Windmill- Making Blades & Hub

[@SonOfLibertyLGB]

Great video! I appreciate your way of thoroughly explaining the process and your attention to detail!

[@user-wr3gp8hj3i]

Exactly what I was looking for! I want to make a decorative windmill for/with my 82yo stepfather. He’s made multiple over the years but I never have.

[@whyohwhy357]

Thank you! Ive just ended my 30 year carear as a Caterpillar mechanic and now im starting my new carear as a whirligig mechanic! This really helped me!

[@blakelycreative3171]

I really apprciate the no nonsense explanation of your process. Thanks so much. Also, it's cool that your still using your Dad's homemade grinder!

[@letsgetcraftinwithsupreetk669]

U r good enough to teach and to learn effortlessly for the viewers grinder of it grand father is very good I also have some tools made by my grandfather

[@mattedwards4533]

I watched your video with interest. I really liked your method but liked your delivery even more. Nice work.

[@TimTools99]

Thank you Matt

[@isaacsanders4478]

Awesome video. Very informative and I enjoyed it very much 👍

[@tonyamischel9862]

Great job on the windmill video. I learn by watching videos and then going to try myself and do a Lil different as I wouldn't want to be exactly the same. :) but no other video out there that can stand as good as this one. You explain everything so well. Thank you. I night be a little later til now seeing this than others. But just was totally WOW over how well you did in this. Again thank you. Much appreciated and gave me insight finally on how to do this.

[@tonyamischel9862]

Also I bought some metal windmill blades from lowes this year. Just a wall decoration. Lol. But has a solar panel on it and when hung on the wall at night the light comes on and lights up in the back of it as the point was for it to show the shadows of the blades on the wall. But i build a windmill stand and placed this blades on top with a backboard for it to hang from. After finally throwing this project out a couple of times and starting over or rebuilding it. I finally finished it. But it's too square at the top for this and not what I was picturing and almost thought it would be impossible to build this that you showed. And cleared it up so very for me and going to try this too. :) thank you. Lol. I keep saying this. But you don't understand how difficult I've tried and how long I've researched this and stumbled across this today and so happy I did. :)

[@chrisleech1565]

Thank you for simplifying my project Tim. This is just the ticket! I was trying to create the blades using a 3D printer, and even though prices for wood are through the roof, this is just what I will do to make a garden windmill for my friend.

[@TimTools99]

Update: I now use metal for my blades. I have a video here on my channel. The metal blades will last a lot longer.

[@MsNevadakid]

great job "tim" ! gorilla glue" seems the way to join two pieces. love the ole skool knowledge, ....happy trails always....

[@markmann6796]

Well made video. Your instruction is concise, and you don’t waste time with minutia. I’m in.

[@TimTools99]

Ha! Thanks!

[@andyperlikii4750]

One of the best Windmill / whirligig videos I have seen. To the point and good video and audio.

[@kennethclarkson1492]

What a brilliant video, everything is explained in simple terms with reasons for doing each operation.

[@TimTools99]

I'm glad you liked it!

[@bohaggin5913]

Nice job. Looking forward to future videos. Thanks for sharing

[@TimTools99]

You are most certainly welcome. Glad you liked it.

[@michaelfaber9707]

Great teacher.pleasant to watch and listen to.Thank you Sir. Looking forward to powered one!

[@johnpaulflippin9097]

Hope you are still doing well Tim. Thanks so much for your time and effort on the windmill videos - exactly what I was looking for. A great simple yet strong design, and scalable. Excellent explanation on construction details. Take care and be well. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! John Paul

[@TimTools99]

Hello John. Thanks for the comment. Since I made the windmill, I found out that the luan is not good for outside. No matter how well you paint it, the stuff will fall apart. If I make windmills again, I think I will use metal or plastic for the blades. I've got to do some research to find a good material that will hold up in the weather. The windmill fell apart after just two years outside.

