Build A Wind Generator
So you want to learn how to build wind generator. It's not as hard as you might think and it costs a lot less than buying a commercially build wind generator which can have a price tag upwards of USD$2500.
Check out an early attempt:
For the beginner wind generator builder it's easiest if they understand that building a wind generator is not as complicated as it might sound. Let's take a look at the different parts of a wind generator. There are the blades and the hub, the body, the tail, and the tower.
Blades and Hub
The blades and hub takes roughly three times longer to build than the rest of the wind generator, so we like to get started with them first. The blades are made out of 6" or 8" green or blue sewer pipe. We've found that this works the best because it's very strong and isn't likely to snap on us in strong winds. The blades are really easy to make as all you'll need is a jigsaw to cut the pipe the way the plans tell you to. After that you'll need to give it three coats of UV protective paint. The reason behind this is plastic that is in direct sun for long periods of time becomes brittle and the UV paint prevents that.
The hub is simply a round piece of metal which your blades attach to which in turn attaches to your motor. All that's needed to build a hub is a round piece of metal approximately 6" to 8" in diameter. You will need to drill out holes to use to mount your blades as well as a hole in the center to mount the blades on to the motor.
Body
The body can be made from recycled double walled chimney pipe. This stuff is designed for outside and the motor fits in quite nicely with a couple wedges and screws to keep it in place.
The Tail
The tail can be made out of 1/2" steel rod and a piece of plywood or plexiglass. It really depends how much you're willing to spend.
The Tower
We found a great source of free towers that no one told us about before. Remember in the old days when you used to have that TV tower? Since then many of us have upgraded to satellite, but the TV tower is still an eyesore attached to our house. We were visiting with friends once and asked if we could buy the tower... they said "I'll give you $50 to take it away for me".
There you have it, a wind generator isn't as complicated to build as it seems. It just takes the right set of plans and a little DIY skills.
