Cheerful summer game- paper pinwheel in hands. And also development fine motor skills for first-graders. Or rather, already second graders!
First grade is over!
Ahead summer holidays. Textbooks have been put away long-term storage for the whole summer, and the old notebooks are no longer needed.
So let's make great toys from old, no longer needed math notebooks. After all, the first grade consists of special notebooks with large squares. Let's color them and make funny pinwheels that will be so fun to run down the street with.
So let's begin...
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Step 1. We take ordinary leaves from a math notebook for the first grade, that is, in a large square. (You can do small ones, but then you’ll have to paint a lot more time). Let's count the cells on the shorter side! (We count together with someone more mature or older). Then mark the same number of cells on the other side and cut off the extra ones. You will get a square! That's how many exercises for a first-grader at once. Using colored pencils, color the cells one at a time to create an ornament. It's about the same as in this photo. |
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Step 2. Fold the leaf diagonally. Unfold and fold along the second diagonal. Let's expand. We make cuts along the folds almost to the middle. For those who don’t understand, look at the photo next to it! |
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Step 3. Take the corner and bend it towards the middle. Holding the tip with your finger, bend the second corner, then the third and fourth. |
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Step 4. We take the button. But it’s better not an ordinary stationery one, but in the form of a needle with a handle tip. We pierce it in the middle so as to pierce all four curved ends and the leaf itself. |
A couple of weeks ago I installed one of my wind generators to help with solar panels. I put the blades on it that I found, two blades from 160-gauge pipe and two from galvanized sheet metal. The propeller seemed to work, but I wanted to make a normal propeller, one that would be fast and have a good starting torque. Below in the picture is a windmill with prefabricated blades, the quality is of course disgusting, but I think it’s clear what is shown.
Pipes of 110.160 mm with a speed of 5-6 did not want to show a good starting torque in the program, and pipes with a larger diameter are difficult to find. Good result in the program for calculating blades from PVC pipes they gave pipes of 250.315 mm, and a high starting torque, and high speed with KIEV.
Then I decided to try to make blades from tin, or more precisely from scraps of professional flooring that remained after sheathing the house with professional flooring. Previously, in the program, I adjusted the screw from the 315th pipe for my generator. The three-blade propeller turned out to have a diameter of 1.5 m, high speed with a high KIEV of 5-7, the starting torque at 5 m/s is 0.25 Nm. Below are screenshots from the blade calculation program.
Here is the data for cutting the screw - all dimensions in millimeters, which I then used to make the blades.
From the scraps of professional flooring, I chose three suitable small pieces and cut them to 75 cm with a grinder. Next, using a hammer, I began to straighten the profile into something like a smooth sheet. I immediately folded the back edge with a 1cm grip.
Next, I outlined the dimensions from the program on the workpiece and drew a front line along which I would cut the blade. I added 1cm to the dimensions because I will also bend the front part for rigidity. Below in the photo you can see the line along which I will bend the tin with pliers. The thickness of the tin is 0.6mm, but I cut it with ordinary scissors, not a grinder, it’s smoother and easier.
The process of bending the edges of the blade. The hem is done using pliers and then tapping with a hammer.
The process of making the remaining blades is the same, one blade took about twenty minutes of work and the result was these still flat blades.
This is what the blades look like from the reverse side.
Next, by longitudinally tapping with a hammer, I gave the blades the shape of grooves approximately like those of the 315th pipe. To roughly guess, I drew a circle with a diameter of 320 mm on the floor and guided myself by it. I exposed the root part of the blades to 3 cm, and folded the blades together and drilled holes along the zero line. I drilled holes with a diameter of 6mm.
View from the back.
So, spending about an hour and a half, I made the blades for the wind generator. The blades turned out to be flimsy, of course, but as practice has shown, such blades can withstand winds of up to 15 m/s. Next, I cut out a hub from plywood and assembled the finished screw.
Below is a photo of this propeller already on the wind generator.
