Make an easy wood whirligig

[@heli400]

I just realized why I like your videos so much!.... You show your mistakes that you've made during the process of building the project you've set out to make..... As a "mere mortal" it is great to learn from the mistakes one has made, but even better to learn from those before you! (ie - 3:25 you place the rod in the disc to find out you should have drilled the offset hole AFTER bending the rod)

[@sonjai7379]

Thanks for your suggestion! We made our own design last summer and finally got them on the fence this spring!! The kids are so proud of their work. Thank you!!!

[@SteveRamsey]

We've been having some wind gusts today and I've been observing the action. I just shot a video and will post it on my other channel tomorrow. It seems to work okay, except that it pivots a lot trying to find the wind direction. I think some sort of fin on the back might help stabilize it. But the gusts today are all different directions, so I'll have to keep observing.

[@drumbumifyer]

in my opinion, YOUR BEST PROJECT YET!!! THIS IS AWESOME!!!

[@aoifeone]

Well for you that lives in California, the plywood wouldn't last very long here in Ireland. Going to build mine from solid wood, love all the videos.

[@franciscofranco24]

Dear Steve Ramsey, Seeing your video I made a model of this. My grandson liked it very much and he named it "Axeman". Instead of the U shape I made a small wheel and fitted a small screw away from the centre. It works even in a small breeze.I have posted it in my you tube channel. Thank you.

[@richardscanlon7023]

I know it's 8 years later but I just wanted to say that is a great idea! No wire needed to purchase or bend. I'm so glad I watched your video!

[@Tuftofwool]

I started making these with my year 8 wood working students about five weeks ago... loving it :)

[@ecrusch]

This'll e a fun project! My grandson will love it. Thanks Steve!

[@FitzgeraldFiles]

This just opens my mind for other similar projects, Thanks. By the way, the grand prize winner was my choice too. You should have more games like the Kreg contest, it’s was lots of fun.

[@NJEsperantist]

Glad you tried a whirligig, Steve. Looks good.

[@henniedutoit8436]

Hi Steve from Polokwane in Limpopo province South Africa this is the best will definitely make it during lock down

[@charlescarter6175]

This whirligig is awesome, I remember Roy Underhill making a similar one when I was a child. Its probably the single most important moment that got me interested in woodworking

[@MrGoosePit]

The first 'gigs I made were out of plywood. I left them outside all year. Sadly, the plywood delaminated and ruined my work. Your whirligig turned out really nice, just remember to bring it inside when it rains. As always, love your videos!

[@eelcogg]

Making a whirligig is the best way to make sure there will be absolutely no wind for a week or so. Every freaking time.

[@eelcogg]

Wendlander Halseller reported spam

[@robinrai4973]

eelcogg​ Why did you report him for spam? This is a regular, slightly witty comment.. EDIT:oops. I thought you were someone else commenting on your original comment, as I can't see the spammer's comment. Sorry..

[@motooilermotooiler9597]

I second that :D :D :D Waiting for both rain and wind :D

[@usernamemykel]

Making a kite or model airplane has the same problems.

[@thetwogardens6048]

hahahahahahah So True !

[@SteveRamsey]

Yes. I think 1/4" ply would work fine too.

[@carlharris6763]

i am making a whirligig at school i am going to do a wizard casting a spell instead of a man coping wood this video has really helped thank you.

[@jwh33]

Your wood cutter got me fired up & had to try my hand. I used your tmplt. for the man & kinda winged it from there. I posted a video on my channel Thanks Steve!

[@bigdec1]

really enjoyed it i need to spend more time in my workshop instead of on my computer.keep up the good work.

[@SteveRamsey]

It can be any size you like. If the notch for the turning part were deeper, the man would have more chopping action.

[@Guidowood]

Steven thanks for your amazing contribuitions, you are a special guy

[@CarlJacobson]

Great video Steve, looks like a fun project

[@ErikAnderson1]

Great video Steve love the man working on making firewood for the winter.

