Weathervane

[Hitch]

Need to get this made, every time i think about it, i have another idea about making it spin.....

Top pattern and arrow attached to a tube, a ball bearing in the end of the capped tube, that slides over and rests on the main support pole..... easy....nowhere for water to get in a seize it up either....

Any other methods that you use and have worked well.

 

[GrahamGKD]

Hi Hitch,
I made one a while ago (here) - there is a steel pin attached to the rotating part with an inverted steel 'cup' sealed with weld at the top of the pin. This cup drips any water to the outside. The pin drops into a tube which has a brass bush top and bottom. The top bush has a 'thrust' surface on top which bears on the inside of the inverted cup. When I say 'cup' - it is just a stubby bar end, drilled through for the pin and then counter bored with a clearance hole for the tube. Hope that makes sense? I'd take some pictures of the bearing but it is up on a friend of mines roof now! The cup I mention is immediately below the pointer beam in my linked picture.

I think I follow your method - wouldn't you need some kind of bush at the bottom?

 

[Welderpaul]

Top pattern and arrow attached to a tube, a ball bearing in the end of the capped tube, that slides over and rests on the main support pole.....

That was Dibnahs method
Worked for him. As long as the ball bearing is the right size, cant see that not working.
There is a 2.5t gate leaf hanging by this method in a yard not too far from here. Thats been opened and closed 4 times a day for the last 2 years with no problems.

 

[Hitch]

I think a ptfe bush at the bottom of the tube wouldn't be out of place....
.

 

[GrahamGKD]

I think a ptfe bush at the bottom of the tube wouldn't be out of place....
.

Yes, good idea - if I had thought of it I might well have used PTFE for mine.

 

[Welderpaul]

What's the pattern Karl?

 

[Hitch]

Good question, a bird probably......undecided.

Got a couple of bits of tube....26mm for the inner, 33 for the outer, 25mm ball.
Deseamed the 33, a nice fit, im wondering if i need a bush on the bottom....

 

[Lewis Medlock]

I had a look round here a few months ago, no flashback arrestors on their gas kit.

http://www.greensvanes.co.uk/index.html

Good stuff though,

Jim