[TheForge] Weather vanes/Wind Sculptures

[debmiller at fuse.net]

Good Moring Guys/Gals,

I just fixed a large wind sculpture for a client here in town. Not especially well constructed. The fellow who made it tried to solder sheet copper "vanes" to a stainless steel round stock shafts. Not too durable of solder joints. Aside from that I became intrigued by the whole idea of wind sculptures. I know some time back there was a thread on weathervanes and how to make the "bearing" so they spin freely. 

Anyone have any hot tips on designs that would allow a fairly heavy wind sculpture to spin freely? I have some ideas on how to adapt a typical weathervane system, but with a sculpture of any vertical height I am concerned about maintaining axial position as well as point loading for free spinning.

Ray Miller
Cincinnati