Friday, January 31, 2014

Types of Weathervanes

Weather vanes are architectural instruments that can be generally observed on top of any gothic building. Weather vanes are perhaps one of the few things that have sustained the test of time, and are still as much in style as they were hundreds of years ago. Although the basic concept has remained the same, new methods to craft weathervanes have been developed. Weather vanes crafted through different techniques have similar appearances, but there are some fundamental differences between these techniques that decide whether a weather vane will survive for decades, or weather away in only a few years.
Large Estate Blue Heron Weathervane

Weather vanes can thus be classified into four different types, based on their manufacturing technique:
   
   ²  Casted
   ²  Machine pressed
            ²  Mold crafted
            ²  Freehand crafted


Let's look at more details on each type, and understand why the huge difference in cost between two seemingly similar weather vanes.
²  Casted
This is perhaps the simplest and the least expensive way of creating weather vanes. The motif to be created is first carved out on wood or plastic. Fine sand (mixed with a bonding agent such as clay) is poured into the wood or plastic model, and solidified. This creates a hollow structure (or cavity) that is then filled with the molten metal. After cooling, the sand mold is broken away, the cooled casting is cleaned, finished, and painted. Metals such as bronze, zinc, and iron are used to create cast weather vanes. In modern days, aluminium is used that is lighter and cheaper, but also short lived. Custom designs can be created, though these can be costly.

² 
Machine pressed
These weather vanes are manufactured by placing a thin sheet of copper in a machine that has molds in the shape of figures to stamp out the parts of a motif. These parts are then soldered together to create the complete motif. Motifs are polished or painted. Machine pressed weather vanes can be produced in bulk quantities, and are easily available in almost every store that sells weather vanes. These cannot be custom-made. Machine pressed weather vanes are cheap, but may not last long.

²  
Mold crafted

The method of mold-crafting was used extensively during the late 19th century, and many of the antique weathervanes that you might find in antique shops were made by this method. The method is similar to machine pressing, except that the pressing is done by hand-hammering. Carved wooden figures are used as molds, and copper sheets are carefully hand-hammered into these molds to produce the parts, that are then assembled together. The weather vanes are either polished or have a Blue Verde finish. Mold-crafted weather vanes have a fine texture, and detailed carvings. Some of the antique weather vanes are highly collectible, and can cost thousands of dollars.  
 
²  Freehand crafted



Freehand crafting without the use of molds is an art that is generally delivered with unparalleled attention to sculpting details. Depending on the artist’s vision, and the buyer’s imagination, almost anything can be crafted out using this technique. Freehand crafted weather vanes are among the finest in the world, and boast of quality that can last for generations. Most of these increase in value with age, and many become family heirlooms. These pieces can be available directly from the artist, or at museums and galleries. These pieces of art generally have the signature of their creator engraved on them, just like a painting. These weather vanes come with a bronze or stainless steel post, and a brass or bronze compass point. 

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Weather vanes still very popular


Some of the questions that came to my mind when I first heard about weather vanes were, “Weather vanes? Isn’t that a thing of the past? Who would buy that today?” Those are valid questions, and I’m sure many of you must have thought about it this way. But then, you know, the law of the universe says that once you’ve gripped your attention to something new, no matter how trivial that might be to your existence, the very fact that it crossed your mind, makes that thing to keep manifesting itself in various forms in front of you, and you cannot help notice it. So it happened that I kept noticing weather vanes everywhere - perched on top of peoples’ houses, in the garden of a friend I visited, and even on a keychain! (although this was only an image of a weathervane).

This prodded me to do a little bit of checking on weather vanes and I realized that there is a huge market for it. People are buying them! In fact, some of the antique pieces from the late 19th century get sold for thousands of dollars. In October 2006, an antique copper weathervane, dating to 1900 and once owned by the Ford family, was sold for $5.84 million! This piece was bought by Jerry Lauren (executive vice president at Ralph Lauren) and his late wife Susan, and now proudly sits in his Park Avenue apartment. This one was perhaps the most expensive weathervane, but prices for antique weather vanes range from $3,500 to $350,000.1 Weather vanes are increasing gaining popularity among collectors, and become their treasured assets.

Weather vanes need not always be coming from the 19th century, and you do not have to necessarily spend hundreds and thousands of dollars to own one. There is a huge demand for weather vanes in the market, and there are more vanes being made today than at any point in history. Weather vanes can be manufactured by different techniques, and can come at a variety of price ranges. But if you want to have a vane that can last long, you should go ahead with one that is hand-crafted. These ones are generally made from high quality copper, and are polished with weather resistant materials. Some vanes are made in such a way that they develop an attractive patina over time, giving the weathervane an antique look. Few retailers provide a free mount so that you don’t have to worry about finding an expert who can help you with mounting these structures over your roof. The larger, roof top vanes can cost you about $300 to $1,000, whereas the standard-sized ones that are great for your garden, patio, or even your walls are even more affordable. You can easily find a weather vane for as low as $69 in this size range.   

Weather vanes, old or new, can certainly enliven your home. A large, beautifully crafted eagle or a heron perched on top of your house, can offer a unique aesthetic appeal that can transform your otherwise ordinary house into a landmark.  Weather vanes look charming even inside your home – perched on shelves, tabletops, or displayed on walls.