After installation on the wind generator, the new propeller immediately showed its good side. There was a wind outside of about 3-6 m/s and the propeller was spinning well with a noticeably higher speed. It instantly responded to changes in wind speed and spun without stopping. Before it, a prefabricated four-blade propeller first melted, but somehow it did not gain high speeds. Then I removed two pieces of tin blades and two blades from the 150th pipe remained there. I connected the windings of the generator with a triangle and in this form the windmill worked with a two-bladed propeller, but the propeller periodically stopped and then had difficulty starting. The charging current was unstable, but in today's wind gusts it reached 4A.
With the new three-bladed propeller, the charging is almost constant, 0.5-1A is visible on the ammeter constantly with an increase to 2A. Let's see how it goes for more strong wind, but not bad. Because of the speed, charging does not stop and the propeller starts easily, which is what I wanted to do. I think the screw is strong enough, but time will tell. I haven’t come across screws for windmills made of tin on the Internet, and of course, in terms of strength, they cannot be compared even with PVC pipes, but this is also a solution when it’s difficult to get sewer pipes large diameters.
Screw for windmill made of tin
Photo report on the manufacture of a propeller for a wind generator. Windmill from an auto-generator, three-blade 1.5m propeller made of tin
The main part of the wind generator is the propeller, which converts wind energy into mechanical work. So what better screw, the more and more stable the wind generator will be able to generate electricity.
Materials used to create the screw:
1) corrugated sheet thickness 0.6 mm
2) Bulgarian
3) hammer
4) pliers
5) metal scissors
Let's take a closer look at the main points of working on creating a screw.
To begin with, he began basic calculations. First, pipes with a diameter of 110 and 160 mm were tested, since the author had them in stock, but with good high-speed qualities it was not possible to obtain sufficient starting torque from them. Then he decided to check which diameter would be most acceptable from the program side. Calculations have shown that pipes made of PVC diameter 250 and 315 mm. They have excellent indicators of both speed and starting torque.
But since there were no pipes of this diameter and it was quite difficult to find them, he decided to make the blades from the tin that was left over from the corrugated sheeting of the house. Previously, calculations were made with a screw from the 315th pipe in the program. The propeller consisted of three blades and had a diameter of about 1.5 meters. According to calculations, the speed of such a propeller was obtained with a high KIEV of 5-7, and the starting torque with a wind of 5 ms was equal to 0.25 Nm.
Below are excerpts from the program for calculating the efficiency of blades:
Below are all the basic calculations and data on dimensions in millimeters, based on which we began to manufacture the blades of the future propeller.
The most suitable pieces of three pieces were selected from the flooring scraps and processed with a grinder up to 75 cm. Using a hammer, the profile was given the appearance of a smooth sheet, and the rear edge was immediately bent with a grip of 10 mm.
Next, on the resulting sheets, the author marked the work front line, along which the blades were subsequently cut out. One centimeter was added to the main dimensions, since the author decided to bend the edges in order to give rigidity to the structure. The photographs below show the line along which the metal will be folded. The thickness of the sheet turned out to be about 0.6 mm, which made it possible to use metal scissors rather than a grinder, which made the blades more even.
For rigidity, the edges of the blades were bent. This was done using pliers followed by tapping with a hammer.
Using longitudinal tapping with a hammer, the blades were shaped into grooves similar to the 315th pipe. For visual understanding, he drew a circle with a diameter of 320 mm and was guided by it when manipulating the shape of the blades. Holes with a diameter of 6 mm were also drilled for subsequent assembly of the screw.
After installing this screw, it immediately showed itself with the best side. With a wind speed of 3-5 ms, it gained momentum perfectly and instantly responded to changes in the wind. Before this, the screws installed on the generator either stopped periodically or did not have enough revolutions to produce a stable current.
Now charging has become almost constant, the current is from 0.5-1 A and is constantly increasing to 2 A. Due to the speed, charging does not stop, even in light winds. Thus, the author found an excellent way to build a reliable and stable propeller for a windmill from improvised means, which is what he sought. This guide may help you if you are also having trouble finding large PVC pipes in your area.