[@1islam1]

@@TimTools99 ⚠️ God has said in the Quran: 🔵 { O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous - ( 2:21 ) 🔴 [He] who made for you the earth a bed [spread out] and the sky a ceiling and sent down from the sky, rain and brought forth thereby fruits as provision for you. So do not attribute to Allah equals while you know [that there is nothing similar to Him]. ( 2:22 ) 🔵 And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down upon Our Servant [Muhammad], then produce a surah the like thereof and call upon your witnesses other than Allah, if you should be truthful. ( 2:23 ) 🔴 But if you do not - and you will never be able to - then fear the Fire, whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for the disbelievers.( 2:24 ) 🔵 And give good tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds that they will have gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow. Whenever they are provided with a provision of fruit therefrom, they will say, "This is what we were provided with before." And it is given to them in likeness. And they will have therein purified spouses, and they will abide therein eternally. ( 2:25 ) ⚠️ Quran

[@marbleman52]

That's a nice job there, Tim. I'm retired and make wood crafts that I take to craft events and farmer's markets & such. One of my most popular items is what I call a yard spinner. It's very similar to what you made except my hubs are only about 2 1/2" diameter with 4 blades that are 6" long and made from Cedar. Where I get creative are the blades. Around here, watermelons are grown which are very sweet and we have an annual Watermelon Festival to promote watermelons. So...I make blades that look like a slice of watermelon. They are always a big seller. I also make blades that look like different flower petals. I use a 35 Degree angle for my slots and that works real good for me. And yes, balance is very important so I'm very careful to make sure my hub slots are very close to being at the exact spot on the hub and that my blades are as close to being the same size & thickness as possible. As a result, it takes very little breeze to get them turning. You use a piece of pipe for sleeve...I use a 1/2" dia. dowel rod that I have drilled a hole thru to accept the proper size & length shoulder bolt..then I attach the spinner to a piece of 3/4" dowel rod...about 8" long, that I have also drilled about a 1/2" dia. hole about 5" deep. this piece of 3/4" dowel rod then slips over a longer 3/4 " dowel..the stake....that has the end turned down to be just a little bit smaller dia. than the hole in the 8" dowel rod. This allows the 8" dowel, with the spinner attached..to turn on the stake part. So...the spinner spins on it's own axis and also the whole thing spins away from the wind so it spins regardless of wind direction. This makes it to where I don't need the sail like you see on windmills & weather-vanes. It's fun to watch the spinner whip around in the varying wind gusts. I enjoy your videos...thanks.

[@TimTools99]

Hello Marbleman. Thanks for the nice message. So you use dowels for your spinners. I can't exactly picture what you do. I would like to see one of your spinners. Sounds pretty ingenious. I get a kick out of making these things.

[@marbleman52]

Tim, thanks for the kind words. I don't have a close up of one of my spinners that shows how I make the hub, but I will take a picture and then send you a private message and maybe have to post it on my F.B. page and you can see it there. So...my hub...I start with a 3/4"..sometimes 5/8".. thick piece of Cedar...lay out a square of perhaps 4 or 5 "...run a pencil line from corner to corner to get the center point...then I use a hole saw of whatever diameter I want to use... and cut out a hub. Then, I drill a 1/2" hole thru the center point. It's this 1/2" center hole that I glue in a short piece of 1/2" dowel rod that I have already drilled about a .180 dia. hole thru, becoming my 'sleeve'.. Now...this 8" piece of 3/4" dowel rod is where I drill another .180 hole near the top. Then, I take my shoulder bolt ( a #6..I think...and about 3" long ) and put it through the little sleeve and then bolt it to the 3/4" dowel using a Teflon nut. The spinner spins on this shoulder bolt. So...now I have this 8" long piece of 3/4" dowel with the spinner bolted to it at the top. Now..the blade extends past the back of the hub and so that little short piece of 1/2" dowel rod that I glued into the center hole of the hub has to extend far enough past the back of the hub to prevent the blades from hitting the 8" long dowel rod that the spinner is bolted to when it spins. Okay...now remember that I have previously taken this same 8" long piece of 3/4" dowel and drilled a 1/2" hole from the bottom and drilled it about 5" deep. So now I have an assembled unit...the spinner bolted to the 8" long dowel rod. Now for the stake. I take another 3/4" dowel rod about 36" long ( can be any length really ), and until I get a lathe. ( and boy do I need a lathe...)...I have to drill another 1/2" dia. hole in one end about 3 or 4" deep. Then, I take another piece of 1/2" dowel rod and cut it long enough to glue into that 3 or 4" hole and enough left to match the depth of the hole that I drilled into the bottom of the 8" dowel that holds the spinner. So...the 8" upper section will now slip down onto/over the bottom section and will turn with the wind. So...now the spinner spins around it's axis and the upper section also spins/turns around the bottom stake. Anyway...I'll work on getting a picture for you. You know what the saying is..." A picture is worth a thousand words"...LOL..I certainly used a bunch of words to describe a rather straight forward operation...just a few important steps that need to be correct. I hope this helps.

