Windsock poi

How to make windsock poi

You will need:-

• A rectangle of ripstop Nylon. Something like 1.5 meters by 1 meter should do.
• A needle & thread.
• A sewing machine - not exactly needed but it saves hours & it doesn't hurt your hands :o)
• Sewing Pins.
• Patience/Time.
• To be able to sew or be prepared to learn.

How to build:-

NOTE: All measurements are approximate, any variation will work, probably.

• Take your sheet of ripstop nylon and from the left make a mark at 20cm along one of the 1m sides.
• Make the same mark on the other 1m side, starting from the opposite corner.
• Mark a line between the two points and cut along that line.
• Something like this. (Sorry I'm really new to ASCII art)
  

  -----------X----
  |              |
  |              |
  |              |
  |              |
  |              |
  |              |
  |              |
  |              |
  |              |
  |              |
  |              |
  |              |
  |              |
  |              |
  ----X-----------

• Now you have 2 pieces if ripstop nylon (RSN) that are 1.5m long & taper from 80cm to 20cm.
• If you are using tabs, a rectangle of RSN that is attached to the windsock but extends past the end of the windsock allowing you to fold the tab around the hoop, it is best to sew it on now.
• Take one of the pieces of RSN and fold it in half and pin along the edges, using sewing pins.
• Now you get to either sew the RSN along the line by hand, or if you're lucky you get to use a sewing machine :D
• Now you have a windsock, turn it inside out and make the other one, or make one of the hoops.

Longwinded Instructions

For the basic design you want a vaguely triangular shaped piece of material, now choose which side you want on the outside and fold the RSN so that side is inside.

Don't worry too much if the RSN won't line up exactly, you'll be trimming it later if you want to.

Note: Instead of attaching the windsock by using the previously mentioned methods you can sew tabs of RSN at the large opening before you sew the RSN into the windsock. You can then attach your connectors to the tabs.

The only real advantage is that they look more professional, oh and you can take the windsocks off and, change them, add glowsticks etc. - I did this for my second set and it took far too long, but that's me and my "too much thread" problem.

Regardless of whether you are using a sewing machine or needle and thread you will need to pin the RSN in as straight a line as you can manage, unless you want to make the windsock curved.

Sew that damned sock up and I hope you've got a sewing machine, I've done 3 of these by hand and it takes a long time, that or I use too much thread.

OK you should now have a windsock, you might want to turn it inside out to see what it'll look like.

Making a Metal Hoop

You will need:-

• Some strong wire, I recommend coat/clothes hangers.
• 1 or 2 pair(s) of pliers, or just a well equipped tool box.
• Electrical, gaff or duct tape.
• Foam for padding, a good addition but hardly essential.
• Pretty stuff, to make it look less ugly ;)

Instructions:-

• Option 1
  Make a double/triple looped circle, that's it, or purchase a prefabricated hoop from a shop.
• Option 2
  Make a double loop circle but part way through making a circle go straight across instead of round, then carry on with the circle, then make another line so that the two lines cross in the middle of the circle
• Option 3
  A circle with any shape you want inside it, spiderweb pattern perhaps?

Option 1
You can just sew the hoop into the windsock, attaching split rings and swivels to the hoop as you deem necessary.

Option 2
Requires some sort of tab that is narrower than the gaps between the crossing bars, these loop around the outside of the hoop and back inside connecting somehow. The hoop is best made with two lines crossing the center of the hoop at 90 degrees.

Option 3
The same as option 2 except far more fiddly, I would only recommend considering this if you're mad or have better ideas than me.

All info by me (dub) taken from my website