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WEATHERVANE GLOSSARY

WEATHERVANE (aka weather vane, wind vane): Refers to unit that turns in the wind. Preferably made of copper (or other non-ferrous metals that do not rust such as brass or nickel silver) but can also be made of wood, aluminum, steel or iron.

• Swell bodied weathervane: The most common type of weathervane. The sculpture piece has dimension but is thinner than a fully three-dimensional sculpture piece so it will be more aerodynamic in the wind. Swell-bodied weathervanes tend to be priced in between full-bodied and silhouette weathervanes although this can vary, depending on the complexity and size of the particular design. The Running Golden Retriever weathervane is an example of a swell-bodied weathervane.

• Full-bodied weathervane: This refers to a fully three-dimensional weathervane. Generally subject to more wind stress than a swell bodied weathervane due to their more boxy nature. Full-bodied weathervanes need more structural support than their thinner swell-bodied counterparts. Full-bodied weathervanes tend to be the most expensive type of weathervane as many more individual pieces are required to make them. The Mercedes Benz weathervane is an example of a full-bodied weathervane.

• Silhouette weathervanes: These weathervanes are general made of flat sheet metal with no sculptural qualities. This type of weathervane  works best when it has a strong, readily identifiable profile. Generally speaking, silhouette weathervanes are made in smaller sizes as they do not have the same structural strength of swell bodied or full bodied weathervanes. Silhouette weathervanes tend to be the least expensive type of weathervane as very few pieces are required to make them and no shaping of the metal is involved in their creation. The Corvette weathervane is an example of a Silhouette weathervane.

Please click on the thumbnails below to view larger images.
Swell Body Weathervane Example: Running Golden Retriever Weathervane	Full Body Weathervane Example: Mercedes Benz Weathervane	Silhouette Weathervane Example: Corvette Automobile Weathervane

HARNESS: The weathervane harness consists of the components beneath the weathervane sculpture piece. The harness usually includes the vertical installation rod, directionals arms, copper or glass globes, brass ring(s) and pivot ball. The larger the weathervane, the larger all the components making up the harness will be.

Standard Weathervane Harness

Please click on the thumbnail to view larger image.

• Directionals (aka Cardinals or Compass Rose): the arms that extend out at 90 degree angles from a central collar that slides down over the installation rod and indicate direction (north, south, east and west). Directionals are most frequently made of solid cast brass but may also be made of other materials and other production techniques.

• Globes (aka Balls or Ornaments): decorative round ornaments with top and bottom holes that allow them to be slid over a vertical installation rod. Globes are usually made of copper or glass and appear above and below the Directionals.  Usually the globe above the Directionals is smaller than the one below the Directionals.

• Installation Rod (aka Mast): Preferably composed of stainless steel but often made of cold rolled steel and normally painted black.. Stainless steel installation rods are stronger and less prone to rust and environmental degradation that rods made of cold rolled steel. You can tell the difference by putting a magnet against the rod. If it is strongly magnetized it is cold rolled steel, if the attraction is minimal, it is stainless steel. Brass, aluminum or copper rod is not recommended, unless the weathervane is very small, as it is too soft and can bend in high wind conditions. We offer different installation rods, depending on the size of the weathervane it will be supporting.

• Installation Rods for most Extra-Large (4 foot) or Large (3 foot) weathervanes: The diameter of the rod will range from ¾” to 1-1/4” depending on the scale and weight of the sculpture piece it will be supporting. These rods have no taper to them. See photo of Standard Harness.

• Installation Rods for some Large (3 foot) or most Medium (2 foot) weathervanes: The installation rod consists of two sections that are welded together. The bottom section is ¾” in diameter. The top 10” tapers down to 3/8” in diameter.

• Installation Tube for Small (1 foot) weathervanes: The installation tube for our small weathervanes is 3/8” in diameter. In this case, the weathervane slides down into the tube whereas, in the larger sized vanes, the sculpture piece slides down over the rod.

• Brass Rings: The brass ring(s) slid down over the stainless steel installation rod and are meant to hold the copper globe(s) in place. If the stainless steel rod has no taper, we provide two brass rings. If the stainless steel rod has a taper, only one brass ring is required.

•  Pivot Ball(s): A pivot ball is an optional harness component that can be balanced on top of the installation rod and covered by sliding the weathervane mounting tube down over the top portion of the installation rod. The sandwiched pivot ball decreases the area of contact between the weathervane sculpture piece and the installation rod and allows the weathervane to turn more freely in the wind.

WEATHERVANE MAKING TECHNIQUES:

• Free Form Technique: Metal shaping technique that does not involve the use of molds. Soft metal sheets such as copper, brass and nickel silver are shaped with soft rawhide hammers over various shaped oak posts or into sand pillows. Each weathervane made using this technique is unique as each weathervane maker uses finely honed hand-eye coordination to interpret metal into a three-dimension shape. Facial features, horse musculature, the billow in a sail, etc. are individually interpreted by the craftsman making the sculpture piece. This makes each weathervane a one of a kind sculpture, even when the same pattern is used to start the weathervane.

• Repoussé: an ancient metal working technique used by metal smiths to ornament malleable metals. The technique involves hammering the reverse side of a metal, such as copper or brass, to create a decorative effect. At West Coast Weather Vanes, we have created our own custom hammers to produce repoussé effects in metal such as a mermaid's scales, the breast feathers of an eagle or the dense texture of a grizzly bear's fur.

• Chasing: another ancient metal working technique that is often used conjunction repoussé. While repoussé raises the metal from the reverse side, chasing is the process of hammering a line or groove into the metal's visible side, depressing the metal's surface. While it can be used as a stand alone technique, when used in combination with repoussé, a richly complex and varied surface can be created.

• Mirror Image: a weather vane design where both sides of the weathervane look alike. When the wind turns the sculpture piece 180 degrees, even thought it is now facing the opposite direction, it looks that same as it does when facing the other way. The two photos of the Boxer and Westie weathervane  illustrate this weathervane making technique.

• Non-Mirror Image: a weathervane design where opposite sides of the design are different from each other. This style of design generally conveys a greater sense of motion than a mirror image weathervane design. Non-mirror image weathervanes also tend to be harder to make and usually require greater skill and knowledge of the metal to get the disparate pieces to line up correctly when soldering them together. The two photos of the Pegasus weathervane illustrate the differences in the horse’s body on opposite sides of the weathervane.