I made this windmill about a year ago. I used an in line skate roller with ball bearings for the center hub. About a week ago I looked out and it was gone. I found the parts scattered in my neighbors yard. We had some wind gusts over 50 mph and I figure something let loose and it flew apart. So I gathered up pieces and saved what I could. Today I reassembled it and strengthened it at the weak points. Next step it to put a tiny generator on it to light a light, any ideas where to find one? Each vane is about 8" long

First thing that popped into my feeble head was the old friction bicycle generator.   You looking to light up a searchlight for zeps flying over or just a small LED?

An alternator from a car works.  Check it out on YouTube.

Cool! Glad you could rebuild it. 

Thanks for the suggestions, but It can't move any of the suggested generators. i did find one one the web that lights LEDs and am considering it. I am delaying any more work.........more snow on the way 

23 hours ago, Ron Altier said:

We had some wind gusts over 50 mph and I figure something let loose and it flew apart.

Better tie 'er down Ron based on the weather report I just read. Denver could see the equivalent of Cat 2 hurricane wind gusts with sustained 60-70 mph. It's going to be a rocky ride for you the next 48 hours. Keep us posted

Ouch!

Hey Ron can you find any used bicycle wheels in your area?

 

These wheels work real good and run a long time with out messing with them. I pack the bearing with regular car wheel bearing grease and these pictured I build in  08-2014 and haven't touch them since I put them up... The fins that are blue are light weight steel and came from some metal window blinds. The red ones are thicker about 1/16" and easier to weld. The fluorescent paint only stays that color about two weeks and fades real bad.

 The laid back Texan is made of aluminum as is the arrow.

 I built a little jig to hold the fins in place while welding them and they will run with a very light breeze. Used bicycles at garage sales are real cheap. I use a part of a go-cart wheel for the swivel which takes two good sealed bearing so they will last a long time also... So far they have all been balanced real good with out having to mess with weights after I weld them up...I've use spoons on one which looked okay..

  I buy the metal at a metal building supply and they will slice ten foot pieces the size you want like shown which are 2" wide then I use the metal cut off saw like in the picture to cut the length I want to use.. HD or Lowes has metal racks but buying the short pieces from them are way more than what you can get at a metal supply 

1 hour ago, Gene Howe said:

Ouch!

Could break a record for the lowest barometric pressure ever...somewhere between 975-970 mBar. Lowest on record for Denver is 975.8 mBar.

Add to that up to a foot of snowfall is going to make this a very dangerous storm.

Hope Ron and @Stick486 keep us posted. Maintaining electricity is going to be a challenge.

2 minutes ago, Grandpadave52 said:

Hope Ron and @Stick486 keep us posted. 

DITTO!

Edited March 12, 20197 yr by Gene Howe

 The area where we live has all underground power lines, a huge advantage. Our gas fireplace will work fine without power and we are stocked up, no reason to go out.

12 hours ago, Grandpadave52 said:

Hope Ron and @Stick486 keep us posted.

will do...

but keep in mind this here is the department of redundancy that's redundantly redundant....

 

redundantly..........

Edited March 13, 20197 yr by Stick486

That is a good looking windmill Ron.  Too bad you are not generating from it today, sounds like you could pump back into the grid

For you boys out there in CO - y'all be safe and take care out there.

Any DC PM motor will generate electric...