[@Rustaholic777]

It was at least 20 years ago that I made a dozen whirligigs and gave them as Christmas gifts. Some of them are still running. There were milking maids, A man cranking an old time car, a hunter with a rifle shooting a bear, a woman pumping water, a man sawing wood with a buck saw, a girl setting and plunging an old time butter churn, two men wrestling and of course one chopping wood.

[@jumpyX2]

Steve, you correctly point out that you're lucky to have a table saw. I think you should poll your subscribers to find out what tools they have and don't have. I have some tables and bookshelves to build and my powertool inventory is limited. My wishlist - a table saw, jointer, thickness planer, bandsaw, router and biscuit joiinter.. Mere mortals never have the right tools and are constantly trying to solve problems with workarounds.

[@vinceb9310]

I know this was made a long time ago, but it's exactly what I was looking for. Thanks Steve

[@SteveRamsey]

I used plywood, but I think anything should work. My thought is that the blades should be thin (I used 1/8" ply) but I have nothing to support that theory.

[@BackyardWoodworking]

Hey Steve, You can use brass rod. It bends easy and doesn't rust. Good going!

[@buskingkarma2503]

As a kid growing up in Britain in the 70s/early 80s,I remember my dad and grandad would make and have a few these in their gardens, I remember being fascinated by the way they moved and worked. Yesterday I was thinking about it,and how you don't see 👀many in folks gardens these days😟 so I looked it up and here I am! And,,in honour of my dad and grandad,I will be making one ☝lol also I have a little extra time on my hands, so it will be something to do!👀😎👍

[@Supersup.campos]

I loved that video. All my respect from Brazil.

[@vincearcuri7976]

Great video Steve. Thanks for exposing us to the world of Whirligig's. They look like great fun little projects that could be made mostly from scraps (read miscuts). I'm always looking for a way to make use of (read conceal) my stock pile.

[@srobart]

Very clever, Steve! I bet someone could make a decent amount of $ making these types of things and selling them for a profit at farmers' markets, craft fairs and other community events (especially in small towns, people love stuff like this). Thanks for making a video like this, I really enjoyed it. It's really amazing to see what you can make with basic materials that most people have lying around the house. I'd love to see more like it!

[@tlojewelrylove]

That's awesome! ❤️ I wish I had a workshop with lots of power tools because I'd love to make one of those. Thanks for letting this video stay up all these years so I could find it. Good job! 👍

[@melaniodejesusmonsalvemons1571]

I like very much woodworking. I make it in this quarentene. Thanks Mr Steve

[@mar504]

Can't wait to see it in 60mph winds! Crazy wood chopping action!

[@jeff123humph]

Hi Steve, Just as a point of interest the plastic insert in the under side of the body, to make it easier i found if you buy 3/16" pop rivets they are heavy duty rivets. One end is a nail the other end is your pivot post just the job for this. PS thanks for the PDF i have just made one of these and it helps a lot to get a helping hand like this to start us off, thanks .

[@SteveRamsey]

Lacquer. I use it for just about everything!

[@brad8665]

If you had a torch you could bend that steel like a straw. Great project!

[@johndeakin4653]

Just look at your video it's so good am going to make one

[@petervanrensburg4171]

Thank you for showing Steve

[@HardCore_y]

I noticed the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale box. My all time favorite beer!

[@Bighawk62]

I want to build one of these now

[@DW351C]

i printed the file. and cut it out,looks great.cant wait to put it together.thanks for posting.

[@cquiles386]

If you take your blow torch to the metal it'll make it a lot easier to get in some nice tight bends on the steel rod. I had the same issue when I was making a stable work base out of a steel rose stem of the rose I was making before and heating it made the job much easier.

[@BenYoumans]

on the disc that holds the propellers, bend the wire before you drill the locking hole, tap the wire down to mark the hole location then it will line uo and fit into the hole without sticking out

[@ItAintMeBabe99]

Still a great video. Thanks for making it and sharing it !

