The Wind Flower has two moving features. The center aluminum, copper and steel form is a wheel and not a propeller. That is an important distinction in this case because the wind must strike the wheel on the edge, not on the side like a propeller.
To accomplish this the whole unit turns to face the wind, the rock counterbalance being the "front" of the sculpture. The Wind Flower rotates on a stainless steel thrust bearing so it turns very smoothly.
The weight of the sculpture is roughtly 300 pounds. My tests have shown it needs 10 mph winds for the unit to turn into the wind and the wheel to start turning. In other words, this is a high wind sculpture. It can easly handle winds over 40 mph as my tests have shown. My weather station is about 15 feet from it.
The only maintenance would be annual greasing of the shaft which rests in UHMW bearings. The bearings will never rust. The thrust bearing is stainless steel, and applying grease at installation will be all that is required. I would also recommend spraying the sculpture with a liquid auto wax once a year to retard further rust accumulation.
