Home
JAQForum Ver 24.01
Log In or Join  
Active Topics
Local Time 16:19 11 Jul 2025 Privacy Policy
Jump to

Notice. New forum software under development. It's going to miss a few functions and look a bit ugly for a while, but I'm working on it full time now as the old forum was too unstable. Couple days, all good. If you notice any issues, please contact me.

Forum Index : Windmills : A well made Mini-Mill.

Author Message
Gizmo

Admin Group

Joined: 05/06/2004
Location: Australia
Posts: 5116
Posted: 09:52am 18 Jul 2007
Copy link to clipboard 
Print this post

I received an email from Claude about his mini-mill, he included a couple of photos and I thought it looked so good I decided to post it here. It was based on my Mini-Mill design here.

Claude's email...

"Here's a windmill made by following your plans for the stepper motor windmill but with a little upgraded electronics.

The miniwindmill has small stepper motor that charges a 8.4V/400mA battery. It also has a light sensor and a single LED as a light, pointed down from the tale. As the night falls, the little LED lights up for the entire night. This little windmill is working for more than a year already and it faced some severe storms with no damages. The body was a elbow flush used for toilet tank.

Claude"


Well done Claude, it looks like a bought one! Its also inspired me to dig up my original Mini-Mill ( the one photographed in the article ), its been leaning against a rock and over grown with grass for the last 2 years. I found it this afternoon and although the timber tail is gone, the rest is in good condition and still turns. A new tail and some oil should have it working again.

Glenn


The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now.
JAQ
 
Bryan1

Guru

Joined: 22/02/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 1449
Posted: 10:08am 18 Jul 2007
Copy link to clipboard 
Print this post

Hiya Glenn,
Mate i made up a mini mill akin to your design ages ago and recently I ressurected it and made some blades out of pvc as per your webpage. The little thing was a beauty untill we got some real strong winds and I wondered from the house why it wasnt making a noise. On inspection I found the pvc blades had literly disappeared and only the base of the blade was left. I also learned a valuable lesson on my first F&P genny, silly me only had a 6" clearance between the blades and tower and 1 of the blades hit the tower and smashed.

Cheers Bryan
 
Storm

Regular Member

Joined: 12/09/2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 43
Posted: 01:00pm 18 Jul 2007
Copy link to clipboard 
Print this post

Bryan I have also had the same happen to minis, tower to tip clearance would have to be one of the most common failures the novice mill builder encounters when starting out, come on hands up who's done it obviously very dangerous with metal blades, you put in a bit of work to make it look good, you think it will be fine then one day you check your mini or maxi only to be shattered
 
Print this page


To reply to this topic, you need to log in.

The Back Shed's forum code is written, and hosted, in Australia.
© JAQ Software 2025