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Oak Run Studios, 888 Marsh Cutoff PO Box 499, Mosier, Oregon, 97040 (541) 478-3451 ©2006
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The Heron Whirl is the result of about three years of trying to get the whirligig to another level. That would be: permanent, extreme weather and wind safe, and new designs. The answer was to make it out of metal for permanency, but the weight of the metal created balance problems which were solved by using counterbalances. I wanted the mechanical art to be stable and functional in winds of 15 to 20 mph. To accomplish this I am using UHMW reduction gears. UHMW is the stuff cutting boards are made of and I have used it over 15 years in various applications with great success.
Tests of prototypes have withstood 35 m.p.h. winds. Winds stronger than 20 m.p.h. do not make the mechanics move faster because of the reduction gears and because there is a mechanical fixed speed at which something will not exceed. In other words the wind just goes around it if it is too strong.
Because the wings are counterbalanced, the propeller does not have to work very hard so the wings start to flap in breezes of 7 m.p.h. or higher.
Because of the size and weight I have changed stands to the the one illustrated below.
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Heron Whirl
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| The total height is 4.5' , 3' wide and 4' long. The stand is included and I also include a stake for securing it to the ground. |
The key to the success of this design is the use of UHMW reduction gears which slow the movement down to safe levels in high winds. These bearings do not need to be lubricated. |
Although three dimensional, the propeller is a true propeller in that it has a horizontal shaft and needs to face the wind in order to work properly. The long fin makes this happen so the design is always facing into the wind. |
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| The propeller has six blades and are set a 45 degrees for maximum use of wind energy. |
Heron Whirl including stand-------$699 |
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The stand at the left is the one I am using for the Heron Whirl. it is not taller but it is heavier and has a bigger foot print (24"). It also has a rust patina.
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