HOW TO: bicycle wheel weathervane windmill kinetic art DIY sculptures
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ม.ค. 2018
- This tutorial will walk you through my method for creating long-lasting windmill-type weather vanes from bicycle parts that can be used for simple "yard-art", or even for larger public art installations (some of which are featured in the video).
I wanted to add a couple notes for you, or anyone else reading this later, that might have gotten glossed over in the video… APPLYING SECOND LAYER OF TAPE: On each pair of spokes, the first layer of foil tape is applied perpendicular or square with the spokes (as shown in the video), but what may not have been obvious was what was next. That first layer will create a nice surface on one side of the wheel/spokes, but the other surface will still be the sticky underside of the tape. And it is on that sticky underside that the second layer of tape is applied, but at a 45° to the spokes. That way each pair of spokes has tape applied from both sides, leaving no sticky side exposed, and strengthening the tape by increasing the layers and overlapping the pieces, and making sure tape edges/seams are all spread out in both space and angulation. Of course, there are other ways to lay the tape on the spokes, but that method described above and shown in the video is what I find to be the most efficient use of both tape and time. BURNISHING: After all the tape was applied over the entire wheel, I burnish all the foil tape by rubbing it with the backside of a wooden kitchen spoon with moderate pressure (don’t tear the tape). That gets out many of the wrinkles in the foil tape, puts a shiny finish on the tape, and gives a little curve or scoop to the tape to better catch the wind. Burnish both sides of the tape, starting with the back (leeward) side first, and then burnish the front (windward) side last so that the curve in the foil that is created will catch the wind better. It’s not a necessary step, but it does give the face of the wheel a more finished look and maybe catches wind better.
For other examples of my kinetic, bicycle-inspired artwork, check this out:
www.inmanparkdentistry.com/whe...
("Why is your artwork featured on a dentist's website?" you may ask... Well, because I am a full-time dentist, a father of two amazing kids, a daily bicycle commuter, and only a part-time artist).
A special thanks goes out to my amazing wife, Tashia. It was her support and encouragement that was the impetus to start creating this type of artwork for the public. - บันเทิง
Awesome idea for old bikes lying around!
Thank you Alex. Very very nice wheel vanes. Loved it!
OMG, I love your ideas. I watched the bottle top one first and wasn't that impressed with the end result tbh but then I saw the sculpture one and that blew me away. So imaginative and innovative. New subscriber here!
You are the first person I've come across to 'finally' explain it properly. Thank you soooooo much for this video! I've had bike wheels for a couple of years now in hopes to build something like you did but I couldn't find any information on the hub part. I actually didn't know it was called a hub until now, lol! Ty ty ty!
Thanks for your thoughtful comment. I wanted to add a couple notes for you, or anyone else reading this later, that might have gotten glossed over in the video…
APPLYING SECOND LAYER OF TAPE:
On each pair of spokes, the first layer of foil tape is applied perpendicular or square with the spokes (as shown in the video), but what may not have been obvious was what was next. That first layer will create a nice surface on one side of the wheel/spokes, but the other surface will still be the sticky underside of the tape. And it is on that sticky underside that the second layer of tape is applied, but at a 45° to the spokes. That way each pair of spokes has tape applied from both sides, leaving no sticky side exposed, and strengthening the tape by increasing the layers and overlapping the pieces, and making sure tape edges/seams are all spread out in both space and angulation.
Of course, there are other ways to lay the tape on the spokes, but that method described above and shown in the video is what I find to be the most efficient use of both tape and time.
BURNISHING:
After all the tape was applied over the entire wheel, I burnish all the foil tape by rubbing it with the backside of a wooden kitchen spoon with moderate pressure (don’t tear the tape). That gets out many of the wrinkles in the foil tape, puts a shiny finish on the tape, and gives a little curve or scoop to the tape to better catch the wind. Burnish both sides of the tape, starting with the back (leeward) side first, and then burnish the front (windward) side last so that the curve in the foil that is created will catch the wind better. It’s not a necessary step, but it does give the face of the wheel a more finished look and maybe catches wind better.
check out my bike parts wind sculptures and some other things you might like too !!!
Savanna ( . )( . )
@@ARodDMD As a metal worker who uses everything but foil, I appreciate this reply.
Nice, Alex. Really like this idea.
Great job Doc! You're the man!
Absolutely brilliant!
ERES UN GENIO CON MUCHA CREATIVIDAD. MUY HERMOSO.
A work of art my friend 🙏👍
Bicycle wheels make very interesting wind turbine blades
Turned the fan into a bubble machine by fixing the wands to the rim and adding a reservoir using a gutter. It turned towards the wind but too much wind made it flick out the bubble mix so had to reduce number of fans. free bubbles
OMG, that's awesome! I might have to try that myself.
