I've been trying to get the welder who built us our metal pergola to weld a slightly larger tube with a bottom to serve as a holster to place my wind catchers so that they are upright and appear to be a part of the pergola itself.This tube would be welded permanently to the side of the squared metal shape of the pergola. The tube would have been about 12" or so with half of it sticking above and below the frame of the pergola. He didn't have the right size pipe to do the job the same day he finished the pergola and said he would be back. But that never happened. I'm having a very hard time getting him to come back to do this last bit of work for me. My hunch is it's only a couple hundred dollars worth of work and he doesn't feel it's worth his time. Which is sad because we've had him do a lot of work for us in the past and have spent thousands of dollars paying him for what we now have (and really love). I just think he's too busy with more profitable work.
So my question is, can someone here recommend a way to attach these windcatchers to my pergola without having to weld them on? I'm providing photos. I am looking for some type of clamp that I can configure/make so that it can hold the wind catchers vertically in place even though I'm working with a metal pergola that is at an angle. I'm even willing to drill a hole vertically through the top and center if that's what I need to do. Even I have to devise some type of clamp to hold it in place that might look a bit unsightly/bulky I think my bougainvillea vines that you can see creeping their way up the pergola could easily hide anything that may not look ideal. In about another year's time that whole pergola structure will be covered with this fast growing vine.
The only concern I have is to make sure that whatever I install is super sturdy and does not pose a risk for someone who might be nearby and under it on a very windy day. We sometimes get gusty winds that can reach 27MPH.
Does anyone have any ideas? I'm including some pics to give an idea as to what I'm trying to do but given the angle of holding it all myself while simultaneously holding my smartphone doesn't make for the best angle. Apologies for that. The windcatcher will obviously be placed a bit higher so that it the blades do not hit the pergola itself. I just can't hold it any higher while standing on the ground to take the photo.
