Project by Dave Rutan | posted 05-29-2015 06:47 PM | 1383 views | 2 times favorited | 7 comments | ![]() |
![]() |
About 3 years ago I made a whirligig for my daughter styled to resemble Gilligan, her parakeet (English Budgie.) I think it’s normal that whirligigs need some occasional maintenance, they live outside after all. The plywood wings on this one de-laminated after about a year, so after replacing them twice, i decided to just make new wings using solid pressure treated wood.
After planing the wood to about 1/8 inch thickness outside the house, I was able to use one of the pieces to trace the shape of the wing onto the new wood and I cut them out on the band saw. I cut new connecting blocks because I knew I used epoxy to glue the wings on last time and it was easier to make knew rather than rehab old ones.
I used my belt sander to get the thickness just right where the blocks attach to the wings. Then I glued them in using Titebond II. (Just hope I’m not asking for trouble.
A sanding of the whole whirligig and a gray primer coat got the body ready to be painted. I used a wood burning pencil to mark where the features are on the body. That made the painting much easier. I got Gilligan to pose next to his whirligig simulacrum. You can see I didn’t quite get his green right. Now the Gilligig is back in service. It’s the only way our pet gets to fly in the ‘Big Sky.’
-- Ni faru ion el ligno!
7 comments so far
greg48
home | projects | blog
630 posts in 3726 days
#1 posted 05-29-2015 07:37 PM
Perhaps Gilligan II is part Pheonix? Nice job
-- Greg, No. Cal. - "Gaudete in Domino Semper"
Dave Rutan
home | projects | blog
2008 posts in 3157 days
#2 posted 05-29-2015 07:54 PM
Our parakeet is actually delusional. He reminisces about his days in Australia, swooping down and rending mice, despite the fact he’s a born and bred New Jerseyan. And he thinks that when he grows up, he’ll become an eagle. (This is what happens when parents make stuffed animals and pets talk for their kids.)
-- Ni faru ion el ligno!
GerardoArg1
home | projects | blog
1014 posts in 2962 days
#3 posted 05-29-2015 08:15 PM
Great job. Like the wood movements. God job in paint too
-- Disfruta tu trabajo (enjoy your work) (Bandera, Argentina)
CFrye
home | projects | blog
11145 posts in 2808 days
#4 posted 05-29-2015 09:25 PM
Gilligig LIVES! Yay!
-- God bless, Candy
Mean_Dean
home | projects | blog
7057 posts in 4116 days
#5 posted 05-30-2015 12:04 AM
Nice to see Gilligan back in the air!
-- Dean -- "Don't give up the ship -- fight her 'till she sinks!" Capt James Lawrence USN
cpine
home | projects | blog
98 posts in 2825 days
#6 posted 05-30-2015 01:03 AM
Good work1 Looks great all freshly painted!
Chris
-- Chris Pine
Ivan
home | projects | blog
16518 posts in 3836 days
#7 posted 06-01-2015 03:51 AM
Colours are perfect.Nice bird.
-- Ivan, Croatia, Wooddicted
Have your say...