This is a perfect project for my kid to try to make with my Everlast welder.
Thank you great project!
Absolutely excellent and you answered all my questions even before I knew what I wanted to ask, very well done. However I found the inserts between frames 2:20 and 4:40 distracting although the later "proof of concept" inserts of the bikeway projects in situ I thought were very good examples of what's possible. Many thanks for all the time and effort you put into your post.
Thanks for the comments. I think you’re right... the wheel building aside that I inset in the video was distracting. Partly that was me trying to learn about video editing and trying different things.
Alex, I use a eight inch ⅛ drill for the wheel hubs in order to rivet the pinwheel onto the hub. The two holes...top and bottom are not completely lined up but close enough that I have no trouble riveting. It is much easier than trying to mark the holes and then drill. So..I now have four pinwheels and two windmills...my wife is still talking to me but does wonder where I am going to but them...Great videos thanks.. David
Nice work !
Holy cow that's cool.
Great vidio
So cool, thank you. *o*
That is really inspiring idea mate, I am going to have to try it!
great!!!good video i watched!!😅
Good
looks great and great video what do you use to actually hang the wheel
Nice
We have found out the same magic slant between spokes that makes wheels spin beautifully. We did it with colored plexiglass and love the results.
That's great! I'd love to learn more about your experience with plexiglass. Did you used it flat, or curved (with heat?) to adapt to the spokes better? I've been doing some wheel projects with glass, which is obviously not flexible, and so it has a lot of limitations for what I'd like to do. Thanks!
@@ARodDMD I cut the plexi. Sometimes I use two or more pieces and chemically attach them to make a wing. I drill tiny holes in all four corners and then twist copper wires through to the spokes. Lastly I use a hot air gun to bend them at one end. We own a bike shop and use aluminum wheels of various sizes and are building a privacy fence with the wheels spinning on top.
@@ARodDMD We considered using glass. To be honest I hate plastic with a passion. Still I couldn't get the same results with glass.
@@ARodDMD Here is four of them in the front fence
th-cam.com/video/MzDiyNL29Ww/w-d-xo.html
Good day and thank you for this video and your work.
I'm looking into easy diy scalable/low-tech energy harvesting for usb devices and wonder if you have experience with bottle dynamos or other generator as the hub dynamos are hard to find 2nd hand.
Kind regards,
Huck
Hmmm. The bottle dynamos probably work ok, but two notes of caution... the resistance in the dynamos (whether hub or bottle type), is more than you might think. That resistance is from the magnets that make the electricity, and can not be adjusted “looser” (at least not on the hub dynamos). That resistance will prevent the wheel from starting to spin in lower winds. That’s why I used a huge rim to make the whole wheel bigger, and thus catch more wind.
For the electronics... there are off-the-shelf products designed to connect dynamos and USB devices. But someone who knows some basic low-voltage electrical engineering might be able to easily DIY something.
I don’t imagine this is a great way to capture wind energy. I mean it works... it’s just not much power with a regular sized wheel. The bigger the wheel, the more power.
(I’ll expand on this idea when I answer your other question on my pinwheel video)
The best
Great video! I am wondering, when you use older rims do you grease the bearings? or does the grease inhibit the rotation? Thanks in advance.
I do like to rebuild the hubs when I make these. That does take some specialty tools (cone wrenches and some practice), but I like knowing what kind of shape the bearings and races are in. And when I rebuild, I like to leave the bearings just a tad loose (at least looser than it would be if it was actually going to be on a bicycle). There should just be a tiny bit of play, as that helps it spin easier with light loads.
As to adding grease for the bearings, yes. It could be argued that an oil might allow easier starting at low wind speeds, vs. a thicker grease. But of course you’ll get more life out of a grease.
I typically use standard lithium grease in the bearings because I’m more worried about longevity. once it’s out in the wind and spinning, I may not service it again for 10 years.
NICE JOB, I HAVE THE WHEEL SET UP ALUM TAPE ON IT WORK WELL. HARDLY ANY WIND AND IT MOVES BUT HOW DO YOU GET PASSED THE GYRO EFFECT (OR IS IT NOT A PROBLEM). HOW BIG MIGHT THE TAIL HAVE TO BE (24INCH WHEEL)..I WAS GOING TO CNC A FLAG 1/4 LEXAN MAYBE 2 FLAGS WITH A WHITE BACKGROUND BETWEEN.AND WHAT ARE THE WEIGHTS FOR? THANKS BROTHER
The gyro effect can be minimized by centering the support over the center of the wheel. If the support is mainly on one side of the wheel, then in low winds it will precess around due to those forces, until the wind pushes it back straight. That can lead to all kinds of weird and generally undesirable motions that don't help the wheel spin in the wind.
