How to Build Wind Driven Yard Ornaments
Wind-driven yard ornaments add whimsy to your landscape. You can build yard ornaments that move with the wind with copper pipe, copper tubing and copper foil. The secret to a movable yard ornament is a simple swivel fitting that rotates with pressure from wind or water. This yard ornament moves with the wind in two ways: a copper tubing circle will rotate with a strong wind and a copper foil cutout will move with a slight wind.
Things You'll Need
- Copper pipe
- Pipe cutter
- Copper tubing
- Copper T connector
- Solder
- Flux
- Propane torch
- Swivel fitting
- Copper foil
- Template
- Pen
- Shears
- Awl
- Drill
- Small drill bit
- 22-gauge wire
- Wire cutters
Instructions
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1
Cut a 4-foot-long section of copper pipe. The pipe is the stand for your wind driven yard ornament, and at least 18-inches will be inserted into the ground. If you prefer a taller or shorter yard ornament, adjust the length of the pipe accordingly.
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2
Cut a 45-inch section of copper tubing. Bend the soft tubing into a circle so that the ends meet.
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3
Solder each end of the cross section of the T connector to the ends of the copper tubing. You should have a solid copper circle with the bottom section of the T connector protruding perpendicular to the circle. Make sure to add flux before you heat the solder over the connections.
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4
Solder the protruding end of the T connector to the top of the swivel connector. Solder the opposite end of the swivel connector to one end of the 4-foot long section of copper pipe. When you stand the copper pipe in the yard, the copper tubing circle will swivel when the wind blows.
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5
Trace your selected template onto a section of copper foil that will fit inside the copper circle. Cut out the design from the foil. You can decorate the copper foil by hammering the surface with a ball peen hammer, punching holes with an awl, gluing colorful rhinestones on each side or painting with acrylics. You could also leave the copper foil shape as is.
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6
Punch a small hole in the top of your copper foil ornament with an awl. Drill a hole through the copper tubing at the top of the circle, opposite the copper T connector.
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7
Cut a 6-inch length of 22-gauge wire. Thread the wire through the hole in the ornament and through the hole in the copper circle. Twist the wire together so that the copper foil ornament will dangle from the circle. This part of your yard ornament will also move when the wind blows.
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8
Insert at least 18 inches of the open end of the copper pipe into the ground in your yard.
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