Vawtman,
Don't give up the name prematurely.
I, too, got mixed up in this hobby by looking at VAWTs and thinking of ways I could make one of my own, maybe make the mousetrap a bit better, too. Once I started building them, however, I discovered how difficult it was. There's a lot to learn, and a lot that's just unknown. It's not like building model airplanes, where everything you need to know has been well researched and published in books. Just finding enough scraps of info about VAWTS that would be relevant to anything you can make yourself is nigh on impossible.
I decided to convert to HAWT building so that I could get on with learning how the whole system works, how to make useful electricity, store it in batteries, connect inverters, pump water (maybe), etc, etc. The VAWT still lurks in the garage, tho, waiting to see the light again. There's a giant Darrieus "eggbeater" south of where I live, and I still take inspiration from that.
The REAL envelope to be pushing is your own knowledge. Do what teaches you the most; the experience will be of value for years to come, no matter what you find yourself building 10 years from now.
Have enjoyed your posts and reading about your experiences. Some of it paralleled mine.
PS: my handle has nothing to do with windmills, I doubt anybody minds.