[@TimTools99]

Yea that is pretty slick idea. I still would like to see a picture though if you can do it somehow. Hey what us with your handle, "Marbleman52" ? Do you make those marble machines too? I made one of those just for kicks. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJuomqxsadp6b5I

[@marbleman52]

Hey, Tim...my handle is about my paternal Grandfather. Way back in the 1930-40's he owned and operated a black marble quarry here in N. Arkansas. Some of the marble is in different buildings around the Country. But WWll happened and afterwards things changed and the quarry never got back into production. Also, the development of cheaper & lighter weight materials took over the building industry and for a time the natural stone material kinda faded from popularity. So I remember my Grandfather this way. Oh...the 52 is my birth year. I will work on getting a couple of pictures of one of my spinners....it will be clear after you see the pictures. Oh..another bit of info about my hubs. The lines that I draw from the corners across to the opposite corner become the lines that correspond to the 90 Degree separation of the slots ( for 4 blades...)....easy solution. You are a man of many talents..you cook, know computers ( I taught myself how to build & troubleshoot computers )...enjoy celestial photography...a good carpenter...and other stuff. A busy man...way to go..!!

[@TimTools99]

Ahhh that is where Marbleman come from. Nice to remember your grandfather that way. My grandfather taught me so much. He got me interested in astronomy and also taught me to play several instruments. I went on to become a Music Teacher and professional musician. I retired from teaching ten years ago but still play professionally. Grandfathers are a blessing!

[@barrylitchfield250]

Nice job! Good design, simple, & easy to find components. Thanks for sharing.

[@TimTools99]

It was my pleasure.

[@severin1756]

Sehr schön gemacht 👍👍👍

[@oldsloane]

I made a circle cutting jig for my bandsaw which took about 15 minutes and it sure saves a lot of sanding.

[@anocsalepo]

i loved your working style.best wishes from Türkiye. windmill is extraordinary.you are master.

[@TimTools99]

Thank you my good fellow!

[@winstonsmkr]

Thanks Tim, great video , subscibed and liked

[@williamdobson6616]

Awesome techniques! Thank you Tim!

[@landonbrown6568]

You did a fine job explaining how to build this windmill!!

[@TimTools99]

Thank you Landon.

[@yvonnejones8544]

I love this video,i understand it and its very enjoyable to watch. Cant wait to make a windmill! thanks!

[@lindseynorris9365]

Thank you for your video! It helped me with my windmill for my dad :)

[@TimTools99]

Great! I am glad it was useful. Good luck with your project.

[@haroldsnipes5539]

I use plastic pipe as a bearing ! The nylon white tubing they use for ice makers on a much smaller blade(6”) and they last for years in the central Texas wind!

[@cwebblocksmith]

Awesome job!

[@GagandeepSingh-kf1rt]

Very nice and useful video. thanks

[@gregpatey6355]

great vid... simple explanation without all the excess talking about stuff that doesnt pertain to the topic..... but it raises questions.... why not glue the plywood hub together before you dado the blade slots?.. as the slots would remain clean after slotting it without any glue squeeze out.... also, by cutting the flat spots on the hub, if you were to place a stopper block on the the angled mitre board at the trailing end of the hub, this would prevent it from moving while cutting the slots, and would eliminate the need for clamps and take any "user error" in the placement of the cut, making for a much quicker project when building multiple hubs...

[@wyndiefeatherstone948]

I really enjoyed your video! My father many years ago worked very hard to make a metal base for a windmill, however he was never able to find blades to fit it so he finally resorted to taking blades off old fans and using them. He has been gone for 14 years and here I am trying to find blades for his base to put in the garden! I really appreciate you posting this video because I think I can follow your directions and make those blades! Can you tell me if there is a reason you rounded the tips versus making them straight across? I know it looks more like a flower rounded, but I wondered is it perhaps worked better one way than the other?

