do-it-yourself projects to get you off the grid: rain barrels, chicken coops, solar panels, and more

TableofContents

IntroductionEditor’sNote

BackyardChickenCoopClippingChickenWingsSmallChickenTractorfortheCityDwellerChickenBarrow

CollectRainWaterwithaWineBarrelRoughneckRainBarrelGreenSolar-PoweredWaterBarrelRainwaterCollectionandDistributionSystem

DIY1000WattWindTurbineHowIBuiltanElectricity-ProducingWindTurbineChispitoWindGeneratorHowtoBuildaThermoelectricLamp

Builda60WattSolarPanelSolarPowerSystemHowtoMakePVSolarPanelsSolarLawnMower!Solar-PoweredFountain/HerbGardenSolarPVTracker

GreenhousefromOldWindowsAnAlgaeBioreactorfromRecycledWaterBottles

ConversionTables

IntroductionThere isnobetterway tobecomeself-sufficient than toget freeenergyandwaterfromthesky,andfreeeggsfromchickenshousedinyourownbackyard. Projects to Get You Off the Grid showcases twenty-oneexceptional step-by-step projects around the themes of solar andwindpower, rainwater collection, and raising chickens. Each project isauthoredbyanexpertwithastrongdesiretosharetheirknowledgeandcontainsmultipleimagesandwritteninstructionstohelpyoufollowalong,step by step. Let these projects inspire you to make your own greeninfrastructuretogetyouoffthegridandbecomemoreself-sufficient.

All of the projects in this book are from Instructables.com.Instructables is the most popular project-sharing community on theInternet,andpartof theAutodeskfamilyofcreativecommunities.SinceAugust2005,Instructableshasprovidedeasypublishingtoolstoenablepassionate, creative people to share their most innovative projects,recipes,skills,andideas.Instructableshasover80,000projectscoveringall subjects, including crafts, art, electronics, kids, home improvement,pets, outdoors, reuse, bikes, cars, robotics, food, decorating,woodworking,costuming,games,andlifeingeneral.

—NoahWeinstein

Editor’sNoteThewonderful thingabout Instructables is that theycome inall shapesand sizes. Some users include hundreds of high-quality pictures anddetailed instructions with their projects; others take the minimalistapproachandaimtoinspiresimilarideasthantofacilitatecarboncopies.

One of the biggest questions we faced when putting this booktogetherwas:Howdoweconveythesheervolumeofideasinthefinitespaceofabook?

Asaresult,ifyou’realreadyfamiliarwithsomeoftheprojectsinthisbook,you’llnoticethatselectedphotosmadethejumpfromthecomputerscreen to the printed page. Similarly, when dealing with extensiveelectroniccodingorcomplexscience,wesuggest thatanyone ready tostart a project like that visit the Instructables’ online page, where youoften find lots more images, links, multimedia attachments, anddownloadablematerialtohelpyoualongtheway.Thisway,anyonewhois fascinatedby the ideaofconvertingacar to runon trashcan takealookhereatthebasicstepstogetfromstarttofinish.Everythingelseisjustamouseclickaway.

* Special thanks to Instructables Interactive Designer Gary Lu for the Instructables Robotillustrations!

1.2.3.4.5.

BackyardChickenCoopByrobbtoberfest

(www.instructables.com/id/Backyard-Chicken-Coop/)

I made this little chicken barn a few years ago to house three to fivelayinghensinmybackyard.I’mintownandhadtodesigna“pretty”oneto keep people from having a chicken coup. This onewas inspired bysomeKansasbarns I’veseen.The totalcostwasabout$40when fullycompleted. Chicken wire, some 2 × 4s, and damaged siding were thecosts.Damagedsidingishalfpriceatmylocallumberstore.OtherthingsIusedwerescrapwoodfromoldbathroomcabinets, leftoverhardware,paint,andwoodfromhouseprojects,plusa lotofscrapsandhardwarefromacondemnedhousedownthestreet(Igotpermissiontotakethingsbefore they bulldozed it). Shingles were given to me by my neighbor,leftoverfromroofinghisgarage.Therearesomebasicrulesfordesigningandrunningagoodhealthychickenshack:

Adequatefloorspaceperbird.Drywithgoodventilation.Temperaturecontrol.Predatorprotection.Keepitclean+freshwater/food=happyandhealthybirds.

Manytownsactuallyallowuptofivechickensbutnoroosters.Checklocalrulesonthisifyouplantobuild.Ifyoudogetchickensintown,becourteous to the non-chicken majority so the rest of the city chickenpeople don’t get punished through politics and zoning. I submittedpicturesof this coop to someonewhowasworkingona coopsbookawhileagoandtheyincludedapictureofitinChickenCoops,45BuildingPlansforHousingYourFlock,byJudyPangman.Sourcesformychicken

knowledge:BuildingChickenCoopsbyGailDamerow;TheCityChicken;RaisingBackyardChickens;Feathersite;andthePoultryPage.Irecentlyposted another coop, a chicken outhouse with a beer can roof atdiylife.com.

