I'm just back from two weeks on the Island of Crete, which makes for two weeks of sunshine that we haven't seen here yet in the UK. I'm not back at work untill next week, so I thought I'f go around those places that are normally closed at the weekend.
First call was a local building site. I wanted a piece of plastic pipe to make some larger blades. The nice man at the site office was quite interested in what I wanted it for and came back a few minutes after with an 800mm length of 150mm diameter pipe. Perfect!
Next, of to the local motor rewind company. I want to make some improvements to the rather rushed sliprings that I made when I first got the new turbine up, and I'll definitely need these when the new blades go on.
I walked into the rewind place and asked if I could have some old brushes.
"You sweeping the floor?" he said.
I explained that I had made a wind turbine and that I wanted to make slip rings.
"Waste of time, wind turbines, never get back your costs" he replied.
I pointed out that I had built it for about £80 so far, so I didn't think that was a bad investement.
"you'll have to watch out for gusts you know".
I explained furling etc. and that if I could have some old brushes that were unservicable to them they could last me for years.
"We chuck them straight in the bin".
I asked if he could save me some then, and I'd come back in a couple of weeks.
"how many do you need, two?"
I told him that I would need 4, as I'd rectified the three phase at the generator, and just wanted to bring the positive and negative down the pole.
(and so on for about 5 minutes)
"What about brush gear?"
I'll make that to fit.
"OK", he said, "You're genuine, follow me". He went on to explain that they get a lot of time wasters, and he was just testing me out. We went up into the store room and he told me to help myself from a large box of old stuff and to mind the steps on the way down!
So this is what I got.
Two really nice bits of brushgear that just need new springs matbe and that mounting on a insulated pole. I picked up the big brushes you can see there as spares for later. There was a load of stuff but I didn't want to appear greedy.
On the way out, he asked me if I had some slip rings, and then produced this....
I almost wish I'd found another brushgear, I could have brought three phase down the pole.
Altogether, it was a really good morning and just goes to show what is possible from a little polite asking and conversation.