[@TimTools99]

update .... I need to find something other than 1/4 inch luan to make my blades. After a year in the weather the blades fell apart. I made round tips just for the look. Good luck with your project

[@wyndiefeatherstone948]

@@TimTools99 I was curious about that myself. What about Plexiglass, it does come in different thicknesses and rain won't bother it. The cost would be more but if you want it to last and you have already put in so much time making the blades it may be worth it. My father use to buy it to put on banks he made, now that I think about it. Sheets of tin or copper would be nice but they are more difficult to work with. I think sticking with some type of durable plastic might be the best bet. It is hard because you need to keep it light so it will spin freely but be durable at the same time. Fans we buy have plastic blades and they take a punishment when they run all day!??

[@gregpatey6355]

do you have any vids showing how to make a "mole chasing" windmill (one that vibrates more, or makes noise that would transmit to the ground)....

[@steveblack1753]

Very well explained thank you 🤙

[@sheliawarren5035]

Have you ever made a windmill to harness wind energy? I feel like this would be an awesome way to combine functionality with beauty. SUCH CRAFTMANSHIP!

[@TimTools99]

Thanks Sheilia . Funny you should ask. I am planning to make a wind turbine in the near future. I'll need better blades and hub for that one. Thanks for the nice comment.

[@TimTools99]

Hello Shelia. I have done some research on making a wind turbine but haven't done it yet. I am glad you like my windmill.

[@michaelfaber9707]

Did you ever make turbine?

[@gwheyduke]

Nice job. Works great. I like to build whirligigs also

[@TimTools99]

Thanks Duke. It lasted two years then the blades fell apart. I need to make the blades out of a material that will last in the rain and snow.

[@gwheyduke]

@@TimTools99 kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGGkaGh8frB-oNU

[@TimTools99]

@@gwheyduke Thank you

[@gwheyduke]

@@TimTools99 yes, it's a shame when they suffer from all the harsh weather. I hate it when the wood rots. Great job on your whirligigs, keep up the good work.

[@newpass9434211]

This is a great help, making my wind turbine...

[@thereasemiles2943]

Hi, Good work! Do you make any to be sold by specification?

[@joehaefeker4725]

That's awesome ! I love making windmills myself!!

[@mundodagua5047]

Agradeço pelo ensino. Um abraço! Ricardo, Brasil.

[@byteaquaponics]

looks awesome

[@gwheyduke]

Thats a petty big one, good job!

[@TimTools99]

Thanks!

[@staceymay2655]

SWEET VIDS..good sound and instruction..Im withya.. Peace Talksoon...

[@TimTools99]

Thank you! Come back and visit with me anytime!

[@brianervig5477]

Love it very therapeutic, nice job

[@TimTools99]

Thank you Brian

[@monty2020-i5d]

Great teacher

[@ferdinandbellavance5045]

Thank you ,if possible can someone tell me how round hub is ,it look like 10 " round, also how long are the blade ,thank you,Ferdinand

[@ItAintMeBabe99]

Very nice ! But I don’t understand why you wouldn’t glue the two hub parts together before you dadoed them?

[@TimTools99]

To make a wider hub

[@garysvatos294]

The blade angle is actually 30 degrees not 60 degrees, its just a matter if nomenclature as one is the inverse of the other but typical recommended blade angles vary from 15 degrees to 35 degrees so it is conventional to reference it by the smaller angle...just saying. I prefer PL (e.g PL 300) adhesive as it provides strong bond between almost all materials and is relatively nice to work with....fairly long cure time to give time to make fit up adjustments and excess glue that squeezes out acts as a filler. No expansion issues either.

[@thresh0014]

Dowels will work fine. you just need to use gorilla wood glue and not the expanding kind. For larger windmills I even use a thread box then glue them in. for smaller one I just pin them into the hub using a small bamboo skewer as a dowel. Do you often make any whirligigs? Looks great and thanks for sharing!

[@TimTools99]

Oh thank you for that tip on the glue. I will try it with regular wood glue. I make whirligigs once in a while. I've been on this big windmill kick lately.

[@thresh0014]

@@TimTools99 Cannot blame ya, it's really fun! Thanks again for sharing your experience. I'd never seen the divide trick with the protractor, that'll come in really handy!

[@PerrynBecky]

Looks like something I want to do for my wife's garden.

