roof, the body should be equipped with supporting paws, which will ensure its stability.
The weather vane fasteners must be reliable, as the design is quite heavy
To the elements of the truss system. This method of mounting will provide excellent stiffness and stability to the windsock, but will require a hole to be made in the roofing material. You can secure the device using suitable brackets or clamps. If the design of the weather vane allows you to make through drilling in its vertical stand, then you can fix the device with nails or powerful self-tapping screws. The disadvantage of this method is the violation of the integrity of the roof and, as a result, the need for additional waterproofing.

When choosing a place to install a wind vane, one should be guided not only by the criteria of aesthetics, functionality and reliability, but also take care of the safety of installation work and the possibility of servicing the windsock in the future.

When deciding to decorate a house with a weather vane, approach this process with all responsibility. First of all, the device must be reliable and stable, and only then - beautiful and functional. Do not forget that the figurine on the roof will somehow tell others about what kind of person you are - a dreamy, romantic nature or an independent, pragmatic person. Use the symbolism of the weather vane correctly, and it will bring good luck and prosperity to your home.

How a weather vane works and what it is, probably everyone knows. The device of the weather vane is very simple - it can be an ordinary flag mounted on a pole or roof ridge.

However, today there are also very advanced models with a rotating tube, an arrow, or even with electronic sensors, with the help of which the power and speed of wind gusts are additionally calculated.

Why do you need a weather vane

The weather vane turns in one direction or another due to the effect of air on the site. He seeks to take the optimal position, and the counterweight at the same moment points in the direction from which, in fact, the wind is blowing. Being on the roof of the house, such a pointer is clearly visible from afar.

To this day, many town halls of the cities of the Old World are decorated with original weather vanes with figures of animals, birds, fairy tale characters, for example, a cockerel on weather vanes is very popular. In addition, weathercocks are now very popular with owners of suburban real estate.

This meteorological instrument primarily serves to measure wind direction.

The direction here, as a rule, is determined by pins oriented along at least two points on the wind rose. The device can perform other significant functions.

Important! If you attach a propeller, then by the speed of its rotation it will be possible to judge the strength of the wind.

Some weathercocks are placed on chimneys. Here they provide protection of chimneys from clogging and ingress of precipitation. Weathercocks on the chimney also prevent back draft, that is, they do not allow air to be blown in.

Ultimately, the presence of a weather vane increases the safety of operation of the entire smoke exhaust system.

Owners of gardens and gardens sometimes install a weather vane with a propeller (the so-called windmill) to get rid of shrews, moles, rats. Vibrations transmitted to the soil from rotating propellers scare away pests, and they leave the site, looking for a new habitat.

In the current conditions, a weather vane can also play a purely decorative role - simply decorating the roof of a building. And in ancient times, it was often given a magical meaning, considered a kind of amulet of the home.

Main details

The design of the weather vane, installed on the roof, chimney or anywhere else, includes the following elements:

flag (platform);
counterweight;
vertical rod (vertical axis);
bearing;
pointers of the cardinal directions (rumba).

The wind presses on the flag, and it turns, taking the position of least resistance (parallel to the flow), and thus indicating the direction of the air flow. In this case, the flag may have the form of a standard geometric figure or be a very complex object in execution.

In many vane designs, the flag is placed at the tip of the boom. But at the same time, the presence of an arrow is not one hundred percent mandatory. Sometimes the flag is attached directly to the vertical axis.

As for the counterweight, the main requirement for it is this: its weight must exceed the weight of the flag. Only in this case, the weather vane will easily return to its original position. The counterweight and flag are always located opposite each other.

The vertical axle is basically supported by a round, durable bearing - this allows the axle and flag to rotate with ease.

In the lower part of the weather vane, located on the roof, rhumbs are often mounted with the designations of the cardinal points. This makes it easier to know the direction of the wind.

What materials can be used

There are a lot of materials and items from which, with minimal skills and imagination, you can build a homemade weather vane and install it on the roof.

Note! The classic weather vane is made of metal. Usually copper or steel is used here. Such a weather vane will surely last for many years and will not lose its attractiveness.

Structures made of wood and plywood are also found. But they have an obvious problem: they are negatively affected by precipitation and temperature changes. To extend the life of such weathercocks, they are coated with specialized varnishes and compounds.

Often, plywood or wooden weathercocks play the role of demonstration or training samples in children's optional circles, in school lessons. For example, they are used to develop children's crafting skills. And in this regard, plywood is an ideal material.

In the end, you can even create a weather vane out of seemingly inappropriate things, such as plastic bottles, disposable cups, or CDs.

Required tool

For the manufacture of a weather vane, metalwork and carpentry tools are needed that can cope with the processing of wood, metal or plastic. Plywood, wood and plastic are processed using a jigsaw, hacksaw, file, or, say, on a lathe. And to make holes, you will need a drill with drills of different sizes.

To work with metal, the master must have a grinder with metal discs, a jigsaw and even a welding machine. A thermal gun, pliers, vise, hammers, chisels can also be useful when creating metal weather vanes.

