Hi, Its not that tail piece is too small.. its too close to the pivotal point... the turbine needs to be mounted much nearer to the point of axial rotation and the tail on a longer stick this will give greater leverage to the tail and enable it to pull the turbine into alignment. The blades are not exactly scientific but they don't need to be, they are pitched a little hard, in otherwords they are angled too much if they were biting the wind in a shallower cut it would be better. All the best.
Hi. I enlarged the tail piece and everything else being equal, it works better, but I get your point. Will get a another stick and add some weight to the front just behind the turbine and re-balance it, so the tail end is longer as you said. The turbine spins relatively slowly but should last longer, otherwise it's "bearing" would wear out too fast. LOL.
I've changed the turbine's body now, I weighted it up on the front and the tail's out further away and yep it works far better. I'll post a video when i get a chance. Ball race, huh? Currently the turbine spins on a nail. Mmmmmm.... would have to change out that toy windmill turbine then and get something with more performance.
Ha Ha ha a nail, I'm a actually a clock maker in real life (not actually the pope) so friction is a constant enemy of my work its amazing how well a simple bearing can work, even a nail! Fun to see how something can be tuned up, you'd be surprised how much power even a simple turbine like yours can make. It has a chunky kinda no messing quality I like.
Clock maker? You guys must be pretty hard to find now-a-days! What with all the cheap quartz units from china that are used in everything from watches to grandfathers. Kudos to you! My 'mill was (is) just a fun project, but about every week i take it down and modify it in some way. Now i'm interested in getting a tiny ball bearing (from roller skates, maybe) and trying that, or perhaps attaching the turbine to a bike dynamo if i can find one.....
Yeah we're a dying breed, I do all the work cases dials and make all my own parts for the mechanisms so yeah there aren't too many of us. Now your talking you could put a bike lamp in your front room and read the paper as the lights go up and down depending on the wind OR you could use a old cars alternator charge a car battery and actually light your front room with a 12volt halogen bulb compliments of mother nature.... now theres a lovely thought.... :)
Thanks. Well it's really just ornamental, so I'm getting NOTHING out of it - LOL.
Furthermore, it has trouble pointing into the wind, either the tail piece is too small or the blades (which come from a fixed windmill garden ornament)arn't ideally shaped.
Hi are you using a generator or is it on no load?
DeanC993 3 years ago
No load - it's just a glorified pinwheel, basicaly. ha ha
den2003 2 years ago
cool at least you allways get to see blow in the wind(:
DeanC993 2 years ago
Hi, Its not that tail piece is too small.. its too close to the pivotal point... the turbine needs to be mounted much nearer to the point of axial rotation and the tail on a longer stick this will give greater leverage to the tail and enable it to pull the turbine into alignment. The blades are not exactly scientific but they don't need to be, they are pitched a little hard, in otherwords they are angled too much if they were biting the wind in a shallower cut it would be better. All the best.
PopeMarmalade3rd 3 years ago
Hi. I enlarged the tail piece and everything else being equal, it works better, but I get your point. Will get a another stick and add some weight to the front just behind the turbine and re-balance it, so the tail end is longer as you said. The turbine spins relatively slowly but should last longer, otherwise it's "bearing" would wear out too fast. LOL.
den2003 3 years ago
Ooo ok! A ball race instead of a single bearing would be cool but probably too much work to fit if its just for fun.
Best of luck
PopeMarmalade3rd 3 years ago
I've changed the turbine's body now, I weighted it up on the front and the tail's out further away and yep it works far better. I'll post a video when i get a chance. Ball race, huh? Currently the turbine spins on a nail. Mmmmmm.... would have to change out that toy windmill turbine then and get something with more performance.
den2003 3 years ago
Ha Ha ha a nail, I'm a actually a clock maker in real life (not actually the pope) so friction is a constant enemy of my work its amazing how well a simple bearing can work, even a nail! Fun to see how something can be tuned up, you'd be surprised how much power even a simple turbine like yours can make. It has a chunky kinda no messing quality I like.
PopeMarmalade3rd 3 years ago
Clock maker? You guys must be pretty hard to find now-a-days! What with all the cheap quartz units from china that are used in everything from watches to grandfathers. Kudos to you! My 'mill was (is) just a fun project, but about every week i take it down and modify it in some way. Now i'm interested in getting a tiny ball bearing (from roller skates, maybe) and trying that, or perhaps attaching the turbine to a bike dynamo if i can find one.....
den2003 3 years ago
Yeah we're a dying breed, I do all the work cases dials and make all my own parts for the mechanisms so yeah there aren't too many of us. Now your talking you could put a bike lamp in your front room and read the paper as the lights go up and down depending on the wind OR you could use a old cars alternator charge a car battery and actually light your front room with a 12volt halogen bulb compliments of mother nature.... now theres a lovely thought.... :)
PopeMarmalade3rd 3 years ago
what are your avg wiind speeds there and how much are you getting out of it ? ty good work!
pi3573 4 years ago
Thanks. Well it's really just ornamental, so I'm getting NOTHING out of it - LOL.
Furthermore, it has trouble pointing into the wind, either the tail piece is too small or the blades (which come from a fixed windmill garden ornament)arn't ideally shaped.
den2003 3 years ago