Wind Turbine Blades

• The most durable and natural material to use for the blades of your turbine is bamboo. An alternative is non-toxic high density polyethylene (HDPE) plumbing pipe. Do not use new PVC pipes, as they are considered a carcinogenic material. Bamboo grows locally in some areas, so check your neighborhood before buying sheets of bamboo. Bamboo is also farily easy to cut and sand into airfoil shapes to make quality, attractive blades.
  
  

Blade Hub Mechanics

• The blades must be attached to a hub, which can also be constructed at home. Choose a motor, and buy a toothed pulley that fits on the motor shaft. If it is too small to bolt the blades onto, get a larger disk and bolt it to the pulley. Drill mounting holes into the hub and blades. Bolt the blades onto the hub.
  
  

Turbine Wind Tail

• Paint all the wood pieces with glossy, non-VOC paint to help them withstand moisture. To make the wind tail, take a wooden two-by-four and attach the motor to it with a half pipe of bamboo or HDPE pipe. Fit the half pipe over the motor to protect it from rain. At the other end, place a tail to guide the turbine into the wind. For this tail, attach a metal sheet perpendicular to the two-by-four.
  
  

Tower Assembly

• The higher the tower, the more wind you will be able to access--10 to 30 feet in height is recommended.
  
  This tower construction will allow the turbine to turn freely with the changing direction of the wind: Attach a floor flange underneath the two-by-four, 7 ½ inches away from the edge on the motor-mounted side. Screw an iron pipe nipple into the flange. Slip the iron pipe into the conduit. Drill a hole through the two-by-four above the floor flange to feed the generator wires through the flange, down the pipe/conduit and into the base of the tower. Fasten the turbine at the top of the tower.
  
  

Base Assembly

• For the base of the wind system, cut a two-foot diameter from a sheet of wood. Use 1-inch pipe fittings to create a U-shaped piece. Put on the tee, making sure that the tee is able to turn around the pipe, and that it forms a hinge that enables the tower to be lowered and raised easily. Add a close nipple, a 1 ¼-inch to 1-inch reducing fitting, and the 12-inch nipple. Add a 1-inch tee between the 12-inch nipple and the reducer to allow the wires to exit the pipe.
  
  

Tower Stabilization

• To stabilize the tall tower, use the following strategies: Drill holes in the wooden disk to hammer steel stakes through it to lock the disk securely onto the ground. To brace the tower, use four chain-link fence brackets and attach steel cables to them. Connect the cables to stakes and hammer them into the ground.
  
  

Electrical Connections

• The final electrical connections are relatively simple. Always use caution when working with electrical components.
  
  Pull the wire from the generator through to the bottom of the tower pole and out from the tee. Connect the wire to the controller (use manufacturer's instructions for wiring procedure). Connect the electrical cables from the controller to the battery (or batteries). All electrical loads are controlled to allow the battery to operate effectively. The controller changes the turbine power to charge the battery if the battery voltage is below 11.9 volts. The controller changes the power from the turbine into the dummy load if the voltage is 14.8 volts or above.
  
  

Warnings

• There is a high risk involved once you have attached the blades to the system. Be very careful when operating the system, as the wind could blow at any point and cause hazardous, uncontrolled spinning.
  
  When attaching the controller to the system, always connect the battery first, and then attach the wind turbine to the controller. This will prevent damage to your system.
  
  When taking the system apart or repairing it, it is important to first disconnect the turbine first and the battery last.