In higher winds, the gyro effect also depends on how big your tail is. Again, keeping your support for the wheel centered is helpful. But if your support is mainly on one side of the wheel, then it will still want to precess from the wheel motion. A bigger tail will help the wind counteract those forces. I don't have a strict formula for appropriate tail size, though I like the tail to be * at least * as long as half the wheel diameter. With too small a tail, it won't stay pointed into the wind straight.
Some things to keep in mind with the tail... it's about surface area and torque. And it's kind of obvious: the more area the tail has downwind, the more the wind will keep everything pointed straight. But also the longer the tail (further from the rotation point), the greater torque the wind can exert to keep the tail straight. Thus a small tail that is located 24" back behind the center of the wheel will be far more effective than a similar size tail only 12" behind the center. The only down size to a larger/longer tail is the increased weight associated with that. That's where the weights come in to play that you asked about.
The weights are there to counter-balancing everything. I add my weights differently for different windmills (another good example is here: th-cam.com/video/fn2PemEkt9A/w-d-xo.html ). By concentrating the mass near the front of the wheel, that added inertia means the wind will be more effective at actually spinning the wheel around rather than pushing the entire whirligig downwind, especially if it is being suspended off a long rope (like from a tree). The weights also help to keep some of my whirligigs from being "tail-heavy" and leaning with the tail down. In extremely strong winds, the weights really help keep it from going too wild.
Great questions!
so are the pennies to pay for the wind
Uyyy yo hice eso hase años ponerle latas a ruedas de bicicleta dan vueltas con poco viento
🙏🌹
What are you using to suspend the wheels on display?
For the smaller pieces I've made, they hang from simple fishing swivel (such as: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DCPALO ). For the larger (heavier) pieces, I've used larger swivels, such as: www.amazon.com/AusKit-Rotational-Accessory-Carabiners-Childrens/dp/B01HWSQIGM
@@ARodDMD Thank you for response. I was actually wondering about the long arcing item that attaches from ground pole to spinner.
@@bjpasco Oh... those. They are custom made steel supports. It's 2" steel tubing, about 18ft long (3ft of which is in the ground with cement), with a 3ft diameter semicircle of ~3/4 steel rod welded to the top, and finished with an eyelet on the end that everything hangs from. That was all done because this is on a public pathway and needs to last a very long time. But that's a bit much for a home project, so for my smaller-budget art work I typically just hang these things on ropes from large trees or off the corner of a house or porch.
Where do you get the foil with adhesive backing? Thanks!
It’s foil tape, commonly used for AC ductwork. Hardware store or home improvement store like Home Depot.
How about a bicycle whirly gig?
What are the lights you used?
The are bike-dynamo specific lights. Originally each of them (there are two of these light up windmills on public display) had a pair of Busch & Müller Lyt.
I removed the lenses so that the light was more dispersed (I did not need the light focused into a beam).
I’ve since replaced one of them with a different brand bike-dynamo specific light. Anything with about the right voltage and wattage for the bike hub will work. (6V 3W).
@@ARodDMD Is it powered by a conventional bicycle dynamo?
@@MJ-ee2rb Yes, it is powered by a dynamo built within the hub itself (as opposed to the "bottle" type of dynamo, which is a bolt-on accessory for bicycles and work by a roller against the tire). The dynamo-hubs like this one are typically used on higher-end commuting/city bicycles. This wheel uses a Schmidt's brand Hub Dynamo. Those aren't cheap, but since I leave this out in the weather for years on end, I wanted to start with a higher-quality unit (nevertheless, after ~6 years out in the weather without any servicing, the hubs do eventually rust up on the inside, and I've had to rebuild the wheel with a new hub once). There are many brands of similar dynamo hubs, and most output about the same amount of power.
@@ARodDMD Thank you very much, I never knew such a thing existed.
LOL!
What kind of lights? is inside...
The lights inside the tail section are 2x Busch & Müller Lumotec Lyt’s. Those are lights specifically made to be powered by a dynamo bicycle hub (i.e. made for that voltage and wattage). I removed the lenses on the lights to get a greater spread of the beams so that it would light up the inside of the tail section better.
Ukrajina
Žlica Đorđe
N n.y
To much talking and sticking tape
Then you might like this one: no talking, and much less sticking tape. th-cam.com/video/4ESwnnwFUYw/w-d-xo.html