[@521farmer]

Thanks Steve for sharing your project with us keep them coming ya this ya make it look easy so signed up for the adventure in these this looks cool man l m on a farm wood be nice to have a few around great ideas for these thks again for sharing Paul later keep ya posted

[@dineshkumarthakur5893]

Good explanation to make whirligig, Thanks

[@jrip195300]

Agree, great explanation and whirligig. Thanks for the PDF.

[@c.a.m.6276]

Steve, great work. Congratulations!!! I am a whirligig lover too and I have done so many different ones down here in my country

[@S3844]

I built a small box for shop class at school. It is really nice and I wanted to put a nice finish on it. I didn't think of lacquer at the time, so I used plain vegetable oil to bring out the grain. Is it a bad idea to add a lacquer on top? I was told that staining it now would be not such a good idea.

[@kylerunyan5950]

AWESOME video! I am SOOOOO going to have to make one of these!!!!!!!

[@rjwolfe3]

I use double sided duck tape from Walmart. I also turn wood on my lathe and it works well for holding and doesn't seem to leave a residue when removed.

[@KadidaMia]

This is going to be super fun-Thanks!

[@robertotiraboschi1960]

Excelente..te felicito..simple y muy bueno...lo voy a hacer 👍

[@steinie44]

Steve, I made one like this about 15 years ago. I set it so the ax would hit the log. I got complaints from the neighbor, it was too loud. So I had to move it up slightly.

[@prb-vp9ku]

Neighbours sometimes need something to complain about. Sounds like a great idea.

[@zippymanyay101]

The 1/8" wire aspect is where a quote from an old book I've got says "Take these parts to your local blacksmith and have him forge the part to original specifications."

[@walnutcreekwoodworksofjack3520]

How long was the plywood that you cut the channel in? Be nice to that information in the pdf plans.

[@nitro105]

I;m not sure if someone else made this suggestion but you could add a block with a split in it on top of the chopping block for the axe to just go down into, I have seen some that way. Sky's the limit. Thanks for the clip.

[@SamaroGitano]

wow, really nice proyect, I think I will be making some over here in mi house

[@Phoenixthemodder]

Man you are really smart! I need to make one of those!

[@wilhelml]

Sweet work Steve!

[@joypowell3940]

Where can I get the drawings from? Please thanks ?

[@oscartravis5740]

Sweet job and great inspiration, thanks!

[@ProphetOfIsa]

If you make the center of the fan blade with a hole in the middle, and a groove cut from the center hole going out about an inch or so, all you'd have to do is bend bend the rod 90 degrees, and then put on a 1/8 or 1/4 inch piece on top to hide the rod.

[@licketysplitlife]

I love it!!! Thank you for sharing your video. I believe this would be a great beginner project.

[@Rustaholic777]

The hunter and bear one was really cool. The gun came up and the bear was pawing the air. No plywood though, They were all pine and tempered masonite.

[@SteveRamsey]

Chuck Norris doesn't need an ax to chop wood.

[@joancrumpler7579]

Your funny,

[@SalihArtAndTech]

Very Nice, I love this 👌

[@SimulantSlumber]

I think your fan blades are on backwards, the trailing edge should be the thicker part so the flat section bites the air. You could argue that it would work both ways but on a pedestal where it can rotate the fan will turn so that the 'tail' or man will sit in the dead spot of air behind a fan facing into the wind, it's just a natural position of equilibrium and a similar effect to why the blades are shaped that way ;)

[@ktjwilliams]

U should try a torch when bending the rod material Steve ..

[@zeudafunceca9526]

Muito lindo vou tentar fazer

[@alexanderaquino6625]

Muito lindo seu trabalho mais como e compensado se pegar chuva pode danificalo

[@gastonbatuco2391]

Amazing 👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏

[@NormMonkey]

I notice it's heavier on the man side. Might be a good idea to carpet-tape the logs on 'til it's just about done, then fine tune the balance after it's on its pivot by adjusting the position of the logs, and glue them down after.