Step1:FloorSpace,Framing,andNestBoxesMyfloorspaceincludestheexteriorrun.IknewIwantedthreeheavyegglayers,sofromthechartsIused10squarefeetperbirdrule.Therearedifferent suggestions in different books/guides; there is a pretty goodchartatVirginiaCooperativeExtension. Ibuilt this18”off thegroundtocreateashadypartofthepenunderneaththecoop.Theflooris2×4sframed likea littleporch3 feetby4 feetsittingon4×4sattachedwithmany3”screws.Thewallsarejustunder4’tallandIused3”screwstoput together the2×4s.Four-footwallsareagooddimensionbecausesidingandplywood come in 4’ × 8’ sheets. I framed in the next boxeshere.Ithinkaruleisoneboxperthreetofivelayingbirds.Theylikedark,

comfyplaces to lay.Making theboxes thesizeofa12”dustpanworksgreatwhencleaningthecoop.Manybookssuggestelevatedboxes,butthesefloorboxeshaveworkedgreat for threeyearsnow.Avoid treatedlumberinsidethecooporwheretheyperch;thetoxicstuffcanaffectthebirds(i.e.sickness/death).

Step2:Roof

Step2:RoofI don’t havemany step-by-step pics for this so you’ll have to use yourskills to fill in the gaps. I cut 2 × 4swith angles tomake three sets ofrafters and attached them with 3” screws. I screwed down some oldcabinetwoodacrosstherafterstomaketheroof, leavinga little4”holenear thecenterpeak foracupola.Then I shingled the roof leaving thecenterpeakholeopen.Thecupolaismadelikealittlebirdhousethatsitsovertheventhole.Useaholesawtomakeholesinitssidesandstaplewindow screen on the inside to keep out the critters. Attach it with 3”screws.Thishelpsmeetrule#2:Drywithgoodventilation.

Step3:WallsCut thesiding to fit the framingandattach itwithnails.Usea jigsawtocutoutdoorsandotheropenings;savethecutoutsforbuildingthedoors.Keep the following in mind while designing walls: Make openings forwindows; this is important for summer heat control. Buildwalls tight tokeepoutwindanddrafts;thisisimportantforwintercoldcontrol.Thisisastandardchickencooprule:Havegoodventilationbutnodrafts.

Step4:DoorsAmaindoorforyoutoaccessthecoopandasmallchickendooraretheonly doors really needed. But I added cabinet doors, a nest box door,chickendoorandamaindooronthisthing.ThehingesIusedwerefromoldbathandkitchencabinets.Themaindoorwasmadewitholdporchflooring.Boardswereattacheddiagonallytothesidingcutoutwithnails;then Iused the jigsawtoclean ituparound theoutside.Thismadethedoorlookmoreoldfashioned.Thenailswillstickoutthebackside;bendthemoverorcutthemandgrindthestubssmooth.Theotherdoorsweremade directly from the siding material and some trim wood. I justattachedhingesandhandleswithsometrimaroundtheedges.Thetrimisimportanttoclosethegapwherethesawcutthesiding.Iaddedsomeplasticnearthetoptoshedrainoverthecabinetdoors.

Step5:FinishingTouchesAddtheroostperchfornighttime.Makeaperchoutofa2×4withtheedgesroundedabit.Undertheperchmakeaplaceforthedroppingstogather.Thisroostareaisusuallytheonlyplaceinsideofthecoopwherethedroppingsare,whichmakescleaningeasy.(Don’tusetreatedwood!)When I finished the coop, it ended up being very heavy, so I attachedsomeboardstothebottomandusedahandtrucktowheelit(withhelp)toitshomelocation.Therun/pencanbemadeeasilywith2×2sand2×4s as seen in the pic below. I enclosed the top of the run to keep the

hawks out. I later added a matching run on the opposite side when Iaddedsomemorehens.

Step6:ExtraNotesI’vechangedthecoopalittleovertheyearstoallowformorebirds.I’veremoved the storage area and added a roost in its place. Also, I’veremovedthesmallpenandmadealargerunforthebirdies.

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ClippingChickenWingsByNoahWeinstein(noahw)

(www.instructables.com/id/Clipping-Chicken-Wings/)

Chickens can’t fly aswell as other birds, but they can flap their wingsenough to carry them over fences and out of the coop. If you’ve gotbackyardfreerangechickens,clippingtheirwingsisamustsothatyouchickens don’t escape and get lost, or worse, like coming across anangrydogorsomeotherpredatorinthearea.Clippingchickenwingsisabitdauntingifyou’veneverdoneitbefore,butonceyou’veclippedawingor two,you’lldiscover that it really isn’tasdifficultordangerousasyoumayhavethought.

