blade balancing with wheel weights?

[makenzie71]

Anyone used self adhesive lead wheel weights on a rotor?  I got a setup that's got a really heavy side and it's taking a LOT of weight bolted to the hub to even it out, but a few ounces further out the blades is working nicely.  Just not sure how well those self adhesive weights hold up in that kind of application.

[Mary B]

That adhesive is used on the INSIDE edge of a rim, centrifugal force pushes down on the adhesive... I would not trust them to stay put. I smelt wheel weights to cast bullets and could make a quick mold from wood in pretty much any flat shape and pour a weight you could drill 2 holes in to screw to the blade(s)... Or you could talk to a roofer and see if they have a roll of lead flashing and get a couple inches of that to screw on.

[MattM]

If you can recess the lead into the wood its better than outside of it.  Placement should be made where it won't be able to throw it out.  You can drill through one hole at different angles to give it holding power.  The melting can be done with a handheld electric soldering point.  Take time to insert the skinny soldering tip through the hole to help that plumbum find its way to the deepest points of your hole.  Preferably use 50/50 or some other low temp soft plumbum mix.  Hard solder melts way to hot.

[makenzie71]

I don't have enough blade thickness to recess anything significant enough.  I'm having to add nearly 2lbs of steel at the hub to get it to balance...and even then it's not perfectly balanced, I'm just running out of stuff I can bolt to it.  I can get away with a couple of ounces on the blade tips.  The wheel weights are super awesome in my mind, just couldn't think of much else.  I really hate the idea of drilling holes in the blades to run a bolt through to mount washers out on the ends.

[joestue]

Why not drill the center hole out, then make an offset sleeve to adjust the position of the center. you can make multiple offset sleeves with different values of offset to get the right amount of radial shift.

[Mary B]

I don't have enough blade thickness to recess anything significant enough.  I'm having to add nearly 2lbs of steel at the hub to get it to balance...and even then it's not perfectly balanced, I'm just running out of stuff I can bolt to it.  I can get away with a couple of ounces on the blade tips.  The wheel weights are super awesome in my mind, just couldn't think of much else.  I really hate the idea of drilling holes in the blades to run a bolt through to mount washers out on the ends.

You do NOT want 2-3 oz of lead slinging off at full RPM... it could kill somebody!

I would weigh each blade separately  and lighten the heavy ones before adding balancing weights.

[hiker]

The root or hub  is the safest place for added weight,,towards the ends of blades adds a lot off added stress even thou it takes less weights,,just some advice from a post years back,,here’s a short vid from one of my gen build,,💕🙏🇺🇸   https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1JOOGBqNd4c

[MattM]

Makes most sense to bolt to your rotor.

[JW]

I remember the Dans using paint to balance there machines.

[makenzie71]

I remember the Dans using paint to balance there machines.

That's clever!

I ended up bolting it all to the hub.  I could get a good, even balance there even if it did require a LOT of weight

[JW]

man were in such good shape- testing

[JW]

https://www.otherpower.com/

I was at the supermarket the other day in the parking lot some lady saw my otherpower bumper sticker.

She was like' OTHERPOWER  i think she thought it was some kind of religion statement I was like no, cant you see the little windmill picture there.
https://www.fieldlines.com/index.php/topic,149512.msg1047255.html#msg1047255 


https://www.fieldlines.com/index.php?topic=149512.0


I have a stack of both FL and OP stickers. its a pain for me to send them. But if someone showed up I would just hand them the stack.
https://www.fieldlines.com/index.php/topic,149512.msg1045722.html#msg1045722