[@LastCallAgain]

The fan blades aren't on backwards, it's set up for when the wind is blowing the other way.

[@lloydbannister8062]

Hi Steve do you have a pattern for the whirligig and what kind of metal did you use for the blade to move the man

[@WigWagWorkshop]

Great Video! Roy Underhill has an icrediable whirligig episode! I made a few whiriligigs with my scroll saw. It does take a lot of trial and error, however it's a lot of fun to see how smooth you can make the "animation". Also thanks for the "hidden" tip, using wax paper for a paint pallet, very cool idea!

[@thetwogardens6048]

Gonna give this a go . Thanks for the vid !

[@paigefive]

Cool video great tips keep up the good work !!!!!!

[@tonyprice5726]

Please would you tell me what sort / size wire you used to tie his arm to the crank it looked so easy to bend I never know how strong it has to be thank you

[@bogsdolics]

Hi would a tail help with the straightyness ,you know to keep the man /fan facing the wind and or tightening the pivot , but hey yet another project to build thanks ,the thing is you can post video's faster than i can build the projects , keep up the wood work, Graeme.

[@MrTinman624]

Cracking video and whirligig

[@RWCSNZ]

I loved these when I was a kid, I could watch them for hours. This video showed me I'm still easily amused. Its a good project everyone should have one in their garden. ALSO THE MAN ON THE WHIRLIGIG SHOULD HAVE SAFETY GLASSES.

[@bigdec1]

Thanks for another great video.

[@uncletoy774]

just for FYI use a propane or map gas torch to heat up the metal where you want your bend Ive been using this technique for years now

[@bobd.]

Nice project Steve. I would like to suggest using brass or stainless steel hardware so you don't have to worry about rust which might stain the wood or cause extra friction that might slow it down.

[@SteveRamsey]

Thanks!

[@alphacharlie3523]

I missed the pattern. Did you take it down?

[@Piginhatwoodcrafts]

What's the diameter of the propeller circle mount as not in the plan?

[@spilperson]

Thanks! I guess when I was googling around I was looking for some kind of "low tack" double sided tape, but no such luck so far. I will try the duct tape. I will be in Houston this week and wad going by the Rockler store, I thought I might see what they have, and how expensive it is! They tend to be proud of their stuff, but sometimes have good store sales.

[@charlessurprenant1599]

Steve get video! Just got a scroll saw for Christmas. When I download the cut list I just get the man and the fan blades? Is the rest of the project out there for download?

[@NormMonkey]

Not to say that I don't think the whole thing is really awesome. I've got a playlist of Mere Mortals projects you've inspired me to try, and it's growing as I go through all the old videos.

[@thetwogardens6048]

Do you have any Idea where you can get other plans for these whirligigs ?

[@amberlegrand121]

you can put a rough point on the end of the 1/8 steel rod push it though the center hole & bend it "U" shape. then pull it back until it marks the 2nd hole which you can drill & never miss the 2nd hole ever again. Amber dad,JOLJ

[@proudgrandma4times]

I am trying to build a whirligig. What is the thickness of the wood for the man sawing or chopping wood? My whirligig will only spin just a little, I can't get it to spin in a good amount of breeze. Thanks

[@hilariosousa4728]

Está demais,vou ver se consigo;tenho a certeza que sim.

[@CristianoFaleiro1]

Verry good!!! congratulations

[@spilperson]

Hey, Steve, anyone, what kind of double stick tape do you use? I have been using this carpet tape that is a real PITA to get loose, so I was looking for something not quite as strong. Thanks in advance!

[@markgeier525]

How can I get a list of materials and templates?

[@Ricko1122]

Hey steve nice video any dimensions on the base or wire bending desprate to make one.

[@frankorona1]

Very well done, thanks for sharing