Author Topic: Easy-to-make Whirligigs  (Read 8611 times)

Offline PTsideshow

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Easy-to-make Whirligigs
« on: January 17, 2010, 06:39:22 AM »
Easy-to-make Whirligigs
Anders S Lunde
Dover Reprint (1996)
Copyright ©1982,1986
Originally published by
Chilton Book Company
2nd ed, Whirligigs: Design and Construction
Trade paper back
ISBN 978-0-486-28965-6
Dover books USA

Dover books UK



The book covers the design, construction and operation of wind toys, whirligigs, and whirligig weather vanes.  It is about wood constructed items.  With a little thought and planning the designs can be worked out in either all metal or some combination of both.

Having only a vague idea about them, I didn’t think much about types, sub types and others before reading the book.  This is another of the hobbyist type books with a lot of information, that people on this forum already known.  So the sections on tools and materials may be of little interest.  But having made a number of attempts at making a couple in the past, and not getting them to work correctly.  The sections on a Mounting/Test Stands, Fan, Center lines, Body balance point, pivot points and holes for the axles.

The pivot and balance points make so much difference, it truly is what a difference a ¼” can make.  He also covers copying from older folk art styles and types.  And that you should re engineer them as following them directly means that they probably won’t work as they may never have worked, or they could have been modified over time. 

Covering the type of whirligigs:
         Winged whirligigs
         Arm-waving whirligigs
        Weathervane whirligigs and other special types
        Mechanical whirligigs

As with most things so simple, they turn out to be more complicated than first glance.  Take the propeller’s there is the basic style, and  numerous other styles, Modified Propellers, Multibladed Designs, Metal Propellers, Mechanical Styles, New Designs and then the Drive shafts for the Mechanical whirligigs.

The next 5 chapters are construction information, for each style with the tips for that style covered.  Along with the parts lists for the patterns that go with that style.  Ending this book which is one of 3 whirligigs books that he has written.

He ends the book with tips and hints for Developing Original Designs, Final Notes on Construction, Repairing Whirligigs, and finally Developing New Designs.  Whether its wood, metal  or a combination, this one will help.
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