How to Make a Wind Vane

A wind vane, also referred to as a weather vane, is a meteorological instrument used to determine the direction of the wind, in weather forecasting. Interpreting the changes in the direction of wind, and tallying it with other factors of weather, such as cloud conditions, can help in making short range weather forecasts. Modern wind vanes are connected to remote reading stations, and quite often feature an anemometer, a wind speed indicator device, to get precise reading.

Design and Accuracy
The wind vane has to be designed in such a way that the weight should be evenly distributed on each side of rotational axis, so that the pointer can move freely on its axis. One of the side of the arrow in the wind vane is larger than the other sides. When the wind blows the larger area is blown away, thus making the narrower area (the pointer) point to the particular direction from which the wind is blowing. Some wind vanes have the directions marked on the rod of the vane, which helps the interpreter to determine from the side from which the wind is blowing. In absence of these direction pointers, the interpreter has to use a compass to determine the direction. In order to obtain an accurate reading, the wind vane should be fixed well above the ground. Buildings, trees or other tall structures can interfere with the direction of the wind, so it's wiser to fix the vane in an open area, and more importantly at a high altitude.

How to Make a Wind Vane?
Wind vane is one of the simplest weather instruments, and hence it is easy to make one. Knowing how to build a wind vane can help you to detect weather conditions in your neighborhood. You can use wood or metal to make a wind vane, as these materials can withstand strong winds and rough weather conditions. The foremost thing is to choose a design for your wind vane. An ideal design would be the shape of an arrow, with a sharp nose and a broad tail. Draw it on a cardboard, and cut out the template using a pair of scissors or a cutter. Then take the metal sheet or wooden board, put the template on it and trace the outline using a marker. Use a saw to cut out the design. Use a thick metal rod to make a pole for the wind vane. The height of the pole depends on the point where you are going to fix it, and surrounding area. Mark the area on the rod where you would mount the wind vane. Ideally it would be around 5 cm below the tip of the rod. Take a washer and weld it on the rod, at the point marked to mount the vane. The washer will prevent your wind vane from sliding down. Attach the brackets to the back of the vane. If the vane is made up of metal, you can weld these brackets, and if it is made of wood you can use screws to fix them. While choosing the brackets make sure that they are large enough to allow the wind vane to rotate freely. Slip the pole in the brackets and weld another washer, over the wind vane, on the pole. Ensure that the washer doesn't interfere with the movement of the vane. Finally your wind vane is ready, you can fix the wind vane on your roof top. You can also create direction pointers with letters N, S, E and W and fix it on the rod, below the wind vane. While fixing the vane on the roof top, make sure that your direction pointers are facing the right directions.

Wind vane is one of the most important weather instruments in studying the weather behavior and forecasting changes in weather. Knowing how to make a wind vane can help you to build your own home weather station, and eventually become an amateur meteorologist, making simple weather forecasts in your neighborhood.