Before I get too deep into the last weeks activities a few words about the 'cheap' ($14 - $20) 'harbor freight' 4.5" grinder. I've had this one now for 7 years and it gets a few hours use every week. Recently we had to change the brushes for the 1st time. Then it got a bit intermittant (and I bought a new one for $14) - George took it all apart and found a loose wire in there and glued up some broken plastic. He put it all back together and realized he'd spilled super glue in the switch. So he took it back apart, fixed the switch, put it back together and it was still intermittant. He tore it all apart again (at this point Im giving him a hard time for putting 3 hours labor into a $14 grinder) and found a break in a wire - so he changed the cord. At this point George was getting agitated about the whole ordeal but he did get it working well. I 'borrowed' it from him and took one brush out... asked him if there was a trick to getting it working and he just about snapped (he threw it in the trash this time). I put the brush back in and George forgave me. At any rate, this might just be the best tool harbor freight sells, they're very tough, better than the expensive makita in my opinion.
Last Sunday afternoon we had guests from Luna Community college in Las Vegas New Mexico. They came up, rented a cabin and paid us to have a small 'wind turbine' work shop for 3 days. I warned them that 3 days wasn't very long and that they'd likely not get everything done but hopefully they'd get a grip on how to do it and be able to finish the machine when they got home. Wonderful folks. Pictured above George gives Jessica metal work lessons.
Brian and Kevin cut the stainless steel bands for the magnet rotors.
Rich is an excellent instructor. He didn't do any work himself (except to wind one coil). On the first day they had the stator cast and the magnet rotors finished.
Scotty came up Monday to show them how he carves blades. We only used hand tools. They pretty much had the blades roughed out by the end of the first day.
We didn't start blades till the stator was in the mold and the magnet rotors were finished (that all took about 4 hours). Then Kevin and Brian worked on blades while Jessica did metal work.
Jessica was concerned about the sparks that were burning her hair - George gave her a blue rag to cover her head with.
On the second day we changed it up, put Kevin and Brian on metal work while Jessica finished the blades.
Brian was getting close to done with metal work on the 2nd day. Kevin tightens the studs into the hub getting ready for alternator assembly.
Coaxing the back magnet rotor onto the hub with a rubber hammer...
Kevin cuts the tail vane out of 1/4" baltic birch plywood.
It was fairly cold out -we'd cast the stator on Monday early afternoon. Tuesday we brought the mold in and put it next to the stove. Pictured above Kevin has opened the mold and is preparing to take the stator out.
George teaching Brian about the mig welder. We had enough wind on Tuesday to weld with wind power which was nice.
The blades were finished by about 1 PM on Tuesday - Rich showed them how to assemble and drill out the blades.
Brian and Kevin assemble the alternator and adjust the stator. I think this was about 3PM on Tuesday.
Fitting the blades to the alternator at about 4PM on Tuesday!
Damned good job - the machine came out very nicely and they finished it in two days! This was supposed to be a 3 day workshop.
