Dear Plow Dawg, I'm sure you are referring to the magnet rotors. Rotors spin and a sta-tor gets its name by being sta-tionary.
I understand how difficult it is to find near free steel rotors, or how having steel rotors cut can be troublesome and expensive, so the question about making the rotor backing material out of wood or aluminum often comes up (clearly they would be easier to get and cut).
The strength of the magnetic field coming from the magnets has a direct effect on how many electrons are pushed around in the stator coils. A stronger magnetic field (flux) will provide you with more Watts of power every single time the rotor spins.
If you hold a magnet under a white piece of paper with the North pole to one side and the South pole to the other, then sprinkle steel shaving on top of the paper, the shavings will take the shape of the magnetic field.
If you then place a steel plate behind one of the poles, the magnetic flux will be pulled in on that side, and the opposing side will have a stronger field.
Start with a proven design and get the strongest magnets you can afford. If you make a small wind-gen with a coil-stator and one steel rotor with magnets, it will provide you with a certain amount of output.
If you then add a second steel rotor (no magnets) on the opposite side of the stator to create a magnetic flux path, the output will go up some. If you add magnets to the second rotor (alternating faces, an N on one rotor will face an S on the other rotor), the output will increase again.
I have not built one yet, but the experienced builders here will pay extra for something that actually works, and will not waste money on something that doesn't work.
Best of luck, and have fun!