Source
Efficient screw for wind generator
The main part of a wind generator is a screw, which converts wind energy into mechanical work. This means that the better the propeller, the more and more stable the wind generator will be able to produce
Assembly instructions
There are several types of wind turbines: horizontal and vertical, turbine. They have fundamental differences, pros and cons. The operating principle of all wind generators is the same - wind energy is converted into electrical energy and accumulated in batteries, and from them is used for human needs. The most common type is horizontal.
Familiar and recognizable. The advantage of a horizontal wind generator is its higher efficiency compared to others, since the windmill blades are always under the influence of air flow. Disadvantages include the requirement for winds above 5 meters per second. This type of windmill is the easiest to make, which is why home craftsmen often take it as a basis.
If you decide to try your hand at assembling a wind generator yourself, here are some recommendations. You need to start with the generator, this is the heart of the system; the design of the screw assembly depends on its parameter. Imported automobiles are suitable for this; there is information about use stepper motors, from printers or other office equipment. You can also use a bicycle wheel motor to make your own windmill to generate electricity.
Having decided on the unit for converting the wind flow into electric current, you need to assemble the gear unit for increasing the speed from the propeller to the generator shaft. One revolution of the propeller transmits 4-5 revolutions to the shaft of the generator unit.
When the gearbox-generator assembly is assembled, we begin to determine its torque resistance (grams per millimeter). To do this, you need to make an arm with a counterweight on the shaft of the future installation, and using a weight, find out at what weight the arm will go down. Less than 200 grams per meter is considered acceptable. Once we know the shoulder size, this is our blade length.
Many people think that the more blades the better. This is not entirely true, since we make the wind generator ourselves, and the parts of the future power plant are in the budget range. We need high speeds, and many propellers create greater wind resistance, as a result of which at some point the oncoming flow slows down the propeller and the efficiency of the installation drops. This can be avoided with a two-bladed propeller. In normal winds, such a propeller can spin up to or more than 1000 revolutions. You can make the blades of a homemade wind generator from available materials - from plywood and galvanized to plastic from water pipes(as in the photo below) and other things. Main condition easy and durable.
A lightweight propeller will increase the efficiency of the windmill and sensitivity to air flow. Be sure to balance the air wheel and remove any unevenness, otherwise you will hear whining and howling noises while the generator is running.
Next important element, this is the tail. It will keep the wheel in the wind flow, and rotate the structure if its direction changes.
It’s up to you to decide whether to make a current collector or not; perhaps you can make do with a connector on the cable and periodically unwind the twisted wire by hand. During the test run of the wind generator, do not forget about safety precautions; blades spinning in the wind flow can chop cabbage like a samurai.
A tuned, balanced windmill is installed on a mast at least 7 meters high from the ground, secured with spacer cables. Next, an equally important unit is the storage battery, it can be an old car that has lost its capacity or a battery. You cannot connect the output of a homemade wind generator directly to the battery; this must be done through a charging relay; you can assemble it yourself or purchase a ready-made one.
The principle of operation of the relay is to control the charge, and in case of charge, it switches the generator and battery to load ballast, the system strives to always be charged, preventing overcharging, and does not leave the generator without load. A windmill without load can spin up quite strongly to high speeds, damaging the insulation in the windings with the generated potential. In addition, high speeds can cause mechanical destruction of elements wind generator. Next is a voltage converter from 12 to 220 volts 50 Hz for connecting household appliances.
So we have provided all the most simple ideas assembling a homemade windmill. As you can see, even a child can easily make some models of devices. There are many other homemade options, but in order to get high voltage at the output, you need to use complex mechanisms, such as magnetic generators. Otherwise, if you want to make a wind generator so that it works and is used for its intended purpose, proceed according to the instructions we provided!
7 ideas for assembling a homemade windmill
Ideas on how to make a wind generator with your own hands at home. Photos, diagrams and drawings of homemade windmills. Video lessons on assembling a wind generator.
