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By
Paul Mooney
Right, we've already made our Jam Jar barometer and our pop bottle
rain gauge.
Let's
complete our homemade weather station with a wind vane which will
indicate which way the wind is blowing.
Because
this one requires some sharp tools and edges it's not really suitable
for kids to attempt, so I've given Katie the day off, but of course
the children will still be able to use it when it's finished.
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what you'll need:
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A length of wood to use as a mast, I've used a broom handle.
A
second piece of wood 18 inches long.
Some
light, but strong weather proof material to make the head
and tail of the vane, I used a couple of tin foil pie dishes.
A
nail and a washer.
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Take
your 18 inch piece of wood and cut two vertical slots in the ends,
these are to hold the head and tail.
Take
the broom handle and drill a hole in the top. Drill a hole exactly
half way along the other, shorter piece of wood and place it on
the end of the broom handle, securing it with the nail.
The
washer should be placed in between the two pieces and the shorter
piece should be able to rotate freely on the end of the broom handle.
Now
take your pie dishes and cut out a triangle for the head and a squarer
shape for the tail.
Slot
the head and tail into the ends of your 18 inch length of wood,
securing then with glue or a small nail if necessary... and voila!
One home made weather vane.
As
with the rain gauge it should be placed in a place where it is as
exposed as possible to the elements.
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| You've
got to have the right tool for the job |
It
won't work if it's hidden behind a wall. Try and attach it to a
fence post or place it right in the middle of the garden, but a
word of warning if you've used tin foil for your head and tail why
not trim them with tape so that no-one cuts themselves on them.
Now
your new wind vane won't tell you how strong the wind is, but it
will tell you which direction it's blowing from.
The
arrow head will point to the direction of the wind, so if the arrow
is pointing to the west, then the wind is blowing from the west.
You
can use it with your other home made instruments to watch how different
weather situations affect where you live.
For
example, we often think that high pressure equals fine weather.
However,
watch for occasions when the air pressure is high, but winds blowing
from the east mean lots of dull, dismal weather across the northeast
with rain and drizzle at times or how, even if the pressure is falling,
a westerly wind can mean some fine, bright, if breezy, weather in
our part of the world.
Have
fun with your weather toys, and let me know if you make any interesting
observations.
Now,
I just hope Mrs M doesn't want to sweep the kitchen floor today,
seeing as how her broom handle is otherwise occupied.
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