# How to Make a Wind Vane from Old CDs
Wind direction helps to determine temperature and other weather conditions. There may be more reasons that you'd like to know the wind direction, as well. Choose CDs with decorative colors and you might even be surprised by your own artistry.
In any case, throwing away those old CDs is hard on the Earth, as they are crude oil-based plastic.
Things You'll Need
- 3 CDs
- 2 thin laths of about 18 inches long
- 2 garbage bag ties
- Quick-drying glue or cement
- 3 washers
- Large nail
- Scissors
- Hammer
- Wooden dowel about the size of a broom handle, or an old broom handle
Instructions
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1
Cut a diagonal line from the edge of one of the CDs at about a 45 degree angle or so, to the center of one side of it. Start at the same point and cut another diagonal line to match it toward the other side of the circle. The end result leaves a point -- or arrow, with the bottom still a rounded edge, that points to the direction the wind is coming from in its final form.
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2
Glue the other two CDs together, with one edge overlapping the other about halfway to the center. This is the sail. Set these aside to dry.
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3
Lay one of the laths down flat. Glue the point to one end of the lath by its rounded edge. Glue it so the lath is attached to about half the length of the point and centered.
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4
Place the two previously glued CDs so about half the length of the overlapped section is centered on the other end of the lath, and glue these onto it. Align the second lath with the first one and glue it on top of the CDs. Wrap the garbage ties around both laths together -- one on each end -- next to the CDs, holding them snugly.
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5
Place the weather vane in its upright position. Glue a washer to the center of the length of it, on both the top and the bottom. Allow the glue to dry.
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6
Place a nail through the washers, and add the third washer to the bottom. Pound the nail into the top of the dowel, giving the vane enough freedom to spin without wobbling. Mount the pole as desired or simply stick it into the ground.
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