MaterialsCleanpairofsharpscissorsTowel(optional)Pliers (optional safety measure) Corn Starch (optional safetymeasure) Gauze or rag (optional safety measure)

Step1:CatchaChickenThe hardest part about clipping chickenwings is catching the chicken.Some chickens are docile and like being touched, others fear humans

and run away like their lives depend on it (which I guess they dosometimes).Afewthingsthatseemtohelpistocornertheminasmallspacesotheyhavelessofanareatogetawayfromyou.Youcanalsouseatowelandthrowitover thechicken.Thatshouldslowthemdownlongenoughtograbthem.Onceyougrabthechicken,youshouldgentlyapplypressuretotheirwingsandpickthemup,oryoucangoforthepromaneuverandsnatchthemupbytheirankles.Watchoutfortheirclawsandbeaks.Themoreregularlyyouhandleyourchickens,theeasieritwillbe to catch and hold them. So for some chickens, thismay be a nonissue,butforfirsttimers,it’salittlechallenging.

Step2:InvertandCalmtheChickenOnceyouhavecaughtthechicken,spendaminutecalmingitdown.Petitsoftly,makecooingnoises,and,whatseemedtoworkbest—invert it.When the chicken is upside down, it goes into a trance and becomesmuchmoredocile.

Step3:ExposetheWingWiththechickenupsidedown,identifywhichwingyouaregoingtoclip.Expose what are called the primary flight feathers by grabbing thechicken’swingandgentlypullingitawayfromitsbody.Youcantell theprimary flight feathers from the other feathers on a chicken’s wingbecausetheymaybeadifferentcolor,aregenerallylonger,andarethetenorsofeathersclosesttothetipofachicken’swing.Manypeoplefindsuccess by clipping just one wing. Others clip both wings. The theorybehindclipping justonewing is that thebirdwill be thrownoffbalanceenoughbyhaving justonesmallerwingthat its flightcapabilitieswillbedrastically limited. It seems that chicken owners have not reachedconsensus yet on this issue. We cut back the feathers on only thechicken’srightwing.Thiswaythey’reallthesame,andwhenweneedtocutthewingsagaininafewmonths,wecanbeconsistentwithwhatwingwe’dliketocut.

Step4:CutBackthePrimaryFlightFeathersUsingacleanpairofsharpscissors,cliparoundtwo-thirdsofthelength

of the first tenorso featherson thechicken’swing.Takea lookat thediagramon thenextpage to see roughlyhowmuchof the feather youshould be cutting off. You can also use the chicken’s secondary flightfeathers (located in thesamepositionon thewingas theprimary flightfeathers,justclosertothechicken’sbody)asaguide.Theideaistocutoffasignificantamountofthefeathers,whilenotmakingacutsoclosetothe chicken’s wing that you make them bleed. Chicken feathers havebloodveinsextendingintothemaboutaninchorso.Ifyoucutbelowthispoint, thefeather iscompletelydead,thechickenfeelsnothing,andthewingsgetclippedsuccessfully. Ifyoucutabovethispoint (closer to thechicken’s body/wing) the chicken will begin to bleed through the cutfeatherandyourchickenwillbeindanger.Ifthatoccurs,applypressuretothetipofthefeatherwitharag,andgetyourchickentoaveterinarian.Corn flour or starch applied to the cut feather cuticle can slow thebleedingandhelpthechickenclot.Additionally,grabbingthebaseofthefeatherwithapairofpliersandremovingitcompletelyfromthechickenwingcanalsohelpthechickenclot.Thisprocesswillhurtyourchicken,butinapinch,itmaysaveitslife.Apparentlytheveinsinthefeatheritselfjustdon’tclotverywell. Ifyoucut theprimaryfeatherscarefully, there’snoreasonwhyyoushouldevercauseyourchickenstobe inpainor tobleedduringthisprocess.

Step5:ReleasetheChickenOnceyou’vetrimmedthechicken’sfeathers,releasethechicken.Itmightbealittledisorientedforamoment,butitshouldbeunharmed.

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SmallChickenTractorfortheCityDweller

ByJrossetti

InthisInstructable,I’lloutlinetherequirementsforasmallchickentractorfor the backyard chicken enthusiast, such asmyself, and describe theprocessofbuildingit.Afterseeingalotofchickentractorsontheinternetforoutrageousprices, Idecided it’dbebetter forme tobuildacheaperonemyself that fitmyneedsabit better. I’ll showyouhow Idid it andgivesomepointersonmakingyourowndesign.

For those of you who don’t know what a chicken tractor is, it’sessentiallyachickencoopthatcanbemovedaround.Someofthemainpurposesforamobilechickencooparetoallowthechickenstofertilizethegrass(thoughthis isn’tprettyatall),eat thegrass(keeping it trim ifdoneright),andeatbugsandweeds,andsoitiseasytohidewhenyourparentscometovisit.There’sotherbenefitstoo,thoughI’mnotsayingacoopisnotthewaytogo(mycityactuallyhasanordinancestatinganypermanentchickencoopmustbefortyfeetawayfromanyhumanhouse,soatractorisanice,efficientwaytobypassthatordinance).