And regardless of the material, it is worth thinking about the tools with which you can decorate the future product: about the spray gun, markers, pencils, brushes, paints, varnish.

We must not forget when creating a weather vane about our own comfort and safety - if you use glue, be sure to wear rubber gloves. And if you need to resort to welding, then you should take care of the availability of overalls with long sleeves and a welding mask in advance.

plywood model

From pieces of plywood left over, say, after repairs, it is quite possible to make a beautiful weather vane. To begin with, it is worth choosing the simplest design.

It is necessary to cut three isosceles triangles from plywood. The optimal dimensions of the largest of them are 20 cm (base length) by 30 (total height). In this triangle, a hole must be drilled in the center for the subsequent fixing of the weather vane on the bar. The hole in size should correspond to the diameter of a regular nail.

The second triangle should be made smaller - with dimensions of 12.5 by 12.5 cm. A thin rectangle should be cut out from the top side of it. It should reach approximately the middle of the triangle.

The third triangle should be even smaller - with dimensions of 7.5 by 7.5 cm. A rectangle is also cut out in it, but this time it should start from the base.

Now we connect everything together: the largest triangle is the base, we glue the middle part to it, and the cut out rectangular section will play the role of fastening. Thus, a tail is formed at the wind vane (as the rotating part of the weather vane is called).

On the other side, we attach the smallest triangle to the large triangle. As a result, the design should look like an airplane.

We insert a nail with a bead strung on it into the hole in the center of the main triangle. We put two more beads on this nail from below.

Now the carnation just needs to be hammered into a wooden block. In general terms, the design is ready. Additionally, it can be varnished, painted, impregnated with water-repellent compounds.

Metal weather vane

It is possible to make a weather vane for the roof on your own from sheet metal. Of course, such work is very painstaking, requires practical skills. Here is a small instruction for the manufacture and installation on the roof:

a vertical rod of a metal weather vane is best made from a small pipe (diameter about 1.5 cm, length about 12 cm);
on this pipe, at one of its ends, a thread should be cut from the outside;
a bearing should be installed at the base. It must ensure the mobility of the structure;
for more reliable attachment to the roof, you can additionally make steel strips and attach them on the sides to the base (so that they do not interfere with its movement);
also, the master will have to make a metal blank, which will play the role of a case cover. And this cover on the inside must have a thread corresponding to the thread of the base;
the top of the lid should be decorated with a wind rose. It can be built from long thin metal tubes - they need to be connected together in one way or another and the cardinal directions are indicated by the corresponding letters;
what will be the appearance of the weather vane itself is limited only by your imagination. The design can be sawn out with a jigsaw or cut with scissors for metal, made on a special machine or forged in a forging furnace.

You can attach the finished weather vane to the base with bolts. However, there is an alternative option - some weld it to the base pipe. In order for the metal weather vane to really turn out to be beautiful and useful, it is advisable to first draw up a drawing of the future product. This will help make the manufacturing process simpler and clearer.

Many are interested in knowing how to make a weather vane with a propeller with their own hands. In general, the propeller can be attached at the very end, and reliable metal weathercocks are best suited for this. The propeller can be fixed either on a wind vane or on an axial rod - it depends on the design. Perhaps the most convenient option is to bolt the propeller between two identical washers.

And for those who want energy resources to be spent more economically, it is recommended to put the propeller on the bearing. By the way, with this approach, it will work much quieter.

From a plastic bottle

There are several options for making a weather vane from a plastic bottle. First of all, you need to prepare the bottle - cut off the bottom and neck from it, the result is a cylinder. Then we take a metal wire, heat it up and carefully pierce the cylinder through. There should be a distance of 1 cm from the edge of the cylinder to the wire.

The upper end of the wire should be carefully bent so that, being on the roof in bad weather, the structure does not shatter into pieces. And the lower end of the wire must be inserted into the bar, after putting a wooden bead on it. This bead is needed so that the weather vane does not come into contact with the bar and can rotate freely in all directions.

Sequence of work when mounting on the roof

By tradition, the weather vane is installed in the most prominent place - the ridge of the roof or the chimney. An important point in this case is the correct orientation of the pointer in space. You must use a working compass so that the arrow with the letter N points to the north, and with the letter W - to the west. In general, the process of installing a weather vane is carried out in the following sequence:

first, a specific installation site is marked on the roof;
then holes are drilled in this place with a drill - their number must match the number of holes in the base of the vane post (axle);
then anchor bolts of the required sizes are driven into the holes;
at the next stage, a vane stand with all the elements (bearings, couplings, possibly a beautiful animal figurine, etc.) is installed on these bolts. That is, the entire structure must be ready in advance so that it does not have to be assembled on the roof;
now you need to tighten the bolts tightly - the fastening must be really reliable. When twisting, it is also necessary to ensure that the vane stand is in a strictly vertical position. To achieve this, it is recommended to place special pads under the rack.

Now in stores you can buy ready-made brackets (holders) for attaching a weather vane to a particular type of roof, ridge or chimney. It is also worth noting that weather vanes are installed not only on roofs. You can put it separately on a high pole, on a balcony and follow the changes in the wind.