Domestic wind farms – independent alternative way receiving electricity.
Installing such equipment can significantly reduce electricity costs, provided that there are winds in the area of at least 4 m/s.
And the higher the wind speed, the greater the amount of energy generated by the device.
This article will discuss step by step plan making wind generator blades with your own hands.
Wind power plants
There are many design options for wind generators, the classification of which has basic characteristics:
- rotation axis location: vertical and horizontal,
- number of blades: usually from 1 to 6, but there are options with a larger number,
- type of rotary blade: in the form of a wing or sail,
- material for making the blade: wood, aluminum, PVC,
- screw wheel design: fixed or variable pitch.
The productivity of a wind generator largely depends on the blades: on how correctly their size and quantity are calculated, and whether the material for manufacturing is well selected.
Making blades with your own hands is not difficult, but before you start, you need to study some facts:
- The longer the blades, the more easily they lend themselves to the movement of wind, even the weakest. However, a longer length will slow down the rotation speed of the wind wheel.
- The sensitivity of the wind wheel is also affected by the number of blades: the more blades there are, the easier it will be to start the rotation. At the same time, power and speed indicators will decrease, which means that such a device is unsuitable for generating electricity, but is perfect for lifting work.
- The noise level emanating from the device depends on the diameter and speed of rotation of the wind wheel. This must be taken into account when installing a wind generator near residential buildings.
- More energy from the wind can be obtained by installing the windmill as high as possible above ground level (optimally from 6 to 15 m). Therefore, installation often takes place on the roof of a building or on a high mast.
Finished blades for a wind generator
Our next article contains instructions for making a smokehouse from a barrel.
Creating blades step by step
At independent design blades, the following must be taken into account:
- First you need to decide on the shape of the blade. For a home horizontal wind generator, the wing shape is considered more successful. Due to its structure, it has less aerodynamic drag. This effect is created due to the difference in the areas of the outer and inner surfaces of the element, and therefore there is a difference in air pressure on the sides. The sail shape has more drag and is therefore less efficient.
This is what wind resistance looks like different models blades
- Next you need to decide on the number of blades. For areas where there are constant winds, high-speed wind generators can be used. For such devices, 2-3 blades are enough for maximum engine speed. When using such a device in a windless area, it will be ineffective and will simply sit idle in calm weather. Another disadvantage of three-bladed wind generators is high level noise that sounds like a helicopter. This installation is not recommended near densely populated buildings.
For our latitudes, with weak and medium winds, five- and six-bladed windmills are better suited, which will allow them to capture weak wind flow and maintain stable engine operation
- Calculation of the power of a wind device. It is impossible to calculate an exact indicator, since the power will directly depend on the weather and wind movement. But there is a direct relationship between the diameter of the wind wheel with the number of blades and the power of the equipment.
The data is given for an average wind speed of 4 m/s (click on the picture to enlarge)
Having understood the data in the table and understanding the relationship, you can, by creating the right screw wheel, influence the power of the future design
- The choice of material for creating blades. The choice of materials for creating blades is quite wide: PVC, fiberglass, aluminum, etc. However, each of them has its own pros and cons. Let's look at the choice of material in more detail.
Fiberglass wind turbine blades
PVC pipe blades
When selecting correct size and the thickness of the pipes, the resulting wheel will have high strength and efficiency. It should be taken into account that in case of strong gusts of wind, plastic of insufficient thickness may not withstand the load and shatter into small pieces.
In order to secure the structure, it is better to reduce the length of the blades and increase their number to 6. To obtain such a number of parts, just one pipe is enough.
To create a blade you need to take a pipe from minimum thickness walls of 4 mm and a diameter of 160 mm, and mark the future elements using a ready-made template and marker.
In order to avoid mistakes when independent calculations, better use ready-made template, which can be easily found on the Internet. Because you can’t do this without special knowledge.
After cutting the pipe, the resulting elements need to be sanded and rounded at the edges. To connect the blades, a homemade steel assembly is made, with sufficient thickness and strength.
