Woodworker's Journal 1985-9-2, страница 44

Woodchopper Whirligig

Whirligigs are considered by many to be some of the best examples of authentic American folk art. Technically speaking, a whirligig is an animated weather vane. All whirligigs operate in a similar manner; a propeller turns a drive shaft rod that in turn activates the animated figure. This Colonial woodchopper is a classic whirligig motif.

Although we have presented the whirligig parts on a grid pattern so you may reproduce them exactly, it is our hope that you'll use your imagination instead. In fact, it is the individual flavor or style making each whirligig different and unique that, in part, qualifies whirligigs as authentic folk art.

The wooden parts can be built from nearly any scrapwood, either hard or soft. Old wooden boxes or apple crates make ideal materials sources.

The whirligig can be made entirely with hand tools. To save time however, we recommend using a band saw or saber saw to cut the tree, woodsman, axe, and propeller. Use the dado-head to cut the tree slot and shaft groove in the base. The propeller blades are set into the hub at a 45 degree angle. It is easier to lay out these lines and cut the slots while the hub stock is square. Use the table saw miter gauge equipped with an auxiliary fence and a stop block to cut the slots. Set the blade height at Va in. and the dado-head for V* in. width. Simply rotate the hub to cut the four slots. Of course,

these slots may also be cut with the hand saw. Refer to page 47 for a description of the miter gauge jig used to cut these slots.

The mechanism that transfers power from the propeller is a shaft, offset with two 90 degree bends at one end. Working much like an automobile crankshaft and connecting rod, this shaft is connected with a wire to a screw eye in the woodsman's body, generating his up and down motion.

Bill 01 Materials (All Dimensions Actual)

Part Description Size

A Base V»x1V«x14

B Shaft Cap %xV4x3!%

C Tree Vt x 5 x 8

D Arm '/« x 1 Vi X 5

E Leg =>4x2x4Vi

F Torso % x 2V4 x 6

G Ax % x 1 x 4V4

H Blade Vt x 2 x 6

I Hub Vtx2M>

J Chopping Block 1 x 1 in. dowel

6 in. V4 in. diameter copper tubing 6 in. 3/16 diameter brass rod 5 washers, nut, no. 8 machine boll, and V2 In. screw eye

No. Req'd.

1 1 1 2 2 1 1 4 1

With a small file, cut a narrow groove around the circumference of the 3/16 in. diameter brass shaft rod, about Va in. from one end. This groove will prevent the connecting wire from slipping off the shaft end. Next, bend the brass rod in a vise, and insert it into the V* in. copper tube. This copper tube, which serves as a bushing, should now be epoxied into the V» in. square groove previously cut into the base. The propeller is epoxied onto the drive shaft, with a washer in between.

Assemble the whirligig using a waterproof glue throughout. Either epoxy or plastic resin glue is best. Use brads or small nails where indicated.

The woodsman's torso is mounted to the legs with a machine bolt, as shown in the illustration. The washers are important because they cut down on wear at the critical points. Crimp one end of a stiff wire (no. 10 or 12 gauge) around the shaft rod so it rides in the filed groove, and fix the other end to the screw eye in the woodsman's chest. You may need to experiment with the wire length before the woodsman is functioning as intended.

For a mount, drill a hole into the base bottom to accept the short section of copper tubing, and epoxy the tubing in place. This tubing serves as a bearing so the whirligig will turn freely in the wind. A 16 penny nail (with the head cut off) on the end of a pole anchored firmly in the ground is all you will need to set the whirligig up. Apply a bit of oil or graphite on the friction points to keep everything working smoothly.

You may paint the whirligig as we have shown, or use your own color scheme. A quality oil paint will both protect the wood from the elements and lend the piece a folksy appearance. We think you will agree that this little man chopping wood is quite an attention-getter, especially when the wind blows hard and he works so fast you can't keep up. W\J