Alotofwhatwentintomydesignisthedirectresultoftrialanderrorand the input of the very knowledgeable people over atwww.backyardchickens.com.

Solet’sbegin.Istartedtheprojectwiththefollowinggoals:SmallenoughtobemovedbyhandaroundmypropertyBigenoughtocomfortablyhouseonetofourchickensGeneralprotectionfromtheelements(sun,wind,rain,etc.)

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Protectionfrompredators

EasyaccesstothethingsIneedtoaccessAndofcourse,thefollowingelementswererequired:henhouse (where the chickens could sleep at night) with properventilationnestingbox(wheretheylayeggs)coveredrunarea(chickensdon’t likesuntanning,orstanding in therain)foodandwatersupportforatleastonedaySomovingontothefirststepwe’lltakealookatthedesign.

Step1:MyTractorDesignFromtheintro,wehaveageneral listofwhatweneedtoincludeinthedesign to make it successful. This list is the absolute bareminimum I

wouldsuggestanychickentractororevenachickencoopshouldincludetomaketheupkeepeasyforyouandreduceworry.

SizeandConstructionIwanted a tractor big enough formy chickens. I started outwith threechickens but may have as many as four or five. Most sources on theInternetagreethatchickensneedaminimumof1squarefootof indoorspace and 2 square feet of outdoor space to live, and, of course, anymorethanthatandthey’reevenhappier.Sobasedonthatmath,I’dneedahenhousesizenosmallerthan4squarefeet,andarunnosmallerthan8squarefeet.Icandothat!

Iendedupondimensionsof3feetwide,7feetlong,andabout4feettallat thehighestpoint.That isabout21square feetof runspace,andthe henhouse is 9 square feet (3’ by 3’) and is about 3 feet tall at thehighestpoint.

Mostof the framewillbemadeusing2”by2”pine, thebase framefrom2×4s,andtherestwithwhateverischeapest.

ProtectionfromtheElementsNow,withthatlistinhand,mynextconsiderationistheenvironmentthetractor will be in. In my case, it’s all level ground with a mix of bareground(thegardenarea),grass(lawnarea),andconcrete(drivewayandsideyard).Ialsohavefruittreesandshadetrees.Theweatherishotanddryinthesummerandsnowyinthewinter,soweneedtotakeallofthatintoconsiderationindesigningthetractor.

So,it’sprettymuchagiventhatwithallthedifferenttypesofgroundthe tractor can travel on,we’ll needwheels.A sled-typeof setupwon’tworktoowell.

Chickensdon’tdo toowell in thesun,so they’llneedshade.They’llget thatwith the trees inpartsof theproperty,butnotall, so Ineed todesignaroofthatwillcovertherunareaofthetractor.Andsinceitsnowsinthewinter,it’sprobablyagoodideatoslanttherooftoshedthesnow

(andraininthespringtime).SoIdecidedaroofslantedtowardsoneend,madefromPVCroofing,

isprobablythecheapestandeasiestsolution.Thebaseof the tractor ismadewith redwood,which ismorewater

resistantthanpineornormalconstructionmaterials.Plus,Ididn’twanttouseanychemically-treatedwoods,asifthechickenspeckatittheymightgetsick.

ProtectionfromPredatorsI want it to be heavy enough that it can’t be moved by any ‘normal’predator (dogs, cats, raccoons, etc). But I also want it light enough tomovebyhand.Ialsowantittobeabletorepelentrybymostpredators,so I won’t be using chickenwire! I don’t want any opening larger thanabout1squareinch(eventhoughI’msuremicecangetinthatanyway,Ijustdon’twantanythinglargersqueezingin).

Iwillbeusing1/2”hardwarecloth for thesides,screweddownwithbigscrewsandwashers,soitcan’tbepulledouteasily.Anydoorswillbesecuredwithboltsor safetyhooks, somostpredatorswon’t beable togetin.

VentilationThemostimportantpartofthehenhouseisventilation.There’splentyofmaterial out there on the net describing the dangers of improperventilationinahenhouseandwhatyoucandotomitigatethosedangers.Iamoftheopinionthatmoreisbetter,soIdesigneditwiththatinmind.

Thewholeinsidewallisopentotheoutside,witharemovablepanelthat covers the lower portion in the winter. The upper back of thehenhouse isahingedventpanel, so I canopen itwide in thesummerandcloseitmoreinthewinter.

EasyAccessI want to be able to easily access the food, water, and nesting box inordertotopoffthefoodandwaterandtakeeggs.Also,Iwanttobeable

to easily get into the henhouse for cleaning, and the run area for thesame reason. I additionally want to be able to open and close thehenhousedoorfromtheoutside.

