A few months ago, I decided to check out an antique store I hadn’t been to in a while – the Fayetteville Antique Mall in Fayetteville, PA. I used to go there regularly when we lived in PA, but I noticed more vendors were leaving over and the quality of the merchandise was going downhill. But, I’ve learned with antique malls that it’s always worth checking it out. Even one or two new vendors that carry things I like can make a place worth visiting. Well, they have really stepped up their game since I was last there. There were more vendors with quality antique pieces. The store was tidier and more pleasant to shop. I bought a nice collection of things and liked many pieces that I just didn’t have the right spot for. I’ll definitely make regular visits! Anyway, one of the things I bought was this antique whirligig.
It wasn’t something I was looking for and I sort of laughed at myself for liking it, but there was something about imagining that duck with spinning wings in my own yard that made me buy it. Based on my research, it’s probably from the 1920s-40s and was either handmade from instructions or made from a kit. I was able to find one that was the exact shape of mine, so that made me think it was from a kit or a popular pattern and not completely a homemade design.
I liked how this antique whirligig was painted, as a mallard duck, but I knew I wanted to give it a bit of a refresh.
I started off my sanding off the green and orange paint and roughing up the black so a new layer of paint would adhere nicely.
I hosed off the dust and let it dry…
I then applied two coats of MMS Milk Paint in Farmhouse White. I simply taped off the bill and left it raw wood. It still reads as an “orange” beak, but the color is a bit more muted. I distressed the edges of the new paint so it didn’t look too new and sprayed on a couple of coats of matte exterior polyurethane.
You can see more details about painting the antique duck whirligig in this video…
Painting it was the easy part! Now, I needed to figure out how to mount it. It didn’t come with a mount and trying to find a standard whirligig mount is surprisingly difficult. I guess it shouldn’t be surprising because whirligigs seem to be a niche thing. I’m not betting that this post will go viral anytime soon.
So, I took a deep dive into the world of building whirligigs and took a screenshot from one video that gave a quick glimpse of how one was mounted. I took that screenshot to the hardware store along with my whirligig, hoping I could find a wonderful hardware nerd who knew just what I needed. I didn’t find that, but I did find someone in plumbing who helped me figure out what pipe would be best before I set out to look at the dowel rods and hardware.
I needed an empty pipe to insert a dowel that would fit exactly so it could spin freely but not wobble within the pipe. Then, I needed a washer to fit on top of the dowel to prevent it from falling completely into the pipe and would allow the whirligig to spin. Lastly, I needed a bolt that could thread into the dowel on which to mount the whirligig. So, I ended up getting a 1″ copper pipe that was 6′ long. A galvanized pipe was less expensive, but it only came in 14′ lengths that could only be cut in half. I only needed one pole, not two, and it was cheaper to buy a shorter-sized copper pipe than a long galvanized one with excess. I figured the copper would look nice as it ages in the elements, too.
I got a 1″ oak dowel so it could hopefully be drilled without splitting. And then I spent some time fiddling in the hardware aisle, testing bolts and washers on the dowel and whirligig. I bought a few options in case one idea didn’t work. Since he is the master tinkerer of the family, I gave the screenshot and all of the pieces to my dad so he could assemble them. He looked it all over and assured me it was no problem. The next time my parents came out for a visit and a swim, he brought the whirligig all ready to mount.
We used 1″ pipe clamps to mount the freshly-finished antique whirligig onto a fence post. I was initially unsure where I would put it, but my mom suggested the fence so it could be seen from both sides. It was the perfect idea and looks so cute in its new spot.
The wings were spinning in the wind today and it made me smile, just as I thought it would.
13 Responses
Very charming. I like where you mounted it. I can imagine it will bring many smiles to your face throughout the seasons.
We stop there every time we go to Gettysburg!
It’s darling and looks perfect in your yard!
How whimsical and fun!
My daughter rescued a white Peking duck named Ike and we ended up with him, of course. He had his own swimming pool and house and was quite a character. He lived for 10 years which is quite a long life for a white duck. We always enjoyed Ike’s antics.
Your friends and neighbors will enjoy your duck’s antics, too.
Now I want a duck whirligig! May be a new business venture for you & your Dad! It is a happy & charming fixture in your yard & made me smile too!
Marian!
A whirligig is like a piece of whimsy in the landscape. Your charming restoration , clever reconstruction, and fence mounting makes yours so!
Make it contnue to make you smile,
Diney on Mercer Island
I had a whirligig with a woman scrubbing clothes on a washboard. It reached a point where it couldn’t be repaired again. I love them and wished I had another. You found a treasure.
I love whirligigs! I have a red cardinal and he’s just sweet. I love the homespun nature of them, they’re folk art! Your new duck is adorable. Enjoy!
Oh the memories. My Dad used to make whirligigs back in the 60’s. At that time I didn’t appreciate them much. Wish I had one now 🙁 I do have a number of pictures of the one he mounted on our roof.
The makeover is cuter than the original! It is also goofy and fun. I’m a little concerned now that you are trying to bring back the ’80s with all those ducks, gingham checks, etc., do we need to stage an intervention?? Just kidding! 🙂
I would have snapped up the duck whirligig, too, and love the makeover. We have white ducks (Pekins) and geese (Sebastopol and Pilgrim) on our farm and the resemblance makes me smile. The geese, in particular, look like this first thing in the morning when they run up the hill from our pond with wings flapping. No better entertainment, I tell you! Thanks for sharing this fun project.
Love it! And now I want one!
Your whirligig is adorable! I just bought two whirligigs earlier this summer while camping in Bird In Hand/Lancaster area. I kept looking at them at the shops all week and knew I just had to have one or two! We ended up buying them from an Amish farm shop, one is a blue and white duck and the other is a blue heron, I think. They are so adorable and I love seeing their wings whirling away this summer! I’m just sad that I’ll have to put them away this winter. I don’t think they’d do well with our SW PA winters.