# Water Pump Girl Whirligig



## adot45 (Feb 6, 2013)

Whirligigs have nothing to do with routering I realize but just fun stuff that makes people smile when they see them. Made from plans I bought online just so I could see how things went together. Now that I see how things work, I'll try to come up with an original idea. I do like the "Roy in his workshop" whirligig though.


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## kklowell (Dec 26, 2014)

I like it.


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

Dave I have always liked whirligigs and your is no exception. Now I would like to make one or three. :grin: I can't see what makes her pump water. Maybe I am not looking at it right.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

I like it too..


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

hawkeye10 said:


> Dave I have always liked whirligigs and your is no exception. Now I would like to make one or three. :grin: I can't see what makes her pump water. Maybe I am not looking at it right.


Hi, I love them too, and this is a really nice one. The mechanism is run from the shaft from the propeller, which is mostly hidden in the base. If you look at the opening on the base, you can see a simple cam. The rotation of the cam drives the girl up and down. I wonder if it is direct drive, or if it is geared? We get 30-50 mph winds regularly out here in the Mojave, and direct drive would really get that little girl going.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Only thing I'd add is a wooden bucket under the spout., maybe with a plant that cascades like water overflowing.


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## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

Nice job Dave, they are a lot of fun to make special when you start to come up with your original ideas,


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## adot45 (Feb 6, 2013)

hawkeye10 said:


> Dave I have always liked whirligigs and your is no exception. Now I would like to make one or three. :grin: I can't see what makes her pump water. Maybe I am not looking at it right.


The crank that she is attached to is hooked to the propeller to the far right. The wind turns the propeller and crankshaft and she moves in a pumping motion. I'll take a better picture that shows the propeller 
more clearly.

The top picture shows the "crankshaft" that goes the full length of the base, this one is for "The Hummer Of Summer" 
The bottom picture hopefully helps you see what makes her "pump" Dave


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I haven't had time to play with these yet, but I found a great book on the topic:


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

DesertRatTom said:


> I haven't had time to play with these yet, but I found a great book on the topic:


Its hard finding plan books that have good plans. Is this one a good on Tom?


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

paduke said:


> Its hard finding plan books that have good plans. Is this one a good on Tom?


Not exactly blueprints, but detailed illustrations. You could have them blown up and use them for cutting guides. It also has illustrations and instructions for things like Cam shafts to convert rotation to up down movement. Not bad.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Remember, google is our friend. 
https://www.google.com/#q=free+whirligig+plans+and+patterns

The way I do a project like this is to google images, save every single one that even vaguely interests me. Then when I have a bunch of images, like maybe 2-3 hundred, I go thru and discard what I don't like. Might do discards several time. Then go thru what's left, pick out parts that interest me, then draw up my own design. Did this with my cigar store Indian bank - wound up with a photo taken in about 1905 of a NorthWest Indian. Seems copy right law does not apply if you make at least seven changes to something copy righted. Well, my face wound up getting about eleven changes, all sketched by hand. 

I do a lot of my cane handle designs by googling images. Try to stick to photos, but clip art at times. I don't 'copy' anything, by the time I'm thru getting one idea from one place, next from another, and so on, it's all original with me. I have a few I don't know where they came from, one apparently I was looking at Incan or Mayan stone carving photos, and something must have stuck in my mind, because that's the only thing I can think of that would inspire
that.

Oh yeah, I rout most of what I do anymore.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Nice work Dave . A video in action would have been cooler yet


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Holy Hanna, Tom! That book's $50Cdn, _used_!!
Here's another one by the same author...1/2 the price...new.
https://www.amazon.ca/Making-Whirli..._SR122,160_&psc=1&refRID=MD120SP91BFXJ3NDG6QM


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## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

@adot45
Nicely done, Dave. You know I have a fondness for things that move like that and now that you have your first one under your belt I suspect many more will be coming. It tends to be somewhat addictive.
@paduke
Bill, all of the books by Rodney Frost have very creative ideas with clear plans and instructions about to make his projects. I haven't looked at this particular book but I don't think you would be disappointed.


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## OutoftheWoodwork (Oct 4, 2012)

Totally KEWL!!
The hardware that makes them move; does that come in kits that you purchase?


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## adot45 (Feb 6, 2013)

OutoftheWoodwork said:


> Totally KEWL!!
> The hardware that makes them move; does that come in kits that you purchase?


Thank You.
The plans were full size patterns so that made it very easy to cut out but no hardware. It only takes some small nuts & bolts for the pivot points, the crank shaft I made out of an old wire coat hanger. The part I was worried about was the propeller.....turned out to be one of the easiest steps. I used a jig mounted to my miter gauge on my table saw and can make half a dozen hubs in just a few minutes.


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

a fun project with a funner ending.


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

Thanks for the referral Tom and Oliver Dan I just ordered from Amazon for 20 USD There were new in the upper range but plenty lower


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

@paduke I just ordered three books by Frost. Looks like some fun projects. Met with a CPA today who gave info needed for my daughter to take over most of the business, so I'm now a contract worker for her and should begin to see more time to play with wood.
@Gaffboat Thanks for turning me on to Frost's books. Just ordered 3, used. Looking forward to trying a few. Of course, its unlikely I'll ever produce something as neat as the wood chopper and the outhouse of yours. BTW, the valley area where you grew up is about where our dog sitter lives. If you have an address, PM me and I'll see if I can find the old place and take a picture.


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

OutoftheWoodwork said:


> Totally KEWL!!
> The hardware that makes them move; does that come in kits that you purchase?


Winfield Collection (the company that sells the plan for the turtle planter I'm making) also sells plans for whirligigs https://www.thewinfieldcollection.com/category/Wind-Action-Woodcraft-Patterns/1 They also sell the hardware kits for the two different operating types.


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

I've worked with Winfield as well and recommend them accordingly.


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## adot45 (Feb 6, 2013)

RainMan 2.0 said:


> Nice work Dave . A video in action would have been cooler yet


I took a 12 second video with my iphone but can't get it to send as email to my computer. Am I supposed to post from phone? Don't know what to do with video really. 
:frown:


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

adot45 said:


> I took a 12 second video with my iphone but can't get it to send as email to my computer. Am I supposed to post from phone? Don't know what to do with video really.
> :frown:


Dave you need to sign up with YouTube and upload your video , the post the url I think it's called .
There may be other ways to do it but that's the only way I know how to post a video


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## adot45 (Feb 6, 2013)

Wow...between iOS, Utube and Google the list of permissions and access to so many programs and areas is a real turn off for me....am too wary maybe but I just don't trust doing any videos.


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## OutoftheWoodwork (Oct 4, 2012)

I can relate, Dave. I look at all permissions with apps and downloads now. If they want too much, I figure I can live without it. My personal stuff is just that... personal. I don't trust that they won't go nosin' around.


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