Aluminum blades
Such a blade is stronger and heavier, which means that the entire structure holding the propeller must be more massive and stable. The subsequent balancing of the wheel also needs to be treated with increased attention.
Drawing of a standard aluminum element for a six-blade wheel
Using the presented template, 6 identical elements are cut out of a sheet of aluminum, to the inside of which threaded bushings must be welded for further fastening.
Studs need to be welded to the connecting node, which will connect to the bushings prepared on the blades.
In order to improve the aerodynamic properties of such a blade, it needs to be given correct form. To do this, it needs to be rolled into a shallow groove so that an angle of 10 degrees is formed between the scroll axis and the longitudinal axis of the workpiece.
Fiberglass blades
The advantage of this material is optimal ratio mass and strength, combined with aerodynamic properties. But working with fiberglass requires special skill and great professionalism, so it is difficult to create such a product at home.
Fiberglass blades
It can be concluded that the most suitable material for self-assembly wind wheel - PVC pipe. It combines strength, lightness and good aerodynamic characteristics. Moreover, this is very available material, and even a beginner can handle the job.
How to make blades for a wind generator with your own hands
Home wind power plants are an independent alternative way to generate electricity. Installing such equipment can significantly reduce electricity costs. This article will discuss a step-by-step plan for making wind generator blades with your own hands.
For many technical devices a propeller, or, as it is otherwise called, a propeller, is invariably required. There are different goals, and for each you should choose a specific technology and strategy. If you are interested in how to make a weather vane with a propeller with your own hands, then this article is especially for you.
Which material to choose
What the screw will be made of should be chosen depending on its further purpose. For example, solid bars are ideal for making screws intended for powerful engines(about 15-30 hp)
If you consider yourself an experienced craftsman, then an aircraft plywood blank with a large number of layers is suitable for you. But amateurs should not start with it, because this specimen is very fragile and can form uneven surfaces.
Instructions
So, how to make a propeller with your own hands? The process of creating a propeller looks like this:
- First you need to work on the templates, namely: 1 template for the top, 1 for the sides and 12 templates for the blade in profile.
- Plane the screw blank according to the dimensions on all four sides and draw the axis lines and contours of the side view template.
- Remove excess wood. First you do this with a hatchet, and then with a plane and rasp.
- Now place the blade template on the workpiece and secure it with a nail in the center of the sleeve for a while, then trace it with a pencil.
- Rotate the template 180° and trace the second blade. Excess wood can be removed using a fine-tooth saw. This work should be done carefully and not in a hurry.
- Remove the wood without haste, making small and short cuts.
- The screw must be brought to readiness using a plane and rasp and checked in the slipway.
- In order to make a slipway, you need to look for a board that is the same length as the screw size, and also allows its thickness to make transverse cuts of 2 cm in order to install templates. To make the central rod of the slipway you will need solid wood. And its diameter should be the same as the diameter of the hole in the screw hub. The rod should be glued to the surface of the slipway at an angle of 90°.
- Put the propeller on and see how much wood needs to be cut to get the blades to fit the profile templates.
- Once the bottom surface of the screw begins to match the templates, you can begin finishing the top surface. This operation is very important, since the quality of the resulting screw is based on it.
For beginners, it is not uncommon for the blades to not match in size. For example, one turned out thinner than the other. But to make the correct propeller, you will have to achieve equal size by reducing the thickness of the other blade. Otherwise the propeller will not have balance. Small mistakes can be easily corrected. For example, stick small pieces of fiberglass or smear small sawdust who are involved in epoxy resin.
Prop Balance
The already made screw needs to be balanced. That is, to ensure that the weight of the blades matches. Otherwise, when the screw rotates, shaking will occur, leading to serious consequences - all the most important components of your device will be destroyed.
But in practice there are often cases when skilled craftsmen, who do not wonder how to make a propeller, the weight of the blades varies. And this is even if all the manufacturing nuances are observed! There are many explanations for this: different specific gravity of the various components of the bar from which the screw is made, different layer densities and many other reasons.