[@Jacko49]

how do you water proof the blades from the cold and snow? thanks

[@TimTools99]

Hi Burt. I stopped makeing the blades out of wood. The luan will not last outside no matter what kid of finish I painted on them. I have a new video showing how I make the spinners with metal blades. I still make the hub out of hardwood. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXPFen2CZc-MisU

[@beckedavid44]

Would like to know how to size the blades and are they scalable?

[@TimTools99]

Hi David. You can make the blades any size you want. I don't make the blades out of this 1/8 luan plywood anymore. They don't last long out in the weather. I make my new spinner blades out of metal. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXPFen2CZc-MisU

[@woody350ep1]

You could save some potential realignment issues and not have to clean glue from the blade dados if you glued the pieces together before you cut the grooves. Is there a reason you don't do it that way?

[@TimTools99]

The pieces are held together with 4 screws and after I cut the dados, I made a mark across all three so I could align them easily. The reason I didn't glue first is that I wanted to draw my lines on the plywood. That glue is kind of messy and I didn't want it squeezing out all over where my lines were drawn ...but, I could have glued first. You are right.

[@DEVKUMAR-oh2yg]

how to get the rotor motor? i i understand the making of a blade but i am unable to understand how to make a rotor motor which can convert the energy. as i am trying to make a bigger windmill.

[@Tommy-gj9kn]

Ever make whirlygigs????👋😁💯

[@visamishra4009]

Nice information

[@darksideofthetube]

I love the "I put several clamps on there" -- cut to like 10 clamps on this thing, haha.

[@TimTools99]

Sometimes people don't catch the humor. Good observation. Thanks for watching.

[@JimmiePorterAtStuartArts]

Cool video! I'm inspired to make one and also get a couple more buddies for my shop!

[@TimTools99]

Woodworkers have fun! Thanks for watching.

[@justwavingenterprises2542]

excellent

[@tedandree1149]

What kind of wood do you use to make the blades? Thin plywood would fall apart/warp outside weather.

[@TimTools99]

Yep, you are right. The windmill lasted one year then the blades fell apart. I guess I could plane down some hardwood next time.

[@wolfeatsheep163]

Dogs look happy

[@StephanieElizabethMann]

I've used the gorilla glue and found it to be as good if not better than they say on the bottle.

[@kareldrlik1963]

Divím se pouze tomu jak jsi na pásové pile řezal kolečko a pak obrušoval kdy potom jsi na jiné pile řezal rovné okraje .Já bych to načrtl a podle rysky bych to ihned na hotovo nařezal.Výrobek je hezký ale mohutný. Zdravím tě z České republiky i tvoje psy .Mají tě rádi , budeš dobrý člověk .

[@jerojero9005]

Thanks

[@kevinsherman5767]

how big was your hub? and how long are your blades?thankyou

[@TimTools99]

I never measured them. Totally random size hub. I had two scrap pieces of plywood and i just drew a circle on them. The hub is probably between 8-10 inches. The blades are probably about two feet long.

[@pastajp1969]

@@TimTools99 I have a hub that is 1 1/2" thick x 10" circle (3 - 1/2" plywood glued). How wide is your blade at the bottom (part that glues into the hub) to look correct at a 60* cut angle? I am not a math wizard to figure all this out. :)

[@captainover-tighten6729]

Thank you

[@cybauer1072]

Looking to adapt it to a wind turbine. Thank you

[@woodrowwilliams1812]

Regarding the use of wood dowels that broke, using cut sections of threaded steel rod should work much better.

[@TimTools99]

Now, there is a good idea. Thanks

[@林楊-d1y]

👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿

[@ronfontenot4534]

Bravo!!

[@archibaldtuttle1664]

👍

[@blue_leader1833]

Wow clamp city

[@henryraymond8676]

This is nice and yes, nice build. However why not just use an old ceiling fan / armature and maybe re-do the blades. Seems like a lot of work with angled cuts, marking etc.

[@TimTools99]

Oh! Using an old ceiling fan would take all the fun out of it! The satisfaction come from figuring out how to do something and then making it happen.

[@1033141]

thank you sir

[@alekanntelekante6867]

11:13 🐕🐩

[@dariansadik9874]

can man det käufen

[@mauricevandraanen4286]

Polyurethane glue!!!

[@TimTools99]

What about it?

[@asantagaryhetzel6114]

Glue up the hub BEFORE you do the cutting. Don't use Luan.

[@TimTools99]

You are so right! Luan does not hold up! I have gone to using metal for my blades now.