How to Make an Easy Windmill Model

Joanne Robitaille's first journalistic experience was in 1994, when she did school
reports for a local newspaper, "Shoreline." Her articles now appear on various
websites. Robitaille has a Bachelor of Arts in English and creative writing from the
University of Windsor.
By Joanne Robitaille, eHow Contributor
updated December 09, 2010

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Windmills rotate into the wind.

Windmills are a way to harness solar energy. They've been used as a power source for
centuries, though only more recently for electricity. The most recognizable windmill designs are
the Dutch ones with their large sloping towers and massive blades. Smaller, more compact
windmill designs resemble children's pinwheel toys more than they do larger windmills.
Replicating these windmills using plywood and an old broom handle is a relatively easy project.

Difficulty:
Moderately Easy

Instructions
Things You'll Need

4-millimeter thick plywood

Tape measure

Pencil

Table saw

1--centimeter thick plywood

Jigsaw

Chisel

Wood glue

Nails

Hammer

Wooden broom handle

Drill

Two 5-cm wood screws

2 washers

Measure and cut the rotor blades to size. On the piece of 4-mm thick plywood,
measure out eight 5-cm by 30-cm rotor blades.

Draw a circle with a 15-cm diameter onto the 1--cm thick plywood. Cut it out
using a jigsaw. Divide the disk face into eight equal triangular sections, making sure
to extend the lines all the way to the edges of the disk. Turn the disk over and mark
1- cm to the right of each line on the opposite side. Divide the second disk face
into eight sections. Turn the disk onto its side and connect the end of a line on one
face with its closest neighbor to the right on the other face.

3Cut along the slanted lines on the disk's edge. Each cut should be
approximately 2- cm deep and 4-mm wide. Use a chisel to knock the wood out of
place, creating a small groove for the rotor blades.

4Drill a small hole, approximately 4 mm wide, through the center of the disk.

Insert the blades into the slanted grooves on the disk. Apply a thin coat of
wood glue to the end of each blade and slide it into the groove. Secure it with a
small nail.

Cut a broom handle down to 40 cm to make the windmill's boom. The

remaining section of the broom handle will be used as the tower.

Draw a tail for the windmill that measures 15-cm by 15-cm onto the 4-mm
plywood. The approximate shape should be a square that tapers down at one end.
Cut it out and secure it to one end of the boom using wood glue and nails.

6
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8Drill a hole just big enough to fit a 3-mm-thick wood screw into the other end of
the boom. Slide a washer onto the 5-cm-long screw, then insert it into the disk
holding the rotor blades. Thread another washer onto the screw, then screw the
whole assembly onto the boom. Make sure to leave it loose enough to allow the
rotor blades to spin.

9Balance the boom on your fingertip to find the windmill's center of balance. Drill
a 4-mm hole through the boom at that point. Drill a hole into the top of the tower
and secure the boom to it with the remaining wood screw. Leave enough slack so
that the windmill can turn freely.