In my first Windmill Video, I showed how I made the hub for the blades. In this video, I will show you how I make the Roundhouse so the windmill will always point into the wind.
I've been trawling CZcams for guidance on making a model wind pump for a friend's American themed garden railway. Yours is the best guide yet. The rest is a matter of scale. Thanks Tim.
A real nice and useful as well as aesthetically pleasing project. I hope your grandson appreciates it. I built one of these a few years ago and installed a small generator in it. The juice from it goes to a regulator and charges a pair of old car batteries in one of my two 30 x 30’ pole bars. The 2 barns are only about 60’ apart so burying some interconnected wiring in some PVC was quick and cheap. It feeds 4 sets of LED lights in each barn. It turned out a little more expensive than it started out to be but I haven’t had to pay for any lighting in those isolated pole barns the past 5 years. I also spent more than needed on some bearings. Besides being nice to look at it’s been useful. I also connected some exterior flood lights that automatically come on for 10 minutes in front of each barn. It may seem like overkill but most folks can do it. I’m no rocket scientist.
Hello Dennis. I have looked into building a wind turbine but haven't gotten around to it. I would want to build better blades, hub, bearings etc. for that project. I cut out a PVC blade a while ago just to see how those blades would be. they would be quite heavy and would require a metal hub I think to bolt the blades to. I like making stuff out of wood so I put that project on the back burner. I was wondering ... what do you use to make your windmill blades? I have used that 1/4 luan but it doesn't last. I just had one of the blades on the windmill break off.
Tim, you are right, it is a lot of fun making these whirligigs. As I use to say: "Once you are infected by the whirligig virus, you have to keep it going until someone up there dials your number"
Hi Tim. I know that I'm a bit late, but thank you so much for sharing the 2 build videos. Brilliant! I hope you are well, and still able to get in your shop. Best wishes from the UK.
Thank you Peter. Lately, I have given up making windmill blades out of wood. I started making them out of metal that i get from an Amish roof place nearby.
Tim did you know that home Depot sells 4x8 sheets of white vinyl plastic ? That would simplify your tail fin, and you can buy small bearings in bulk from Amazon or eBay , to smooth the rotation of your blades and rotator. I can see your blades shaking as it turns , so those bearings being counter sunk into the wood will stop that shaking and vibration.
That is SO COOL! Great video too. Kept it interesting and showed everything needed to do. I only wish I had the array of tools you do. (Working on that.)
i am making my first windmill and the information here has been very helpful. Any help with how to attach the roundhouse to the base so it will turn into the wind?
I did the rotating roundhouse on one of my windmills. I like to keep things simple. I drilled a hole down through the roundhouse floor and I put a 6" - 1/2" bolt through the hole. I tghen screwed a nut on and tightened. Then I put a big washer on the bolt. I slid the bolt on down through a hole in the top of the base and the roundhouse turns on that washer. I suppose the best results would be obtained by installing a bearing of some kind.
Nice job. I’m building one for myself now. I’m curious as to why you measured up from the bottom of the round house 2-1/2” before finding center. A minor issue I suppose-just curious.
I drilled a hole in the bottom of the roundhouse and put a bolt down through then a washer, lockwasher and nut. Then another big washer then a short pipe sleeve to hold the roundhouse up off the platform on the top of the tower. The bolt then goes on down through the platform. The roundhouse turns on the top of the short piece of pipe.
@@TimTools99 Thanks. That's what I thought. I went ahead and took the wheel off of a caster and flipped it over and mounted that to the outside of the round house. Rotates on bearings. Seems to work pretty well.
The tower legs are not straight up and down so the shaft has to be pitched up so the blades down't hit the tower. I learned quite a bit about dutch windmills here: www.johnhearfield.com/Wind/Windmills.htm The Dutch Windmill also has a pitched shaft to keep the blades (sails) from hitting the mill below.
I am making a Dutch Windmill next. In fact, I am making three of them for Christmas presents. I have the first one almost done and it really came out nice. I'm going to draw up my plan with detailed instructions for my Dutch Mill so that it can be made easily. I also will make a video. So with the instruction booklet and the video, this Dutch Mill (Which looks very complicated) can be made easily even by beginner woodworkers. I looked online and found a plan and bought it. BUT, It said "just trace, cut out and assemble." Well, the plan was very hard to understand and not very useful. I thought, I could help people who want to make a Dutch Windmill but who might think it is too hard. So I designed my own and all this will be coming soon! If you are interested, I could send you the plan when I am done making it.
Outstanding Whirligig ! Heavy Duty Roundhouse for sure,. Enjoyed your video~!
Thank you!
I've been trawling CZcams for guidance on making a model wind pump for a friend's American themed garden railway. Yours is the best guide yet. The rest is a matter of scale. Thanks Tim.
You are very welcome and thank you!
A real nice and useful as well as aesthetically pleasing project. I hope your grandson appreciates it. I built one of these a few years ago and installed a small generator in it. The juice from it goes to a regulator and charges a pair of old car batteries in one of my two 30 x 30’ pole bars. The 2 barns are only about 60’ apart so burying some interconnected wiring in some PVC was quick and cheap. It feeds 4 sets of LED lights in each barn. It turned out a little more expensive than it started out to be but I haven’t had to pay for any lighting in those isolated pole barns the past 5 years. I also spent more than needed on some bearings. Besides being nice to look at it’s been useful. I also connected some exterior flood lights that automatically come on for 10 minutes in front of each barn. It may seem like overkill but most folks can do it. I’m no rocket scientist.