SoI’vekindofintegratedthewatererandfeederintothedesignsinceIdon’thavealotofspacetoworkwith.We’lltakealookatthoseinthenextcoupleofsteps.

TheDecisionSo, with all of this in mind, I will construct the tractor using wood,hardware, cloth, somePVC roofingandwhateverotherbitsandbobs Ifindalong theway that Ineed.Thedesignwent througha fewdifferentrevisions,buthere’sacoupleofpicturesofwhat the finaldesign lookslike.

I have the final plan available inGoogle Sketchup format for thosewantingexactdimensions.You’llfinditonstep5ofthisInstructable.

Step2:TheWatererNormally,awateringsystemforchickensconsistsofahangingwaterer.Theyusuallytakeupalotofspaceandaremessybecausethechickens

cangetwatereverywhere.Ididn’twantthatanddon’thavealotofspaceto waste on it, so I opted for a nipple system, like what’s used in thebiggerchicken factories.Thenipplewaterer isveryefficient,gravity fedbecause it reliesonvery littlepressure,and isactuallyprettyeasyandcheaptoimplement.

Igotmynipples fromTekSupply.Theyalsohaveaversionthat isapush-intype.TheseworkbetterforhowIusedthem,butthisisaDIY-as-you-go typeofprojectsoyoumighthavebetter luckwith theothers. Inanycase,Iboughtahandfulofeachjustincase.

The nipples are plugged into 3/8“ IDVinyl tubing,which is pluggedinto a 2-gallon bucket that sits on a little shelf up in the side of thehenhouse.Ihavetwooftheminthissetup:oneinsidethehenhouseandoneoutsidedown in the runarea.TheTekSupplypage for thenipplessaytheydon’t requireadripcup,and, for themostpart, that’s true;butkeep in mind that most chickens are partially psychotic and I’ve seenthemgetwaterallovertheplaceevenwiththeselittlethings.Soyoumaywanttoconsidergettingadripcupifyoursareconsistentlymessy.

Oneotherthingtokeepinmindisthatyouwantatleast12inchesofheightbetweenthenippleandthebottomofthewatersupply,soyoucangetatleastacouplepsitokeepthenipplefromdripping.

Thebucketismoreorlessinplace.Icaneasilyremoveitshouldtheneedarise.IjustneedtodetachthetubingfromthebucketwhenIdo.It’seasily filled using a plant watering can with a long spout; mine holdsenoughtofillithalfway.Win!

WinterProblemsWhenIfilleditwithwatertotestitinthewinter,Inoticedit’dfreezeup.Isolvedthisbyputtinga50wattaquariumheaterintothebucket,andkeptthenipplesfromfreezingbyplacingtheinsidenippleimmediatelynexttothesmall radiantheater I’malreadyusing toadda littlewarmth for thechickens.You’llseewhatI’mtalkingaboutinaphotoattachedtothelaststep.

TheoutsidenippleIkeepfromfreezingusingasmall35watthalogenreflector bulb. It keeps itwarmenough to do the job and shedsa littlelightsothechickenscanseewhatthey’redoing, if that’sevenremotelyimportant.

Step3:TheFeederIalsodidn’tfeellikeIhadalotofroomtoputinaregularfeeder,soIbuiltmyown.IbuiltitusingblackABSpipe.Iobtaineda2’lengthof3”pipe,pluggeditintoareducerwithacoupleofelbows,andstrappeditontothesideofthehenhouse,withtheworkingendstickingthroughthehardwarecloth.Thechickensdig it. It’s not quitebigenough thatmore thanonecan eat at a time, but they’re generally amiable and will wait—or willshovesomebodyasidesotheycangettoit.

I spray-painted it to add someUV protection because ABS doesn’tplayverywellwithsunlight.

IputcheapcapsontheendstokeepbugsoutwhileIwasbuildingit.ThelowercapI’llprobablystickbackonwheneverI’mmovingthetractortokeepfeedfromgoingeverywhereandwheneverIfillit.TheuppercapIkeeponallthetime,tokeepthemiceout.

Step4:ConstructionI constructed thewhole frameusingstandard2×2s,2×4s,andgoldscrews.IusedsomebracketsanddoodadswhereIthoughtitwouldhelpwithstability.

Checkoutthepicturestoseehowitallwenttogether.After Igot thebasic frameput together, Iaddedthehenhouse floor,

workedonthenestingbox,andgotthehenhouseallputtogetherbeforeaddingthehardwarecloth/meshsides.You’llnoticeIusedsomeplasticmeshonthetopoftherunareaandhenhouseboth;it’smuchlighterthanthe steel stuff, and since the chickens are unlikely to ever come incontactwithit,itdoesn’tneedtobeasdurable.Ifasteneditinthesameway,though,withbigscrewsandwashersforsupport.

