Ted Baer's Bicycle Wheel Windmill

Step 2 Vane attachment

The vanes attach by folding the aluminum flashing over one spoke and hooking a bent nail around a second spoke, The bent nail is inserted through a drilled hole in the vane.

Comments

[samnew]

i made one in a few hours and it spins SO FREAKING WELL because it is SO LIGHT. i have tried lots of PVC airfoil type blades and they don't start so fast, they're a bit heavy, and sort of scary in that maybe the pvc will crack and explode. these are light and easy and wow.

[mroper]

\Trying to have a go at this now but I am a bit confused as to how the vanes stay in place on the wheel spokes. I can see both the fold and the hooks but what would stop lateral movement of the vanes along the spokes? is it that they are pulled outwards and as the spokes taper outwards friction holds them in place? How robust would this be?

[dwarren]

The vanes stay in place through the tension created by one spoke and bent nail secures the tensioned vane to the same spoke that creates the tension. A hole is drilled in the vane directly above the spoke, bent nail is inserted and the vane is flexed to secure the nail around the spoke.