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Making and Assembling the Sails

Breezy's sails can be made from any lightweight, but durable material. (I sacrificed a sheet for mine.) If you purchase new material, launder it first to avoid shrinkage later. Then cut it into two identical pieces, 40" wide x 38" long. Turn one of the newly cut pieces wrong side out, and fold it in half so it is now 20" wide by 38" long. Stitch the two edges (opposite the fold) together to form what looks like a pillowcase with open ends. This seam should be run f" in from the cut edges. When cutting the seam-thread, leave it longer than normal (approximately six inches). Next, turn the material right side out and stitch a 1/2" hem (as you would with pants) on both ends. These hems will increase the life of your sails

. Repeat this procedure with the other piece of material. You can now glue the various pieces together. First, recheck your prior assembly for proper fit and symmetry. If satisfied with the temporary structure, start disconnecting the tee (on both sides) that connects the top cross member to the top sail members. This is necessary for sliding the sails onto the vertical sail members; if you don't, you may find yourself with no means to attach the seamed sail. Once the sails are in place, begin disassembling, gluing, and reassembling the structure one piece at a time. Use PVC Cement, available at your local hardware store. It may drip when applying, so protect your work surface with newspaper. I swab the cement inside the rim of the fitting, and then insert the piece of pipe with a quick twisting motion. Pre-check your alignment before each insertion. When you finish gluing the assembly, set it aside.

BREEZY BONUS While Breezy is busyharnessing the wind and generating power, you'll know that you are using an environmentally benign energy source. Best of all,you can count on wind as an efficient source of energy that will last forever.

Recharging Mechanism Assembly

This is the part of Breezy that allows for the conversion the wind's mechanical power into stored, electrical battery power. Breezy is self-starting, always turns the same way, and doesn't care from which direction the wind is blowing. Again, temporarily piece together the mechanism to check for proper fit. Take the earlier cut pieces of pipe and assemble as indicated in the mechanical detail. Keep in mind that the elbow (motor shroud/enclosure) must face toward the 4" ABS cap (rotor pulley), and be even with it.

This is so the rubber band, acting as a belt, can have one end around the motor shaft and the other around the 4" cap. This simple pulley arrangement has a step-up effect, which greatly multiplies the rotor speed (40:1), and applies it to the motor shaft. Next, remove both end caps, and with a 3/4" spade bit, drill a hole in the top center of each one. Using a 1 1/4" spade bit, drill a hole through the center of the 4" ABS cap, and then check all three holes for proper clearance.

The two end caps will easily slide over the main mast (steel rod). The 4" cap should just fit around the 1" PVC pipe. You can now begin gluing the pieces together, starting with the pipe piece fitting into the bottom of the four-way fitting. Next slide the 4" cap, open-side down, over this glued piece of pipe. Apply a ring of glue around the drilled hole in the ABS cap to secure it to the bottom of the four way. The piece to follow should be a coupler; glue and attach to the bottom (under the cap) of the same piece of pipe. By pushing the coupler up against the 4" cap, you'll secure the various pieces into a solid rotor pulley mechanism. Make sure the 4" cap rotates with the windmill assembly, and doesn't slip. Finish by gluing another 2" piece of pipe into the bottom of the coupler, and following it with an end cap having a pre-drilled 3/4" hole.

Only a few remaining pieces need PVC cement. In the mechanical detail, study the portion of the mechanism just below the pulley assembly. First, glue the tee into place on the 48" piece of 1" diameter PVC pipe. This piece of pipe is called the support mast, and provides the vertical support for the entire assembly. It is important that the motor enclosure be even with the rotor pulley (4" ABS cap), so the rubber drive band won't be misaligned. The only portion not requiring cement is the motor enclosure (elbow). Last, attach the battery box opening up to a 6"-long piece of 3/4" PVC pipe. (This is the only part of the assembly that requires 3/4" PVC.) I found that a plastic outlet box (located in the electrical section of your hardware store) and cover will work nicely to waterproof the recharging batteries.

If you use this type, check the size of the opening in the box and adjust your 6" piece of PVC to the appropriate diameter to perfectly fit the opening. As far as the matching cover, if you can find only one with either a light switch or two plug-in plate, don't worry. You can use diagonal cutters to enlarge the opening to a 2.5" by 2.5" square (approximate measurements) to allow easy access to your batteries. Attach the cover to the box so it opens upward, providing more rain protection.

The wind-power converter or "generator" is simply a DC motor which is held in the top of the 5"-long PVC pipe by several wrappings of friction tape. Wind several inches of tape around the bottom of the motor case to allow the motor to extend from the pipe end. Test fit it in the pipe, and continue the process until you're sure that the motor will stay in this position. Detail the motor enclosure elbow (see Detail) with a 3/4"-long horizontal cut on both sides of the horizontal segment. This will allow the drive belt (rubber band) to extend from the motor enclosure without touching the sides, which would make Breezy less efficient.

Cut these out with a hacksaw or on a mill so they are slightly larger than the width of the rubber band. Next comes the cutting and drilling of the bearing. The most efficient material I have found for this application is UHMW, (Ultra-High Molecular Weight) plastic. This relatively new plastic is self-lubricating, wear-resistant, and doesn't need to be oiled or replaced like a ball-bearing would. The bearing should be cut from a 2" diameter UHMW rod, and should be 1" thick. Also, a 3/4" hole must be drilled through the center, so it can move freely around the steel rod, or mast. This completes the basic mechanical construction part of Breezy.

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