Thehenhousedoorhasaspringon thebackside tokeep it closedwhen it’ssupposed tobe. Itopensbypullingon thatchain,and iskeptopenwitha longbolt that’sslid into the twoeyebolts,oneon thedoorandoneontheframe.Thesameeyeboltisusedto“lock”thedoorshutatnight.Yes,thereisspaceinthedoorpieces,mostlyforventilation,butalsobecauseitlookscool.

Theupper rearventwindowusesclearPVCroofing.That’s for lightinside the henhouse, but also because I had some spare clear PVCleftoverfromanotherprojectandthiswasaperfectfit.Icanlookintothehenhouseandseewhatthegirlsareuptowithdisturbingthemtoomuch.

SpeakingofPVCroofing—IattachedthePVCroofusingsmallscrewsand“sealingwashers.”Thesearewasherswitharubbergasketononeside.Once I got it all fasteneddown, I tested it outwith thehose,andyep,it’swaterproof.

Step5:FinishingTouchesWell,it’sallputtogether,andnowthechickensarechillingoutinit.I’veaddedtheroosttothehenhouse,andputalittle“lip”onittotrytokeepthe bedding in place. The roost is actually another sub-assembly—it’sattached to a piece of plywood that screws onto the actual henhousefloor.ThisissothatIcanremovetheroostandfloorentirelyforacoupleofdifferent reasons:easieraccess toget inside thehenhouse incase Ichangemymindaboutthewateringsystemorneedtodoanywork;foreasiercleaningof the floorunder theroost (ithas2 to3 inchesofpinebeddingunderneath it,which I figurewill serveaboutamonthbefore itgetstossedintothecomposterandnewbeddingisputdown).

I’vealsoaddedarampuptothehenhousedoor.Thechickensspend99 percent of their time outside, but I think it’s because they’re prettydumbcreaturesandhaven’tfiguredouthowtojumpupinsideyet.Theyhavea natural tendency (like all birds) to sleep in the highest possiblelocation,so I’mstillscratchingmyheadas towhy they’dsleepdown intherunwhenthere’sanicecozyroosttosleepin.Maybethisrampwillhelpout.Sorry,Idon’thaveanyphotosofit.

TheFinalWordI’m sorry if I haven’t included specific dimensions for some parts and

some of the assemblies here in this Instructable. I figure that if youdownloadtheSketchupfile,youcanusethemeasuringtapetoolinittomeasurestuffout.Butanyways,I justwantedtoshowhoweasy it is tobuildsomething like this,and I’msure ifyou’regoing tobuildyourownyou’ll comeupwith your ownplan, or usemine as a general templateandworkyourwayfromthere.

AWordAboutCostIstartedthisprojectwithagoalofspendinglessthan$250forthewholetractor.Inactuality,Ispentabout$270orso.Icouldhavespentawholelotlessbyscavengingwood,butthatwasn’taconsiderationatthetime.Most of the expense was in the wood. The PVC roofing was rathercheap; I used two pieces at $10 a pop. And were I a better hand atconstruction, I couldhavedonewithout all the little anglebracketsandstuff.

Author'snote:

Author'snote:Iused3/8"plywoodforeverythingbuttheinnerfloor.Originallytheinner removable floorwas 1/2". I'vemade a fewmodifications tothetractorsincethen–nowI'vegotasinglepieceof3/4"plywoodwithlinoleumfortheremovablefloor,itaddsstabilityfortheroost,andiseasiertoclean.Butthewallsandotherplywoodbitsstillaretheoriginal3/8".

OneotherchangeImightpointout–thevinylroofingisOK,butafterhaving thisup fora fewmonths, Idon't think theroofingwilllast. It's already slightly warped in some spots andwhile it's stillkeeping out the rain, it looks ugly. If you are ok with the extraweight, or don't plan onmoving the tractor often/ever, youmightwant to consider using a metal roof. It's cheaper, more durable,andwillkeepthesun/heatoutbetter in thesummer;on theotherhand,it'sheavier.

ChickenBarrowBySarahNoce(scmtngirl)

www.instructables.com/id/Chicken-Barrow/)

IcallthisaChickenBarrowinsteadofaChickenTractorbecauseitreallyreminds me more of a wheel barrow than a tractor! Anyway, afterresearching chicken tractors in-depth online, I finally decided on the“hoophouse”designandamverypleasedwithhowitcameout. I thinkthisisagoodprojectforsomeonewithlittletonobuildingskills,andit’seasytogetyour friends tohelpbecausetheywant toknowwhat it is! Ienlisted the help of some girlfriends and my carpenter husband, whooffered a lot of advice for my project and helped us end up with aperfectly square frame and very solid final structure. For example, Iprobablywouldhaveusedgalvanizednails,buthesaidpre-drillingandusing screws is the way to go, which makes sense, but I would havenever thoughtof thatmyself.Additionally, I’mprettysureyoucouldgetawaywithastructurethatwasnotperfectlysquare,butitcertainlymadeiteasier toalign thePVC. Iwantedsomething relativelyheavy todeterpredators from trying tomove/lift it, so2×4swereused (andbecausewehadsomeonhand).A smallerdimensionofwoodcouldbeused ifyou thinkpredatorsarenot asmuchof aproblem.Wehave raccoons,coyotes,mountainlions(rare,butchickensmightattractthem!),anddogsand cats (including my own) that freely roam the neighborhood. Wealreadyhada3’by6’sheetofplywoodinthegarage,aswellassome8’2 X 4s, so we decided to make mine 3’ wide X 3’ high X 8’ long tominimizewaste.

