Weathervane

In the Midwest, a short drive out of town has you in the middle of the rolling corn and bean fields of Iowa. Speckled throughout the countryside are family farms of all sizes. Often, most have been in the family for centuries. And even though modern machine-sheds are now more common than barns, you’ll still see old barns being used for storage. If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of an old weathervane still sitting on the roof, ready to point where the wind is coming from.

WHIMSICAL DESIGN. While weathervanes aren’t used as much anymore, building one is still an adventure and a fun journey that blends woodworking and metalworking. Sprinkle in a little sculpture and you’ll end up with something like you see here —a creative, fun weathervane for your home, garden, or even your barn. Seriously, send me pictures.

One of my favorite things about this weathervane is the ability to change the design. Here, I’ll walk you through how we built this one. But, half of the enjoyment of woodworking is making something your own. So feel free to take liberties and customize your weathervane.

As far as our weathervane goes, there are some great techniques here. The stars and directions are made from brass. They’re simple to do and you’ll get some soldering practice in. The arrow and moon involve some free-forming with hand tools. And maybe my favorite