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Weather Vane Directions

Weather vanes monitor not only wind, but also a variety of other environmental variables. A wind vane mounted atop the weather vane indicates wind direction but is not the sole component of a weather vane. You can also attach simple, inexpensive devices to your wind vane pole and easily measure temperature and rainfall as well. You can make your own weather vane in an afternoon with only a few basic materials available at your local hardware store.

Things You'll Need

3-inch diameter thin-walled PVC pipe, 1-foot length
1.5-inch diameter thin-walled PVC pipe, 10-foot length
0.75-inch diameter thin-walled PVC pipe, 2-foot length
1.5-inch diameter PVC slip slide tee
End cap for 1.5-inch diameter PVC pipe
End cap for 0.75-inch diameter PVC pipe
1.5-inch to 0.75-inch diameter PVC reducer bushing
PVC saw
PVC cement
24-by-24-inch galvanized steel sheet
Tin snips
Electric drill
Drill bits -- sheet metal and general use, various sizes
4 zip ties
Metal letter "N" -- outdoor use, single screw mounting
Small screws and matching nuts
Outdoor thermometer -- wall mount, less than 2-by-12 inches
Post mount rain gauge -- clear plastic tube type
Permanent marker
Post hole diggers or shovel
Ladder

Instructions

Wind Vane Sail
- 1
  Draw a wind vane sail shape onto sheet metal and cut the shape out with tin snips.
- 2
  Cap one end of the 0.75-inch diameter PVC pipe -- apply a 0.5-inch wide band of PVC cement around one end of the pipe and twist the cap onto the pipe to attach. Allow to dry thoroughly, according to the PVC cement manufacturer's instructions.
- 3
  Lay the PVC pipe onto the sail so that 60 percent of the sail (wind vane tail) is located to the left of the PVC pipe. Make four marks on the metal sail -- one on each side of the PVC pipe, just below the top of the sail, and one on each side of the pipe, just above the bottom of the sail. Drill a hole through each of these four marks using a drill bit slightly larger than your zip ties. Zip-tie the sail to the top of the PVC pipe sail mast through these holes.
Weather Vane Pole
- 4
  Cut 1.5-inch diameter PVC to create an 8-foot length and a 2-foot length.
- 5
  Attach the 1.5-inch- to 0.75-inch-diameter reducer bushing to one end of the 8-foot length of 1.5-inch-diameter PVC. Apply a 1-inch-wide band of PVC cement around the outside of the end of the pipe and twist the bushing onto the pipe firmly. Allow to dry thoroughly, according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- 6
  Slide a tee onto the 8-foot length of 1.5-inch-diameter PVC pipe. Paint a 2-inch-wide band of PVC cement around the top of the pipe approximately 6 inches below the reducer bushing at the end. Slide the tee up over the PVC cement and allow to dry thoroughly, according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- 7
  Drill a hole slightly in the center of the 1.5-inch-diameter end cap using a drill big slightly larger in diameter than your screws. Attach the metal letter "N" to the end cap firmly using a screw and a nut.
- 8
  Apply a 1-inch-wide band of PVC cement to each end of a 2-foot length of 1.5-inch-diameter PVC pipe. Twist the lettered end cap firmly onto the end of the pipe. Attach the 2-foot length of pipe to the 8-foot length of pipe by twisting it into the open end of the slide tee that you previously attached to the 8-foot length of pipe. Make sure that the letter "N" is oriented so that the top faces toward the reducer bushing at the top of the 8-foot length of pipe. Allow to dry thoroughly.
Installation
- 9
  Install the weather vane pole in the ground so that the open end is buried 2 feet beneath the soil surface and the letter "N" on the end of the short PVC arm at the top of the pole faces north.
- 10
  Climb the ladder and insert the open end of the PVC wind vane sail mast into the open end of the reducer bushing on the weather vane pole -- the sail should rotate freely.
- 11
  Zip-tie the rain gauge loosely to the weather vane pole at a comfortable height -- you should be able to lift the rain gauge out of the zip tie loop and empty it.
- 12
  Drill a hole through one wall of the 3-inch-diameter PVC pipe near one end of the pipe. Insert the thermometer into this PVC pipe windshield and attach it with a zip tie through the freshly drilled hole.
- 13
  Drill a hole through the PVC thermometer windshield near each end of the pipe at a 90-degree angle to the thermometer attachment hole. Zip-tie the thermometer windshield to the weather vane pole through the freshly drilled holes so that the top is slightly below eye level.

Nature