Afewthingsstillneedtobeadded:Ononeend,wewilluseajigsawtocutoutadoor(andattachitwith

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simple hinges) as well as two wheels. The wheel bolts I bought toattachthe6”ball-bearingwheelsarenotlongenoughtoattachtothe2×4s,soIwillneedtofindlongerboltsatthehardwarestore,whichiswhywedidnotattachthemyet.On the other end of the barrow, we will add a nesting box with ahinged lid (for egg gathering) made out of plywood as well as twohandles for maneuvering the barrow. The handles will also act asextrasupportforthenestingbox.Iwillattachtwo4’2×4stotheendsofapieceoftarptoprovidethechickieswithshadeinthesummerandwindprotectioninthewinter.Both the hinged door and the hinged lid of the nesting box will besecuredwithpadlocks todeter theopposable thumbsofdeterminedraccoons.

Iplantogetfourchicks.Ithinktheywillbequitecomfortable!

Materials/ToolsNeededsix8’2×4s(threetobeuseduncutforlongpieces,andthreetobecutdownintosmallercrossbracesanddiagonalbraces)one3’by6’piece of 3/4” plywood (can fit into a non full-size truck!) twelve 1/2”pipestrapssix1/2”piecesofPVCcutinto8’lengthsbyyourlocalhardwarestoreabout20feetofweldedwire(youwillhavesomeleftover—useitforgardencages)about20feetofchickenwire(ditto)lotsofgalvanized2.5”deckscrewscordlessdrillguncordlessscrewgunjigsawcircularsaw(optional)atleastanafternoon’sworthoftime!

Step1:CutthePlywoodEndsWe first cut the piece of plywood in half and screwed both piecestogether so they could be cut with the jigsaw at the same time. Then,usingscrewsasaguide,wecarefullybentthePVC,followingtheedgesof the plywood, and then fastened the ends with two pipe straps forsafety.WeusedapenciltotracetheshapeofthePVC.Weremovedtheguide screws (but not the screwsholding the twopieces together) andcutthroughbothpiecesofplywoodwiththejigsaw.Wethenunfastenedtheremainingscrewsandsetthetwopiecesaside.Note:Weendedwithaflatportionatthetopofthecurveoftheplywood,whichendedupbeingusefullater.

Step2:BuildtheFrame

Step2:BuildtheFrameWeusedtwo96”(8’)2×4sforthelongendsandtwo345/8“2×4sfortheshortends(whichtakesintoaccountthetruedimensionsof2×4ssowewouldendupwithaframethatwasexactly36incheswidetomatchthewidthofourplywood).Myhusbandcuttheshortendpieceswiththecircularsawbecausehe’s fastand I’mafraid touse it.Weadded threemore345/8“horizontalcrossbracestotherectangularframe.Theseaddstabilityanddoubleasroostsfor thechickens!Wethensquareduptheframe and added diagonal cross braces. Every connection was pre-drilledandscrewedusingtwo2.5”galvanizeddeckscrews.Itiseasierifyouhavetwoguns:onefordrillingandoneforscrewing.

Step3:TakeaBreak...ThenConnectthePlywoodEndsWe took a short break.My dog thought the barrowwas being built forhim.Next,weattached theplywoodendpieces—again,pre-drillingandusing screws. I thinkweused three screwsoneachend.Weattachedanother96”2×4asacentersupportandrecesseditbelowthetopsoftheplywoodendsbyahalfinchtoaccountforthewidthofthe1/2”PVCpipingthatwouldbebentoverthetop.

Step4:AddPVCSupportsWe measured the distance needed between each PVC pipe toaccommodatesixpiecesspacedevenlyapartand thenscrewed twelve1/2”pipestrapstotheframeaccordingtoourmeasurements.Ithinktheywerespaced27.5”apart.WesnakedthePVCpipeintooneendandthentheotherandcutofftheexcesswiththejigsaw.Iaccidentallyboughtone3/4” pipe strap, sowe pre-drilled and screwed that end into the 2 × 4since itwas loose inside thestrap.We laterondecided topre-drillandscrewall thePVCends, just incasethepipestrapsbecameweak.Wealso pre-drilled and screwed the tops of the PVC pieces into the topsupportpiece. Ididn’t think tobuysixadditionalpipestraps for this toppiece,butIthinkthescrewswillholditinplacejustfine.