But there is a way out of this situation. It is necessary to adjust the propeller blades according to the weight. True, there is one “but” here.
Finally
So how do you make the right propeller? Under no circumstances should wood be cut from a heavier blade. Just the opposite - you need to weigh down the smaller blade by riveting in lead.
Here is the answer to the question of how to make a propeller if the propeller does not move during balancing. We strongly recommend that you follow all personal safety measures. A propeller is, first of all, an object that quickly rotates around its axis, which means it can potentially be dangerous. If you are trying to figure out how to make a propeller, then make sure that safety is observed.
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 presence modern devices 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, adjustments 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.
Required Tools
To do this you may need the following tools:
- welding machine;
- oil level;
- roulette;
- Bulgarian;
- electric drill;
- riveter;
- jigsaw (manual or electric);
- sandpaper;
- whatman;
- pencil;
- varnish and paint;
- paint brush.
Before work, tools must be checked and equipped.
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Materials used
Weather vanes made from a wide variety of materials are used to decorate houses.
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 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 of 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.
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Weather vane device
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 creative approach when designing and creating every detail.
The design of the weather vane is quite simple:
- Frame. It is made from steel pipe inch section. 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 finished 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.
Owners country houses have a desire to make their buildings unique, with a twist and memorable facade design. There are many ways to achieve the goal, they differ both in the complexity of engineering solutions and in cost.
Airplane - weather vane
In this article we will focus on one of the cheapest, but very effective methods improvements appearance structure - installing a weather vane with a propeller.
Weathervanes may externally resemble models of airplanes, animals, or have original form etc. These are design characteristics; they do not affect the functional parameters of the products. The main differences between them are in the materials of manufacture.
What can be used for these purposes?
| Material of manufacture | Description of technical and operational characteristics |
|---|---|
| Not a very common manufacturing option, nowadays it is quite rare. Reason - factual performance characteristics don't answer modern requirements. Impregnation of the material with compounds only slightly increases the time of use of the products. In addition, the weather vane has some elements that are in constant motion. Wood is not characterized by high wear resistance; to increase its service life it is necessary to take special technical measures. This can only be done by a professional master. |
| A fairly common manufacturing option, there is a significant operational drawback - the surfaces have to be reliably protected from rust. Another problem is for manufacturing metal structure you need to have special equipment and tools. Vanes made of alloyed stainless steel have excellent performance. |
| Beautiful, strong and durable material. You can buy sheet copper in ordinary stores. building materials. Copper plates are thin and can be cut with ordinary scissors, which makes the manufacturing process much easier. A copper weather vane ages over time and takes on a very prestigious appearance. |
| Original modern material, is quite popular. Plastic is very technologically advanced, it is easy to saw and cut, and when heated it acquires various shapes and after cooling preserves them. Disadvantage - low strength indicators reduce the service life of such products. |
| The worst choice, in all operational and physical characteristics, is inferior to the above materials. It is not recommended to install such a weather vane on the roof ridge; dismantling is too complicated, and this will have to be done in a few months. |
The main criterion for choosing a material should be the final purpose of manufacturing the weather vane and the location of its installation. If it will be placed on the roof, then you should choose durable, beautiful and weather-resistant materials. All moving elements must be made with a large margin of safety; no one wants to climb onto the roof every month to repair the device.
Prices for different types of weather vanes
Making a copper weather vane
The size of the weather vane is 18x29 cm, the material of manufacture is copper and brass. There is no point in making a large weather vane; heavy structures only complicate the production process and reduce reliability. Concerning designer look, then here too there are strict restrictions on the dimensions of the elements installed on the roof ridge. And one last thing. We must not forget that the weather vane will still have to be fixed, and these are extra holes in the roof that do not benefit it.
To make a weather vane, you can use scrap materials left over from other work and old items. In our case, we use a piece of fluoroplastic, a copper rod Ø 6 mm, an unnecessary old brass candlestick and an oil pump plunger. Fluoroplastic is used as a bearing - it is not afraid of moisture, is highly wear-resistant and has sufficient physical strength.
