On a hilltop, exposed to every wind that blows, one of these windmills made by a boy has been spinning around for four years. The windmill in this form serves also as a weathervane. Pine is the best wood for this model. To withstand the weather, the model should be painted.
After planing the post to size, lay out the chamfers (see instructions for Whistle at StansPlans.com) with a pencil on all four sides. The curve should be cut with a knife; the upper part may be planed if the square part is not squeezed in the vise. Plane the two pieces for the vanes as accurately as possible so as to be able to make a good joint. Lay out and cut this joint as directed for the Flying Top at StansPlans.com. After it is well fitted, draw the curves where the edges are to be whittled away. There are sixteen of them. Open the compass 3/4" and place the needle point always on the front right-hand edge as the wheel turns around. The curve begins 1/8" from the joint and ends 1/8" from the back edge (one also goes towards the lower edge). From this point draw a straight line to the end of the vane. Draw such lines as explained on (see instructions for Whistle at StansPlans.com). Take the joint apart and whittle the edges away to these curves.
On the beam, make chamfers 1-3/4" long. At the rear end, on the top and bottom, draw a center-line and two lines on each side of the center-line 1/8" apart. Between the first two, nearest the center-line, make the V-shaped groove in which the rudder fits. The sides of the beam are to be pared away to the other two lines, leaving this end 1/2" wide.
The curves at the rear end of the rudder can be sawed best with a scroll saw. Lacking that, proceed as follows: First, bore a 1/4" hole near the short straight line in the middle. Resting the rudder on a cutting board, pare to this line with a chisel. Next, saw straight from the end of the rudder to this straight line; then saw the corners, and pare to the curves. The width of the notch at the front end of the rudder is equal to the space left between the roots of the V-shaped notches in the beam. Measure this space, lay out the notch, saw, and chisel it; then pare the corners so as to fit the V-shaped notches in the beam. Beware of crowding the rudder, for it will split easily. When fitted, glue and nail it in place, slanting a 1" brad thru the curve into the beam.
Put the wheel on the beam with two washers and a large screw (2" No. 12 round head is a good one). For this screw bore a 1/4" hole thru the center of the wheel, and a smaller hole in the beam. Now balance the windmill on the top of the post, and put the beam and post together with washers and screw in the same manner.