Wind Flag bearings

[the long shot]

I am looking to design and build my own wind flags. Does anyone have a good suggestion for "frictionless" pivot bearings for a Wick style wind flag? I am looking at different props like daiseys and model plane props. I want to build the flag on a tripod base and using old carbon arrow shafts.

 

[hogpatrol]

Bearings, Inc. If they don't have it either no one else does or they'll find it.

 

[JFrank]

I am looking to design and build my own wind flags. Does anyone have a good suggestion for "frictionless" pivot bearings for a Wick style wind flag? I am looking at different props like daiseys and model plane props. I want to build the flag on a tripod base and using old carbon arrow shafts.

Send a PM to Panama Evans he just made some real nice ones.
J

 

[butchlambert]

I hope that you have looked and studied flags for a while before building them. I'm one of those equip. whores. I've owned about 15 different BR receivers, barrels by everybody, presses, powder, bullets, and several sets of windflags. I haven't had a bad set, but saw the fallacies of some. I started with Geraci flags, home made flags, Hood flags, Pumpkin flags, and my present BRT Australian flags. All of them will tell you something. I want a flag that is telling me what is happening right now, not what was happening a second ago. Daisys are good in a light wind, but are like a flywheel. Slow to respond to a pickup and slow the stop when you lose the wind. I like tricolor pinwheels. They respond instantly to the wind and changes of velocity. I like the corroplast vanes as they can be big and real light weight. I like my sail cloth tails shaped like an old venetian blind. They don't flop around in the wind. They just rise and fall and keep a stiff shape.
Go to a bearing supply and peruse their catalogs or you can actually find all you need spec wise on the INNERNET. After you see what you want, they can be picked up or purchased from most local bearing sizes.
First is the ones that went to the drone squadron in the middle east. They had a particular color requirement.

Bearings in the pivot and the propellor shaft.
No I no longer offer them as they are a little too spendy, but they are great

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

IME, bearings sound like a good idea on the surface but actually slow flags down, as opposed to a well designed flag. Opposing magnets are great but most of the friction comes from side load. FWIW.--Mike Ezell

 

[butchlambert]

IME, bearings sound like a good idea on the surface but actually slow flags down, as opposed to a well designed flag. Opposing magnets are great but most of the friction comes from side load. FWIW.--Mike Ezell

Mike don't you reckon that is why several ideas and flag designs are available? Opposing magnets? So, you are speaking of the folks that use them on the pivot?

 

[ClassCat]

Graham Wind flags

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Mike don't you reckon that is why several ideas and flag designs are available? Opposing magnets? So, you are speaking of the folks that use them on the pivot?

Yes, probably so Butch and yes, I am speaking specifically about opposing magnets at the pivot point. Problem with opposing magnets is that particularly with a daisy type of flag, they offer very little side load reduction. Because of the area of a pinwheel or daisy, drag increases as wind speed increases. So, what happens is, the static balance point means little because the dynamic balance point is always moving with wind speed(drag). What some people do to offset this is to just make the vane bigger. This just adds weight which much be offset at the front, which again, just adds more weight. Bottom line, most people are money ahead to buy a well designed flag that takes all of this into consideration.

We spend gobs on the rest of our equipment and when it comes to an area that can really make a difference, for some reason, some choose to skimp on flags. Ask any BR shooter and he'll likely tell you that the wind is the single biggest factor in the game. Seems like a logical place to buy the best you can afford.

I'm sorry to hear you are no longer carrying the BRT flags. No offense to anyone but, those and mine stand out as the best two available.
Not necessarily in that order.

 

[the long shot]

I hope that you have looked and studied flags for a while before building them. I'm one of those equip. whores. I've owned about 15 different BR receivers, barrels by everybody, presses, powder, bullets, and several sets of windflags. I haven't had a bad set, but saw the fallacies of some. I started with Geraci flags, home made flags, Hood flags, Pumpkin flags, and my present BRT Australian flags. All of them will tell you something. I want a flag that is telling me what is happening right now, not what was happening a second ago. Daisys are good in a light wind, but are like a flywheel. Slow to respond to a pickup and slow the stop when you lose the wind. I like tricolor pinwheels. They respond instantly to the wind and changes of velocity. I like the corroplast vanes as they can be big and real light weight. I like my sail cloth tails shaped like an old venetian blind. They don't flop around in the wind. They just rise and fall and keep a stiff shape.
Go to a bearing supply and peruse their catalogs or you can actually find all you need spec wise on the INNERNET. After you see what you want, they can be picked up or purchased from most local bearing sizes.
First is the ones that went to the drone squadron in the middle east. They had a particular color requirement.


I have studied them for a few years. I shoot heads up most of the time so I look at other people's flags more than what I have. I have a style I like but the nitty gritty of the bearings and materials is the part that stymies me. I have a whole box of chloroplast but the pivot point that rests on the tripod is what eludes me at the moment.

 

[GSPV]

Just use delrin or teflon and be done with it.

 

[butchlambert]

The Aussie flags have bearings in the pivot and a pin is Loctited into the bearing. The pin sticks down and fits into a piece of aluminum that screws on the light stand and has has a female .250 hole in the other end.