Mass-produced Weathervanes Q&A / Navigation Page

Updated 11 / 22 / 2011

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Client: Svenson - Weathervane 12/10

I do not make many weathervanes myself, but I had made this custom classic 3 tail feather arrow shaped weathervane with a life size 3-D crow figure perched on the shaft for a client in Chautauqua, New York. I used 32oz copper for this project. It is supported by the 44" wide turret roof cap I also made with 20oz copper.

Cost: $2,775 - w/crate & shipping to New York
The custom weathervane alone was $1,200

To read more and see all 34 photos got to:
http://copper-by-design.com/rc/cp/Svenson.htm

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 Linked below are some fancy, yet inexpensive copper brass and stainless steel weathervanes we sell that were made in foreign lands by slave labor, but first a few frequently asked questions answered:

Do we have to buy these from you along with a roof cap order?
No, but you will not find a long lasting strong roof mount elsewhere. A lot of wind torsion can be subjected to the side of these weathervanes and a simple hole drilled into your roof will be a rather soft mount, that is prone to leak, and hard to make sure it is perfectly level. Any sideways angle will not permit the weathervane to rotate properly, which will cause you a good deal of grief down the road.

Good Directions does sell several different sturdy steel roof mounts, but again very tricky to level just right and also prone to cause leaks over time due to the lag screws working loose. But the worst issue is how these mounts will cause unsightly rust streaks down the roofing long before they fail all together.

I would customize these weathervanes to make sure they will fit best with our custom copper roof caps, so they will go together without any hang-ups, and make sure the solid 3/4" mast rod is the right length and all hardware is rust proof.

You are not required to get these through us with a roof cap order. There are dozens of web sites and garden shops selling these same products, but we do offer a 15% discount when purchased with our custom roof cap orders, and of course we cannot assure you that they will go together without a problem if you get them through another source. If you do find another source, you could have it shipped over to us, in order to customize it and make sure they will join together just right. We have pretty much had to make some modifications on each one we have dealt with.

If the weathervane you already have uses a steel mast; a solid brass rod can be purchased through us to replace your steel shaft. A simple magnet test can be done to see if it is just plain steel that will rust. Only steel will attract a magnet. Another indication is paint over the shaft. There would be no need to paint stainless steel, copper, or brass.

Unlike most all the other web sites selling these products, we prefer not to play that price game with our clients to make them think we are less expensive than it really will cost. There are no hidden charges including shipping within the continental USA. We list several of our competitors on our Site Map web page that you find a link to at the bottom of each of our web pages to compare prices. Even without the 15% discount our prices should be less.

How much do these cheaper ones cost?
They range from $180 to $850. We have a selection of over 100 different weathervane and ornate finials shown in our photo pages with the price listed including shipping within the continental USA and any modification needed for use in our roof caps. A detail you are not likely to find else where.

What about custom weathervanes that are stronger?
It is true that these weathervanes shown below are not made by us at Copper-By-Design. They are made with a thinner copper with some brass and stainless steel parts.  They are less expensive and easier to form with mass production presses without over fatiguing the copper sheet metal. It is true they could dent fairly easily, but being up high on a roof they are not too likely to suffer impacts. They are soldered together with minimal overlapped seams.  A stronger custom USA made weathervane would range in cost from $500 to $3,500, depending on how large and ornate they are, or  how many you were to order of the same design. The wait time would be a lot longer as well. There are a couple shop in the US who specialize in this sort of artistic work. We list one on our Site Map page: Westcoast Weathervanes.

We could make stronger custom weathervane like we do for the roof caps, but we would have to charge about 4 times as much, just like any other custom shop. With these inexpensive alternatives, we have yet to find a client willing to pay over $3k for a custom weathervane. We are just retailers for Good Directions, who is a wholesaler of lots of inexpensive weathervanes and other copper decorations.  You will not find prices listed on their web site, since they are strictly a wholesale company.  Contact us for the current prices of those other items not listed here on our web pages. You can click on the logo to the right to link over to the Good Directions web site to see their latest inventory.

Do we need a stronger custom made weathervane?
A stronger custom finial or weathervane can still get damaged in a storm. If later on one of these were to get damaged, they would not be as much a loss as a custom made unit. Another consideration is if you find a different finial or weathervane that you like better, you can decide to change it out for this first one.   We feel that about the only reason to pay so much $ for a custom finial  or weathervane is if there is a very specific design you need. One that you cannot find from one of these shown below or on the Good Directions web site.

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Weathervanes from

 Roosters 19" to 32" high

Quick links: Winged Creatures (27), Mammals (23), Marine Life (10), Special Interests (15), Transportation (13), Arrows & Windcups (21), Finials (27), Cupolas (300+)

Prices listed include postage paid in the continental USA,
15% discount w/custom CBD roof cap order.

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Visual Links:
Winged Creatures

26

4 Legged Mammals

17

Sea Life

9

Special Interests

12

Transportation

13
Arrows

9
Finials

27

 

Click here to go back to the Custom Copper Roof Cap main page to see more of the different caps we have created over the years. 

 

 

Below is a photo of our
Better Business Bureau's
NW Business Integrity Award
for the year 1998

1999 Better Business Award

We were also a 1997 finalist for this same award. See our referral web page to see how we managed to be honored with this special award

 

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