How to Make Wooden Wind Spirals
Wind spirals are whimsical garden decorations, constructed from multiple small boards of wood that are screwed together and then staggered to form a spiral. These spirals twirl around in the wind and add a very interesting touch to your outdoor décor. Wind spirals can be difficult to construct, but are well worth the effort, and make great handmade gifts. They can be painted or varnished, or if you use a durable wood like cedar, left untreated.
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Things You'll Need
- Cedar block ¾ inch
- Table saw/miter saw
- Drill
- Threaded rod
- Hack saw
- 2 castle nuts
- Pencil
- Eye goggles
- Key ring
Instructions
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1
Cut your cedar block into 8-inch by ¼-inch slices. For a wind spiral around 30 inches long, you’ll need around 120 slices.
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2
Drill a hole through the center of each slide. You can drill through around five or six at a time, to help speed up the process, but make sure you keep your accuracy.
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3
Thread on a castle nut to the end of the threaded rod. Thread on all of the wood slices, pressing them together against the castle nut tightly. Thread on another castle nut to secure the slices in place, making sure it is very tightly screwed down. Cut off any remaining rod with the hack saw, right flush with the end of the castle nut.
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4
Lay the threaded wood slices down, so they are all flat. Trace a convex arc on either side of the slices, so that the arc intersects the end slices, making them 6 inches long, graduates to the full length of 8 inches in the middle, and decreases back to 6 inches one the other end.
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5
Put on eye goggles, then cut along the convex arc lines with the table or miter saw. There will be a lot of wood chips flying, so take your time, and make sure your eye goggles are secure before beginning. Your wind spiral will now be taking shape.
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6
Drill a hole through one of the castle nuts and threaded rod, so that you can slide a key ring through, giving you something to hang your spiral on. Starting from the end with the key chain, gently twist each slice of wood slightly out of line with the one above. Keep doing this all the way down, twisting them in the same direction, but only moving them around 1/8 inch each time. The slices will form a spiral around the threaded rod. Your wind spiral is now ready for hanging in the garden.
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