Figure (ornament)The part that turns. One maker calls it the sculpture piece.
PointerPoints into the wind, at where the wind comes from.
ArrowWind pushes its broad end away, so the pointer swings upwind.
Directionals (N, E, S, W letters)Fixed letters for north, east, south and west. They never turn.
Large globe (large ball)Decorative. It rests on the ball ring, below the directionals.
Rod (post)The fixed upright. Globes and directionals slide onto it.
Whole weathervane 2
Small globe (small ball)Sits loose over the top of the post, above the directionals.
CupolaA small roofed structure on the ridge, often a barn vent.
Pivot cut open 6
RingClamped to the rod to hold the large globe up.
Screw (set screw)Locks the directionals to the rod once N faces north.
Tube (spindle tube)Fixed under the figure. It slides down over the spindle.
Spindle (small rod)The thin top of the rod. The figure rides on it.
BearingA small ball between tube and spindle tip. It cuts friction.
Retaining hook (retaining clip)Stops wind lifting a winged figure off the spindle.
Two ways to mount 2
Roof bracket (roof mount)For a bare ridge. Its legs straddle the peak.
Mounting bracketFixed to a timber across the cupola. It holds the foot of the rod.
Read the wind 3
West windPointer over the W. The wind comes from the west.
East windPointer over the E. This wind blows from east to west.
Southwest windHalfway between S and W. It blows toward the northeast.
How this list was compiled: Part names and every detail line were checked, for facts only and with nothing copied, against pages and documents read on 2026-09-20, and the part names again on 2026-09-30 in Weather vane, the Met Office page, maker A's pages, maker C's pages, maker B's questions page and five of maker B's sheets (A2000, C2000, the adjustable roof mount, the cupola sheet and the instructions index), which were read as pictures because they carry no text layer. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_vane (wind vane, weather vane and weathercock name one instrument; the traditional cockerel design, with letters for the points of the compass; the word directionals; not all wind vanes have pointers; the head of the arrow or cockerel indicates the direction the wind is blowing from), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupola (a relatively small structure on top of a building; barns often have cupolas for ventilation), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrow (shaft, arrowhead and the fin-like stabilizers called fletchings) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finial (a decorative element marking the top of a roof, read to decide that a finial is not a weathervane part). Two national weather services. The UK Met Office, https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/guides/observations/how-we-measure-wind (a wind vane is a thin level arm with an upright flat plate at one end and at the other a balance weight that is also the pointer; the arm sits on an upright spindle whose bearings let it turn freely). NOAA JetStream, https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/synoptic/origin-of-wind (a wind vane indicates the wind's direction; a west wind is one coming from the west). Three weathervane makers whose texts are independent. Maker A, parts glossary https://ferroweathervanes.com/weathervane-parts-and-accessories/, assembly pages https://ferroweathervanes.com/assembly-of-copper-weathervanes/ and https://ferroweathervanes.com/assembly-installation-of-aluminum-weathervanes/, questions page https://ferroweathervanes.com/faqs-frequently-asked-questions/ and https://ferroweathervanes.com/weathervane-mounting-brackets/ (figure; the assembly of post, small and large ball and directionals; the spindle, the post's top, is what the figure rides on; spindle tube; a captive ball bearing, or a loose one at the top of the spindle tube; a ring attached to the post supports the large ball; directional hub and its screw; rotate the N to north, then tighten; arrow, arrowheads, ornament; the arrow and ornament are made slightly tail heavy; retaining hook for birds and airplanes; mounting brackets, saddle and surface; the post, compass points and globes stay still and the figure or arrow is the only portion to turn; the greatest surface is to one side of the spindle, so the wind pushes that part away till the slim front edge faces the wind; pointing at the N means a wind from the north; copper vanes are best set into the ridge beam). Maker B, index https://gooddirections.com/pages/instructions, documents https://gooddirections.com/v/vspfiles/downloadables/Prop%2065_A2000%20-%20Full%20Size%20Weathervane%20Instructions.pdf, the same folder's B2000 retaining hook and C2000 separate arrow sheets, https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0054/2575/8275/files/Adjustable_Roof_Mount_Assembly_Instructions.pdf?v=1658849976 and https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0054/2575/8275/files/Installing_a_Weathervane_on_a_Cupola_Not_Manufactured_by_Good_Directions-1.pdf?v=1686718235, and questions page https://gooddirections.com/pages/faqs (weathervane figure, small globe, brass directionals, large globe, small rod, large rod, brass ring; slide the large globe down the rod to the brass ring; interlock the directionals and tighten the set screws; the small globe fits loose; slide the tubular bottom of the figure over the small rod; slide the arrow over the brass tube; a retaining clip is supplied only for figures that need it, such as a heron or any with extended wings, to prevent wind lift; roof mount legs and roof mount tube, insert the rod turning N towards north, tighten the set screws; a 2 by 4 cross piece inside the cupola, a cupola-weathervane mounting bracket fastened to its center, the cupola rod through the cupola roof into the bracket; the directionals remain stationary and the figure points into the wind; figure and spacer balls are copper, directionals brass, the assembly rod steel). Maker C, https://www.westcoastweathervanes.com/installation/how-to-install-weathervanes/, https://www.westcoastweathervanes.com/installation/cupola-installation-method/, https://www.westcoastweathervanes.com/installation/security-device/ and https://www.westcoastweathervanes.com/installation/predicting-weather/ (sculpture piece; spire, its word for the vertical installation rod; a cross brace inside the cupola onto which the spire is mounted with a cupola flange; two-leg and four-leg brackets where the rod cannot be set into the framing; a security device on airplane and soaring bird vanes that lets the piece turn but stops it lifting; wind direction is reported by where it originates, and a vane points into the wind). Closed or unreachable on 2026-09-20: scijinks.gov (no answer), whitehallproducts.com (bot wall), education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/wind-vane (404). No maker is named on the page. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry. Own original schematic drawing of a composite teaching weathervane; nothing traced or copied, no maker's figure was redrawn, and the rooster is our own shape. Licence: own work
How it works
The parts of a weathervane come in two sets. The figure and its arrow turn with the wind. The rod, two globes and directionals stay still. Also drawn: the pivot cut open, two mounts and three wind readings.
Read the full guide
What are the parts of a weathervane called?
Six names cover the weathervane seen from the ground: figure, pointer, arrow, directionals, large globe and rod. The Start here group asks those. Under the figure a tube slides over the spindle, the thin top of the rod, and a bearing inside lets the figure turn on one point.
Which way does a weathervane point?
The pointer faces into the wind, at where the wind comes from. Over the W, it shows a west wind. The broad end of the arrow and the bulk of the figure are broader than the pointer, so the wind pushes that end away. The directionals never turn: they are set once with the N facing north, then locked to the rod by a screw.
One maker's kit list says small rod for the spindle, large rod for the rod or post, and brass ring for the ring.
A retaining hook is packed only with figures the wind could lift, such as a bird with spread wings or an airplane.
Questions and answers
What are the balls on a weathervane for?
They are decoration. Makers call them globes, balls or spacer balls, and one large and one small is the usual set. The large globe rests on a ring clamped to the rod, below the directionals. The small globe sits loose above them.
Do the letters on a weathervane turn?
No. The directionals, the rod and the globes stay still, and the figure with its arrow is the only part that turns. The letters are set once so that the N faces north. Some modern weathervanes leave the letters out.
Is it weathervane or weather vane?
Both spellings are in use, and wind vane and weathercock name the same instrument. So the parts of a weather vane are the 16 on this page. A weathercock is one with a cockerel for its figure.
What holds a weathervane on a roof?
On a bare ridge, a roof bracket: two legs straddle the peak and a tube takes the rod. In a cupola, the rod passes through the roof into a mounting bracket on a timber across the inside. Some rods go straight into the ridge beam.