Step 1. Search the Internet and print out a design or design for a weather vane.
Practical advice. There is no need to choose complex or small designs, they are invisible from long distance. In addition, such contours are very difficult to cut, so you shouldn’t create additional problems for yourself. Moreover, no positive effect will result.
Step 2. Glue the patterned paper onto the copper plate. To do this, you can use special tapes. They are glued to paper, and then the protective coatings on the back are removed. After removal, the adhesive remains on the paper; it can be fixed to any object.
Step 3. Using special or ordinary scissors, cut out the outline of the weather vane. A thin copper plate is easy to cut.
Step 4. Secure the weather vane blank between two pieces smooth boards, firmly compress them with clamps. Bend one edge at a right angle with a mallet. The length of the hem is approximately 2-3mm. It is needed so that during further cutting of the contour the current copper plate does not become deformed. Subsequently, a tube is soldered to the hem.
Step 5. Start cutting out small details of the pattern. This must be done with needle files, having previously drilled holes of the appropriate diameter.
Take your time, work very carefully. It’s not a problem if the pattern is slightly disrupted and changed, this is an exclusive and individual solution. The main thing is that the plane of the plate does not have critical deformations.
Step 6. Remove the paper from the surface of the plate and use fine sandpaper to thoroughly clean it.
Step 7 Increase the hardness of the platinum, it is very thin and cannot withstand strong gusts of wind. To do this, it is better to use brass wire with a diameter of 2–4 mm. The line should approximately correspond to two lengths of the weather vane. Bend the wire in an arc in the center; it is better to use a circle of the appropriate diameter as a template.
Place the workpiece on the plate and adjust the shape of the wire if necessary. Press the parts with any heavy object, treat the soldering area with a special flux and connect the two elements. You can solder with either an ordinary electric or a modern gas soldering iron. The second tool is much easier and faster to work with.
At this point, the weather vane sail itself is ready; we need to start making other parts. Let's say right away that these processes are much more complicated than the first.
Manufacturing of guide structures
You will need to make your own decisions based on what products you have, what you can use from them and in what capacity. We have already mentioned that in our case, some parts of the weather vane are made from old candlesticks.
Step 1. Unscrew the upper part of the candlestick from the stand, clamp it in a vice and solder a piece to it copper tube.
Its length should be 1–2 cm greater than the width of the sail, in our case 20 cm. The soldering process is standard, always follow safety rules. The fact is that for soldering copper a rather aggressive flux is used; it must dissolve the upper film of metal oxide. Otherwise the solder will not bond to the copper.
Step 2. Place a decorative cap on the end. It is advisable to machine it separately from a suitable alloy. If this is not possible, then use the parts you have on hand from other products.
Step 3. Solder the weather vane sail on one side of the copper tube, and specially bent copper wires on the other side. The sail is fixed to the previously bent side, and the pieces of wire are located exactly along the line of symmetry with opposite side. In the final form, all elements are located strictly in one plane; they should look symmetrical and beautiful. If desired, create various patterns, bend the wire into spirals, and create additional decorative elements.
Step 4. Flare one end of the copper tube. This is done using a hammer and a steel cone. Place the tube in a vertical position on the cone and use a hammer to flare it from the opposite side. Try to make everything look nice, don't increase the diameter too much. Otherwise, the copper may crack, and you will have to cut off the damaged end and start the work all over again.
Step 5. Carefully cut off the end of the tube opposite to the flare. It is better to use a special cutter; it leaves a perfectly even cut perpendicular to the axis. But not everyone has such a tool; only professionals need it. You can remove the end of the tube with an ordinary hacksaw, and then straighten the ends with files. The fact is that it is very difficult to achieve an ideal cut using only a blade; in most cases you will have to work with files.
Step 6. Insert the coupling into the flared tube, push it tightly inside. Next you should solder another piece, its length is much longer. This tube serves as a housing for the internal axle and fluoroplastic bushing. Work very carefully, the axes of all tubes must be located strictly on the same line. While soldering, constantly check the position of the elements and adjust them if necessary.
Step 7 Insert a specially prepared piece of fluoroplastic into the bottom end. It should fit tightly into the tube, not wobble or fall out. The fluoroplastic must have a hole into which the oil pump plunger is inserted.
Connection of fluoroplastic and tube, as well as plunger (pictured on the right)
Make the hole 0.1 mm smaller than the diameter of the plunger; you need to achieve a connection with a slight interference fit. The plunger is made of very durable alloy stainless steel, which ensures long and reliable operation this element. We remind you once again that everything individual parts must lie on the same straight line, the performance of the weather vane depends on this.
Step 8 Assemble the weather vane, insert all the parts into place and check its rotation. It should be free and as light as possible.
If desired, copper can be artificially aged; liver of sulfur is used for this. The patination process is accompanied by the release of harmful chemical compounds; you need to work in a respirator and rubber gloves.
“Sulfur liver” is a brown mass obtained by sintering 1 g of sulfur with 2 g of potash or caustic soda. Bake the mixture in an iron spoon over low heat.
Place a propeller on the weather vane; we’ll tell you how to make it a little below.
Now you can install the finished weather vane on the roof ridge. Decide on a location and drill holes of a suitable diameter. If you have a metal bar on your skate, then the work is much simpler. For ceramic coatings we will have to come up with other options for safe and reliable fastenings for the roof. The drilled hole is sealed with a strip of tape impregnated with bitumen, and only then the weather vane is tightly inserted into it.
Important. The weather vane structure cannot be held securely by a hole in the metal sheet approximately 0.45mm thick. If the roof is not insulated, then additional elements for fixation should be installed on the attic side. If attic space mansard type, then it is impossible to get to the base of the weather vane from the back side of the roof; it is necessary to make special platforms for reliable fixation of the product on the metal roof.
Prices for different types of soldering irons
Soldering iron
Making a weather vane from sheet steel
The process of manufacturing a weather vane from sheet steel does not differ much from those described above, the only difference is in the technologies used.
Sheet steel is much stronger than copper, which causes problems when cutting patterns into a weather vane sail.
It is best to use a hand-held plasma cutter; such a machine is easy to work with and produces smooth edges. But the drawing needs to be transferred from paper to a metal plate; this can be done using a felt-tip pen.
Accordingly, all assembly work is done by welding, then the seams are cleaned, and the metal weather vane is covered with protective anti-corrosion coatings.
As mentioned above, it is better to use stainless steel sheets for such products. After cutting out the pattern, metal streaks appear on the back side of the sheet; they must be removed. Use an ordinary grinder with a thick abrasive disc. Not thin for cutting metal, but thick. Thin ones can crack, causing very serious injury.
Metal, plastic or wooden propellers are placed on the front of the weather vanes.
How to make a propeller
The wooden propeller screw is made from hornbeam, birch or pear. Can also be used conifers wood, but they are quite soft and wear out quickly. The propeller is made in several stages.
Step 1. Draw a top view on the workpiece; for this, use a pre-made template. Drill a hole in the center for the shaft; the diameters should ensure free rotation.
Step 2. Electric jigsaw Cut out the workpiece and mark the twist angles of the blades on it. They influence the traction force; with increasing values, the propeller will rotate from the slightest air movements.
Step 3. Draw a side view, remove excess wood thickness with a knife or plane. Treat the transition of the blades to the center of the core.
The profile must be flat-convex
Step 4. After cutting, level the surfaces sandpaper. Balance on a horizontal wire.
Now all that remains is to coat the surfaces of the propeller with durable varnish for exterior use and install it on the weather vane.
Prices for popular models of jigsaws
Jigsaw
Video - How to make a weather vane
The decoration of the roof can be not only a figured weather vane, but also a simple cap crowning the chimney pipe. Such products are necessary to prevent dirt, debris, and moisture from getting inside the chimney, and to prevent birds from building nests on the chimney. About,