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Graham's Frog Wind Spinner
Graham's Frog Wind Spinner
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Graham's Frog Wind Spinner
The Huon Valley Whirligig is a hand-shaped tin garden wind spinner, made one piece at a time by retired tinsmith Graham "Gra" Pettigrew in his old apple-packing shed outside Cygnet, in Tasmania's Huon Valley. Built using tinsmithing techniques he's practised for fifty years — techniques most craftsmen no longer know — every whirligig is engineered to spin silently on the lightest breath of air, and built to last decades, not seasons.
Choose Your Design (All Hand-Crafted)
▶ The Frog Couple in motion
🐸 The Frog Couple – High-Wheel Bicycle (Bestseller)
Gra's signature piece. A pair of frogs in top hat and bonnet ride a vintage high-wheel bicycle. The story behind it: in the summer of '73, Gra met his wife June at a farm dam near Judbury, where she sat watching the green and gold frogs hop across the lily pads. Hand-painted in deep frog green with bright yellow and red accents.
▶ The Cat & Rat in motion
🐱 The Cat & Rat – Vintage Motorbike
A whimsical cat-and-rat duo riding a vintage 1950s-style motorbike. Brightly hand-painted with marine-grade enamel — orange tabby cat with a determined grin, grey rat in a leather jacket hanging on for dear life.
▶ The Mantis Pair in motion
🦗 The Mantis Pair – Chopper Motorbike
Two praying mantises riding a low chopper-style motorbike. The most sculptural of Gra's designs — long mantis legs gripping the handlebars, intricate hand-shaped tin bodies in fresh green-and-yellow paint. A favourite for anyone who wants something a little different.
Whichever design you choose, the engineering is identical: same triple-tinned soldering, same sealed ball bearings, same marine-grade enamel, same solid-steel ground stake. Gra tunes every piece on the same workbench.
What Makes It Different
Most garden wind spinners sold today are stamped sheet metal with plastic figures and a metal rod-in-a-hole bearing. They look fine on the shelf — but by the second season, they squeak, rust, and end up at the tip. The Huon Valley Whirligig is built the way the old Tasmanian tinsmiths used to build things: to outlast you.
Built the way it should be:
- Triple-tinned soldering — every joint sealed against moisture from the inside out, the way old-school tinsmiths did it. Won't rust at the seams like the import junk.
- Reclaimed Australian tin — hand-shaped from old food tins and salvaged bicycle parts. Heavier gauge than mass-produced spinners, with a real material story behind every piece.
- Sealed ball bearings — two in every wheel. Spins silently on the lightest breeze. No squeak, no friction, no oiling every few months.
- Hand-painted marine-grade enamel — UV-resistant, frost-proof, salt-air-tested. Decades of colour life. June Pettigrew hand-paints every face and every eye.
- Solid 8 mm steel ground stake — drives in once and stays put through any Roaring Forties westerly. No flimsy 3 mm tubes that bend in the first wind.
- Tuned for low-wind performance — Gra balances every wheel by hand, the same way he spent fifty years balancing weathervanes. Starts spinning on a single breath of air.
Specifications
| Total Height | 142 cm including ground stake |
| Front Wheel Diameter | 41 cm |
| Material | Hand-shaped reclaimed tin, marine-grade enamel paint |
| Bearings | Sealed ball bearings (2 per wheel) |
| Stake | 8 mm solid steel, included |
| Weight | Approx. 1.8 kg |
| Origin | Hand-crafted in Cygnet, Tasmania, Australia |
| Care | Wipe occasionally with a damp cloth. No sealants needed — built for outdoor weather. |
The Story Behind the Workshop
Gra Pettigrew spent fifty years as a working tinsmith in the Huon Valley — copper gutters, rainwater tanks, weathervanes, chimney flashing. After he retired in 2017, he kept noticing how poorly most garden whirligigs were made: dead in a stiff breeze, squealing in a light one, rusted by the second winter. So he started building them the right way.
Now the old packing shed that's been his workshop for 40 years is closing — the orchard has been sold to a mainland developer who's turning it into luxury holiday rentals. This is the last batch of Huon Valley Whirligigs Gra will ever make. When he hands back the keys in early November, his workbench goes cold for good.
Daughter Kate handles the online side, so Gra can spend his last weeks at the bench. Every order ships from the workshop, hand-packed.
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
Set your Huon Valley Whirligig in the garden, watch it spin on the first breath of air, and feel the weight of the tin in your hands. If you're not 100% satisfied, send it back for a full refund — no questions asked. Gra and Kate stand behind every piece.
Hand-crafted in Cygnet, Tasmania · Limited final production · Ships within 3–5 business days · Delivery time 3–10 business days
The Final Sale
The Final Sale
Message from the Artist:
After years of making things by hand, our workshop is closing. These are the last pieces we'll ever ship. Every item on this page was made slowly, carefully, and with more love than any factory could replicate. Nothing rushed. Nothing outsourced. Just real craft from real hands.
We're proud of every single one. We hope they find good homes.
When they're gone, they're gone — and so are we.
Free Shipping
Free Shipping
Free shipping across Australia
- Delivery time: 7–14 business days
- Insured: Every package is fully insured
🌳 Carbon-neutral shipping
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? Here's how to reach us.
Got a question? Here's how to reach us.
My wife and I personally respond to every single email — as fast as we possibly can. Whether you have a question about your order or just want to talk craft, we're here.
You can reach us:
- Mon – Fri: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (CT)
- Saturday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM (CT)
Email: info@cedarandtinco.com
Can I return my order if I don't like it?
Can I return my order if I don't like it?
Of course. We stand behind everything on Cedar & Tin Co. 100%. If you're not happy, neither are we. Just shoot us an email within 90 days and we'll make it right — no hassle, no headaches.
How are your products made?
How are your products made?
Every single product on Cedar & Tin Co. is 100% handmade — crafted by hand, using only premium quality materials. We're proud to carry on a tradition of craftsmanship that has been passed down through generations.