How to Build a Homemade Weather Station
President, scientist and historian Thomas Jefferson built a home weather station and made elaborate scientific notes while using it. While every home weather station might not draw the attention that Jefferson gave to his historic creation, it is certainly a valuable tool in deciding whether to bring a raincoat to work. A weather station may be created by purchasing a weather vane, thermometer, barometer, and rain gauge, but these items can be quickly and easily made with inexpensive parts. Select one window with a good outside view and follow the directions to begin constructing the station.
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Things You'll Need
- Beaker
- 12-inch plastic tubing
- Putty
- Ruler
- Water
- Permanent black marker
- 1-cup plastic measuring cup
- Wire
- Nails (stainless or galvanized)
- Screws (stainless or galvanized)
- Frozen dinner thick plastic dish
- Washer or gasket
- Heavy-duty scissors
- Glue
- Exterior thermometer
- Fabric (1 yard)
- Two wooden dowels (1-by-36 inch and 1/2-by-36 inch)
- Wood (1-by-6-by-1/2 inch)
Instructions
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Install the barometer. Barometers measure atmospheric pressure. Place a tall highball glass (or a straight-sided beaker) on the wide window sill or nearby counter. Attach a 12-inch piece of quarter-inch-wide tubing down the side of a 12-inch ruler. Use the permanent pen to mark the inches next to the ruler. This is not necessary, but it makes changes in the water level easier to see. Place both the ruler and the tubing into the glass, and secure them to the top so they are not able to move. Make sure the numbers on the ruler can be read without trouble, then fill half the glass with clear water. Bring the barometer to the lips and pull up some water into the plastic tubing. Place a thumb over the tube so that the water doesn't escape, and quickly cap the tubing with a piece of putty. Examine the barometer daily to record the rise in the water in the tube.
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On the exterior of a window frame, place an outdoor thermometer. If the home is located in the Midwest or eastern part of the U.S., select a design with large, clear numbers that is able to withstand severe weather. Mount the gauge so that it can be easily seen through the window.
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On a fence near the house, attach a rain gauge. When there is enough precipitation to record, a rain gauge provides details as to the number of inches that fell. Purchase a plastic measuring cup at least 1 cup in size. Wrap the cup with wire and use the two nails to attach the wires to a fence. To save money, any plastic cup will work in place of the purchased cup. To mark the gradations for measuring, fill a measuring cup with water at the various levels. Pour the water into the cup and with a permanent marker, draw a line at the water level. Continue this process until all of the measurements have been transferred to the blank cup. Make sure that trees or house eaves don't interfere with water collection or add extra water from runoff. If they do, the gauge will not be accurate.
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On the same fence, above the rain gauge, attach a weather vane. A weather vane illustrates which way the wind is blowing. Construct the vane from a half-inch-thick wooden dowel, a plastic washer or gasket, one 1-by-6-by-1/2-inch flat piece of wood, and a plastic food storage dish. Make the vane first by cutting a 3-inch arrow from the plastic dish. The tail of the vane should be one 3-inch rectangle shape. Once the tail is cut, streamline the shape by removing the corners from one side. This will allow the tail to catch the wind, but move easily at the same time. Use a handsaw to cut slits on both ends of the piece of wood. Insert the plastic pieces in this tight opening. If glue is needed to hold the plastic, apply it before inserting both pieces. Place the top arrow piece over the dowel and insert the washer between the dowel and the arrow. (A plastic gasket will also keep the two wooden pieces from touching.) Hammer a nail through the wood piece and the washer and into the dowel. This will allow the arrow to move freely in the wind.
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Use the weather vane to show the direction of the wind, while a wind sock illustrates the wind strength. Hand sew or use a machine to sew a tube of cotton cloth to make the sock. Cut a long strip, at least 36 inches long and 12 inches wide, from mid-weight cotton fabric. When sewing the tube, taper one end until the opening is closed. This will look like a large cotton dunce hat. Make a slip opening on the largest side. The metal wire will be placed in this opening, so allow adequate space for it to move. Take 1/8-inch flexible wire, preferably stainless steel, and insert the wire through the slip opening so that the fabric tube stays open on its own. Place a 1-inch wooden dowel on top of the fence near the weather vane and rain gauge. Place a 2-inch stainless steel screw into the top of the dowel. Wrap a small bit of wire around the screw and hook it to the fabric wire. The sock should float freely if wind is present and hang next to the dowel when wind is absent.
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Tips & Warnings
Sew the windsock on a day with high winds. Various fabrics have individual characteristics when exposed to wind, so test the fabric by holding it up to gauge the amount of loft that is achieved. Pick a light fabric that moves easily in the wind.
