Stanwood Wind SculptureKinetic Copper Wind Sculpture, Dual Spinner Spinning Ficus Leaves

We were in an artsy resort town, and at one of the art(sy) galleries was a collection of wind sculptures. They were both attractive and fascinating. There was one much like this, a little taller and with slightly bigger vanes. It had a nice patina. It cost $1700 plus about $150 shipping. We went to another gallery, where there were not nearly so nice and much cheaper ones. When we inquired of one, the owner said that the entire shipment had been defective and had been returned. They came two to a box.Hm, we thought, if there's a shipment and boxes, such a thing could probably be purchased through Amazon.Upon return home, we found this, mirabile dictu at Amazon. Much nicer than the not-as-nice ones, and 95-98% as nice as the very nice one, at about 20% of the cost. Not to denigrate the artist-made ones. They were attractive, but not so much more than this as to be apparent. And although this lacks whatever cachet being an "art-work" might bring with it, the artist had a catalogue with standard models, so there was some assembly line aspect to the "art" as well. When it's a catalogue item, it's almost by definition not unique.This is machine-made. It is also gorgeous. It assembles easily and the mounting system makes it stable even in difficult soil. The sparse but sufficient instructions indicate using a level to make sure it's vertical. I would suggest, rather, using a plumb line.It is soothing beyond description to look at. In the few days we've had it, we even wish for wind, the better to watch it move. We are looking forward to it weathering, although I read that some prefer the shiny original finish. To each his own; shiny, to us, is for bathtub fixtures; patina is for gardens.Art and joy can come from things made by machines as well as by hands. The designing brain, and the execution of that design, is what counts. Those who feel some deficiency that this is mass-produced can tell anyone who asks that Alexander Calder made it for them in his spare time, and secretly enjoy the money saved.

The media could not be loaded. Probably everything has already been said about this wind spinner, so I'll try to add some pointers which may be helpful.1. Absolutely seal this, I would advise Permalac Clear Satin, it's made specifically for copper. It is available from ArtChemicals on the West Coast. It shipped the day I ordered it and was delivered in three working days. It costs $38.35 delivered, expensive, but don't get cheap, you have a beautiful work of art to protect.2. The Permalac comes in a spray can and you can use the packing boxes as a spray backstop. It is ULTRA important to spray this in a well ventilated location. A garage is perfect, just keep the door open at least halfway. The fumes are flammable so be careful to stay away from an ignition source, the pilot light on a water heater is easy to overlook. The Permalac has about enough for two applications, front and back. Let it dry an hour between applications. The tubes are solid copper so don't forget them.3. When installing the vertical support tubes, use a level to make sure they are absolutely on the bubble vertically. I mounted mine on a fence since the ground here is too hard and rocky to even penetrate an inch. It was easy to get it perpendicular this way.4. Make sure the support tubes are very tightly screwed together. The top tube will be slightly crooked otherwise.5. Even if you want to make the neighbors jealous, do not mount this anywhere that copper thieves can get it, namely the front yard. This type of crime is fairly new, they strip vacant houses, a/c units, even street lights, all for drug money.6. Lastly, enjoy this! Take the necessary preparatory steps, don't rush things, and you will find this more gorgeous than anyone has described.

Nice! Really well made. It all has ball bearings for all the parts that turn.One thing I did to adjust it:It wanted to turn on the vertical shaft too freely which meant that the leaf spinners had less action. Even that virticle shaft is on a ball bearing.So, to add some resistance to that kind of spin (I hope I can make this clear), I put a rubber o-ring on the shaft near the bearing--you could use a rubber band. That does nothing in itself because it will only touch the *inner* part of the ball bearing even if you shove it against the top peice. So... Next find a thin piece of clear plastic--I used one of those office hanging folder label covers. You want the kind of plastic that springs back into place (a polycarbonate), and it must be very thin. Cut a "whisker" strip and insert it virtically into the o-ring so that the "whisker" touches the outer part of the part above (that turns). You can now adjust the speed by how much that rubs against the top spinner by pulling up on the plastic or moving the o-ring, or, of course by cutting a wider or thinner whisker. Helpful? Clear? Speaking of clear, you won't even see that from any distance once you put it on and if you use a plumbing o-ring it and the plastic are pretty much weather-proof.I should add that it is super high quality. And it has been through some really nasty wind storms with very high winds and gusts (Midwest 2010 Fall in-line near huricane strength winds). I thought about adding a smaller copper pipe down the middle for support (it sways a tiny amount) but that apparently wasn't needed. (If you do add a support spike down the hollow center, don't add a different metal because it can cause an electrical corrosive reaction).