How to Mark Metal Whirligigs

The simplest whirligigs are little more than pinwheels planted in the ground.

Whirligigs are a form of lawn ornament that have one or more rotating elements driven by small sails that catch the wind like a pinwheel. Most whirligigs are simply decorated in a way that makes their whirling sails attractive. You can decorate the sails of a metal whirligig with the traditional art of metal punching, using a hammer and nail to mark a simple design.

Things You'll Need

• Pencil
• Paper
• Masking tape
• Metal whirligig
• Cardboard
• Hammer
• Nail

Instructions

1. Draw or trace a simple drawing of the pattern with which you want to decorate your whirligig onto a piece of paper.

2. Tape the paper to the metal surface on the whirligig that you want to decorate. Lay the metal onto a surface covered with a layer of cardboard.

3. Line the point of the nail up with a point on the drawing, then tap the head of the nail gently with the hammer to dent the metal.

4. Move the point of the nail 1/4 inch along the drawing and make another dent in the metal. Continue tapping dents along the lines until you have traced out the whole design.

Tips & Warnings

• In traditional metal punching it is common to make small holes in the metal instead of just denting it, but since this may diminish the whirligig's responsiveness to wind you will get better results if you use less force.

References

• Craftown.com: Metal Punch Instruction