my new test blades

[willib]

what do ya think ?

i think they came out sorta nice

Those are two HD platters holding it together.

i'm also using the HD motor as a bearing , just not pictured..

i took them down to the beach when it was real windy, they performed real well..

http://www.otherpower.com/images/scimages/2965/Picture_010.jpg

http://www.otherpower.com/images/scimages/2965/Picture_015.jpg

http://www.otherpower.com/images/scimages/2965/Picture_017.jpg

http://www.otherpower.com/images/scimages/2965/Picture_018.jpg

[richhagen]

It is hard for me to see much of the profile in the photos, but if they follow one of the common plans, and they spin up they'll probably work fine with an alternator.  It is an interesting use of available materials.  You'll probably have to coat the foam if you plan on running them for any lenth of time, but it's just a guess.  I know people here have used foam cores and fiberglassed them from reading past posts.  I'm no expert on that, but you can read up how to do it if interested, and it only requires fiberglass cloth and polyester resin which you may be using in your stator anyway.  If they are models for wood ones, then your about ready to carve up a set.  Keep up the good work and have fun.  Rich Hagen

[dinges]

Nice, Willib!

BTW, I see someone else who can't discard those beautiful shiny aluminium HD plates :-) Never found a use for them so far, but still save them, just in case...

I'd definately laminate the styrofoam core; that way you get a sandwich construction that is very very strong. I used to build model A/C in my younger years, and it was so strong you could support the wing at both tips and sit on the middle...

However, do not use polyester! It's incompatible with styrofoam (you could test this yourself). Epoxy shouldn't be a problem (it's what I always used), but better test too before any damage is done. With polyester resin on your styrofoam, you will likely end up with a mess of what used to be a prop... :-)

And of course, such a thing never happened to me.

Peter,

The Netherlands.

[willib]

peter its not styrofoam its polyisocyanurate , Homedepo sells it as insulation.

this is the 'bearing' ..

[willib]

Thanks it was fun and they only took about two hours to make.

in this pic i took some Al strips and bent them and attached the motor/bearing to a tuna can.as a handle ..

[coldspot]

Once you find something that will not melt the blades.

Clearcoat, ect...

Old style bags, paper brown ones, wrap with that then coat, cheaper than fiberglass cloth or matting, I've used in 10th scale RC combat planes, (build them knowing they will die). Also weight much less than glass ones with great strength!

Also a suction tube pushed into one end. (I'd use inside hub end) with something to suck out the air can be helpful, care with not using to much!

My $.02

[Experimental]

   Dispite what they call it Will -- it will probably desolve, if you use polyester, but epoxy will usually work great !!

   One building hint you might want to try also -- drill out the bolt holes, oversize, cote a piece of wooden dowel with epoxy and insert in the holes -- then redrill the mount holes -- this gives you a "hard mount", for your bolts, so they don,t crush the foam or oversize with use !!

    Looks good, Happy building, Bill H....