Hello Dennis. I have looked into building a wind turbine but haven't gotten around to it. I would want to build better blades, hub, bearings etc. for that project. I cut out a PVC blade a while ago just to see how those blades would be. they would be quite heavy and would require a metal hub I think to bolt the blades to. I like making stuff out of wood so I put that project on the back burner. I was wondering ... what do you use to make your windmill blades? I have used that 1/4 luan but it doesn't last. I just had one of the blades on the windmill break off.
Tim, you are right, it is a lot of fun making these whirligigs. As I use to say: "Once you are infected by the whirligig virus, you have to keep it going until someone up there dials your number"
👍👍👍
I love your windmill and build video!
tim we love you!! you helped us so much on our project.
Oh I am so glad I helped in some way ... and I guy can never have too much love!
Beautiful windmill oh wow what a beautiful gift windmilling project and truly one of a kind ⚙️⚖️🎁💝❣️
Thanks Mae I'm glad you liked this goody thing!
Hi Tim. I know that I'm a bit late, but thank you so much for sharing the 2 build videos. Brilliant! I hope you are well, and still able to get in your shop. Best wishes from the UK.
Thank you Peter. Lately, I have given up making windmill blades out of wood. I started making them out of metal that i get from an Amish roof place nearby.
Boa noite, senhor Tim belo trabalho, parabéns ! 👍👍👍
You're really having fun doing this. It is like playing. I wish i am too...
Tim did you know that home Depot sells 4x8 sheets of white vinyl plastic ? That would simplify your tail fin, and you can buy small bearings in bulk from Amazon or eBay , to smooth the rotation of your blades and rotator.
I can see your blades shaking as it turns , so those bearings being counter sunk into the wood will stop that shaking and vibration.
Sweet can't wait to see it !
Awesome. Thanx
That is SO COOL! Great video too. Kept it interesting and showed everything needed to do. I only wish I had the array of tools you do. (Working on that.)
It took me 40 years to collect the tools I wanted and I keep buying! Ha!
Nice work!
Thanks!
you're a Ham..., me too...! Great job, congratulations
Nice to meet you, fellow Ham.
very nice
i am making my first windmill and the information here has been very helpful. Any help with how to attach the roundhouse to the base so it will turn into the wind?
I did the rotating roundhouse on one of my windmills. I like to keep things simple. I drilled a hole down through the roundhouse floor and I put a 6" - 1/2" bolt through the hole. I tghen screwed a nut on and tightened. Then I put a big washer on the bolt. I slid the bolt on down through a hole in the top of the base and the roundhouse turns on that washer. I suppose the best results would be obtained by installing a bearing of some kind.
Nice job.
I’m building one for myself now. I’m curious as to why you measured up from the bottom of the round house 2-1/2” before finding center.
A minor issue I suppose-just curious.
Hello Mark. I think I did that so I would have a square piece up above. Then draw diagonals to find the center.
What material do you use to make the blades? Doesn't plywood determinate when it gets wet?
I used plywood and you are right. It does not last. I'm thinking of trying to find other materials to make the blade out of. Maybe metal or plastic.
Kinda reminds me of a parrot. A parrot windmill.
Now, there is an idea! I appreciate you watching and leaving a comment
how did you mount the round house? Did you put a sleeve on the bolt like the blades?
I drilled a hole in the bottom of the roundhouse and put a bolt down through then a washer, lockwasher and nut. Then another big washer then a short pipe sleeve to hold the roundhouse up off the platform on the top of the tower. The bolt then goes on down through the platform. The roundhouse turns on the top of the short piece of pipe.
@@TimTools99 Thanks. That's what I thought. I went ahead and took the wheel off of a caster and flipped it over and mounted that to the outside of the round house. Rotates on bearings. Seems to work pretty well.
That's a much better way. good job.
8:00 That thing sounds like a Huey taking off
How do you calculate the size of the tail versus the blades?
I tried to get them both so they weighed about the same. It was pretty random
I'm curious as to why the blades were pitched up ?
The tower legs are not straight up and down so the shaft has to be pitched up so the blades down't hit the tower. I learned quite a bit about dutch windmills here: www.johnhearfield.com/Wind/Windmills.htm The Dutch Windmill also has a pitched shaft to keep the blades (sails) from hitting the mill below.
Well that makes perfect sense ! Thank you !
You are most welcome. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment or two!
My wife has wanted me to build her a wind mill and your vids have most helpful.
I am making a Dutch Windmill next. In fact, I am making three of them for Christmas presents. I have the first one almost done and it really came out nice. I'm going to draw up my plan with detailed instructions for my Dutch Mill so that it can be made easily. I also will make a video. So with the instruction booklet and the video, this Dutch Mill (Which looks very complicated) can be made easily even by beginner woodworkers. I looked online and found a plan and bought it. BUT, It said "just trace, cut out and assemble." Well, the plan was very hard to understand and not very useful. I thought, I could help people who want to make a Dutch Windmill but who might think it is too hard. So I designed my own and all this will be coming soon! If you are interested, I could send you the plan when I am done making it.
Why not just add a generator and a battery? You know what you a re doing for sure.