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N1YDP22
02-10-2013, 01:39 PM
just made my first wind flag out of stuff i had laying around.cardboard,arrow,prop,delrin and some vinyl ribbon. how many more do i need? now i need a stand.any thoughts?
http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj548/N1YDP/th_MechanicFalls-20130210-00229_zps1d78f47f.jpg

acemisser
02-10-2013, 04:19 PM
How about some weights from a set of dumb bells? I have seen them used afor

Stockrex
02-10-2013, 09:20 PM
I am making some out of garden stakes and using tape from an old audio tape.
no need to carry heavy weights,

82boy
02-11-2013, 11:49 AM
It is great to see someone taking an interest in building a set of wind flags. Trust me there are one of the best investments you can make. They dont have to be fancy, or expensive. It is hard to see the picture you have put up, it looks like you have a propeller on the front, it took me several looks to see the vane on the back as it matches in to the wood table. I would susgest you paint the vanes with bright orange on the left and bright green on the right. You may ask why, well it makes it easier to see, but if you paint them the opsite, and you shoot any competition you will be confused, as the other are pained in the described way. When I shot competition I dont just use my flags but all the flags out. So being uniformed helps.

On flag poles, and how many you need to build, well it comes down to personal preference. I personaly like to have 4 flags when I shoot out to 100 yards, and 7 flags when I shoot out to 200. At 100 yards I place a flag a about 15 foot out, one at 30 yards, another at 60 yards, and the last one at 80 yards where it is just in view of my scope. At 200 I keep the same flag placement but I put a flag at 110 yards, another at 150 yards, and the last at 175 yards, again with the last flag just visible in the bottom of the scope. You may want to have the vanes bigger on the flags you use at 200 yards, as the further out you go the harder it is to see them. When I am not shooting competition but I am out praticing, I run a second set of flags out, I put one row on the laft side of me and the other rown on the right side of me, this way I can see switching winds as the happen. If you only watch say a left side set of flags, and you have wind comming in from the right then you are guessing what is going on, as the flags are reacting after the fact. You may even want to put a few more out further on the right and left. One thing I have seen is some people put out too maqny flags, just because you have many flags doesn't mean you have to use them all. I have seen fellows in competition that will put out 8 to 10 flags at 100 yards, the problem is this is just way too much to watch, and you brain can not comprehend all of this information. The onld method is true keep it simple. I say no more than 4 flags ,and no less than 2 in a row at 100 yards.

Now onto poles, you can do many difernt tings here, the main thing to remember is to match your poles to where you shoot. Diferent ranges have diferent requirements. I recamend you make your poles adjustable, and the shorter they are with more adjustement in height they have the better. Here is an example at the range I shoot at a lot the backstops are low and almost on the ground, my flags I have adjustemnt on them and close the the bench I can put them up to waist high, now out towards the back stop I can have to keep them about knee high, and the way this range is built when we go out to 200 yards, it is one a hill, and I have to keep the flags lower than knee high. Now at another range I go to to shoot, it is all downhill, so at 100 yards I have flags that are 6 foot high, and at 200 yards I had to make poles that would go 30 feet high. So with that all said having adjustement is a great thing.

Many make there stands out of music stands or photo light stands, and they fold up, they have some adjustement. They sit on a three feet, and they work great on concreat, and hard surfaces, but you can not drive them in the grounds, so they can move, get blowen away, or tip over. They are a bit limited in height. Some of the best poles I have seen have been made out of golf ball retrievers, or teliscoping paint roller attachement handels, they can have a ton of adjustement, and they are super light, they do have a problem though when the wind is switching and mmoving back and forth, they can work the friction sdjustement loose, and the flag will fall from its set height. You can remindy this buy wrappinig tape around them. I like to make telescping poles out of steel, and drive them into the ground. Most of my flags are made from EMT or electrict conduiet. I use vering sizing, and fit one inside the other, and use the joiners with a large thumb screw to friction hold them to height. All I can say is it works well.

Some thing else to consider is the way you attach your flags to the poles. I would put them on a small point, and have them ride on a bearing if possible. I bit of oil is a good thing. Protect your flags, as I said before they are an investement. I keep mine in a old gun case. Well good luck and if you need any help let me know.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d145/82boy/windflagssetup.jpghttp://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d145/82boy/243010.jpg

N1YDP22
02-11-2013, 04:15 PM
how high are the flags set up?.how high are the targets at 50 yards?

N1YDP22
02-11-2013, 07:27 PM
did some more work on my flags.
http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj548/N1YDP/th_MechanicFalls-20130211-00233_zps9755be73.jpg

82boy
02-11-2013, 11:46 PM
how high are the flags set up?.how high are the targets at 50 yards?

Depends on the range, there is no set standard.

82boy
02-11-2013, 11:48 PM
did some more work on my flags.
http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj548/N1YDP/th_MechanicFalls-20130211-00233_zps9755be73.jpg

You may want to re-think using black on the vanes, it is the hardest color to see.
You may also want to color in on side of your propellors, so you can see how fast it is spinning.

acemisser
02-12-2013, 08:00 PM
Matthew Quickly never used no stinking flags...If you can pick up the mirage in your scope it is BETTER than any old flag..
Far better..We seldom used them at Perry...oh another penny's worth.:sleeping: