Rain chain - GIF

[Altair]

Rain chain.




Previously:

Installing a rain gutter - GIF
Downspout elbow bender - GIF
Blasting a downpipe with compressed air - GIF
Gutter bumper - photo
Downspout bending machine - GIF

[sossol]

I made four rain chains sometime in the mid 00s. the first was was for myself. I wanted everything to be copper, so I made all of the bolts and nuts out of copper grounding wire.the catch basin on the bottom is the housing from the original 1923 porch light from my house, and the funnel up top was my attempt at metal spinning. I went with a more complicated two-loop chain. I made a jig to fishmouth the ends of the loop wire so I could solder the links. I still have the jig in my workshop in case I ever decide to make more.
This is the chain today.

Attachment 46017 Attachment 46020 Attachment 46018 Attachment 46019

Neil

[Hoosiersmoker]

I'd love to see the copper version but the links didn't work for me

[sossol]

I'd love to see the copper version but the links didn't work for me

I always have trouble uploading photos. It's why I haven't posted as many of my projects lately. I can't edit my other reply, so hopefully this will work.

BTW, traditional Japanese rain chains are all-copper. There's a reason for that, but I don't remember what it is. Commercially-available ones are rarely all-copper. I wanted mine to look more industrial than traditional, but retain traditional construction aspects.

The extra loop at the bottom was originally part of a tether to keep it from swinging in high wind. I moved the tether to the bottom, but left the ring for no real reason. It was one of the test pieces off of the coiling jig I made for this.

Neil

[Hoosiersmoker]

Thanks sossol! I was having a little trouble with scale in the first video. That gives me a better sense of the size of these things. Very nice design!

[sossol]

Thanks sossol! I was having a little trouble with scale in the first video. That gives me a better sense of the size of these things. Very nice design!

You’re welcome. From what I remember there is no standard, per se, but the rings are usually under 3”. Each installation dictates the scale of the links and overall length of the chain. Most do not have the collector cups that mine has. That was my own stylistic addition. The chain disperses the water before it reaches the bottom anyhow. I just wanted to add some of my own style, and each of my projects includes something used/recycled. The upper collector is there mostly to hide the ugly hole I cut in the gutter (I had the installers leave it solid), but it does aim the water down the center of the chain. Without it the water would splash onto the stoop and get me wet.

Neil

[Jon]

BTW, if you're having trouble uploading photos, you can always email me the photos at jon@homemadetools.net. Sometimes there is something strange about the photo files that causes this. If not, I can just upload them to one of our buckets and send you back the urls for the images. That way you can reference them in a post without having to upload them.

[sossol]

BTW, if you're having trouble uploading photos, you can always email me the photos at jon@homemadetools.net. Sometimes there is something strange about the photo files that causes this. If not, I can just upload them to one of our buckets and send you back the urls for the images. That way you can reference them in a post without having to upload them.

Thanks Jon! I will do that. I have a lot of projects to update. Whenever the chores slow down I'll start uploading more.

Neil