Step5:CoverYourBarrowwithWireI decided to use bothweldedwire and chickenwire as a cover formychicken barrow. The welded wire has the strength that chicken wirelacks,but thechickenwire is smaller than theweldedwire to keepoutgrabby raccoon hands. The welded wire came in 4’ width, so eventhough the long 2 × 4s are 8’, I forgot to account for the depth of theplywood,sotwopiecesofweldedwiredidn’tquitecoverthelengthofthebarrow. Each length of welded wire was stapled to the plywood ends,leaving a small approximately 2” gap in the middle of the barrow.However, I figure that I’m covering the whole thing with chicken wireanyway,so thegapprobably isn’tabigdeal. Itwaseasiest to turn thebarrowonitssidetostapleonthewire.Wewrappedthewireallthewayaround thebottomof the frame,butnot somuch that the sharpedgesstuckoutbeyondthewidthoftheframe.Myhandwasprettysoreafterallthestapling.Wefinishedstaplingthechickenwire,sonowallweneedtodoiscutoutthedoor,attachthedoorhinges,attachthewheels,attach

the handles, and build a small nesting box. Thatwill have towait untilnextweekend, though, because it started raining. I will also cover onehalf of thebarrowwith a tarp securedby2×4s to provide shadeandshelterforthechickies!

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CollectRainWaterwithaWineBarrel

ByMallie(chout)(www.instructables.com/id/Collect-rain-water-with-a-wine-barrel/)

I think I readall of the Instructablesabout collecting rainwater. Finallydecided to build my own with a wine barrel because I didn’t want todestroy the look of my future-to-be terrace. I always found rain watercollectorssuperugly.It’susuallyanoldplastictankorbarrel;handybutnot very pleasing to the eye (and I didn’t have themotivation to buildsomethinglikethistohideit).Anyway,here’showIdidit.

Materialawinebarrel(foundoneBayfor50EUR).Makesuretogetonewithalidandacork(usuallyit’saspecialcorklocatedinthebellypartofthebarrel).arainwatercollector tohookupto thegutter(foundoneBayfor19EUR, but otherwise available in nearly all DIY shops). I chose thismodel because the collectedwaterwould come out via a little tubeandnotan“open-air”half-pipedrillerflatwooddrillheadssomescrewsanoldpieceofboardaboutthelengthofthebarrel’slidahandle

Step1:PreparetheBarrel’sLidUsuallythelidsofwinebarrelsareabitwobbly.Theyaremadeofplanksinsertedintoeachotherandaresupposedtobeinsertedinagrooveatthetop,insidethebarrel.Becauseofthat,Ihadtomakethelidstronger

so it would not wear out from frequent usage. I found an old piece ofwood board inmy garage and screwed it tight at the back of the lid. Imadesure touserustproof (INOX)screws. Inorder tobeable toclosethebarrelandproperlyputthelidbackon(andbecausethelidisround),Ihadtosawthefourcornersoftheboardasyoucanseeinthepicture.Lastyearweboughtanewkitchenandwe received twoextrahandles(don’taskmewhy),soI’vedecidedtouseoneofthemformybarrel.Thescrewsthatcamewiththehandleweren’tlongenoughtogothroughthethicknessofthelid,plusboardattachedattheback.SoIusedaflatdrillheadtomakeawiderholeandreducethethicknesssoIcouldproperlyattachthehandle.Makesuretoplacethehandleinthemiddleofthelid;it’s not only more beautiful but also easier to manipulate when youopen/closethebarrel.

Step2:ConnecttheRainWaterCollectorontheGutterI followed the instructions that camewith the PVC rain water collector(rwc)tohookituptooneofmygutters.Itwassupereasy;I justhadtosaw an 8cm section off the gutter at the right height and insert thecollector.Important!Inordertopreventanoverflowandavoidmybarreltobeoverfilled, I installedtherwcabit lower thanthetopof thebarrel.Therefore thewater in thebarrelcan’tgohigher than theheighton thegutterwherethewateriscollected.Idrilledalargeholewiththewoodflatdrill head, inserted the transparent tube that came with the rwc, thenused silicon (same as for a shower tub or bath) to seal it andmake itwaterproof. That way the water could flow back via the tube should itreachacertainlevelinthebarrel.

Step3:HereComestheRainWithinoneweekmybarrelwas full to the top (IwasevensurprisedbyhowmuchwaterIhadinjustaweek).Inowuseittowatermyplantsandflowers, to wash my terrace, etc. There’s still a little bit of wine smellwhenyouopenthebarrel,butthat’smoreapositivepointthananegativeone.

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RoughneckRainBarrelByDonnieDillon

(www.instructables.com/id/Roughneck-Rain-Barrel/)

ThisafternoonIwenttothehardwarestore,spent$38.22,andcameoutwitheverythingIneededtomakearoughneckrainbarrel.MyplanistousethewaterIharvestfrommyrooftowatermyplantsandmychickens,wash thecar, and fill upmysquirt guns. Itwas funandeasyand tookless than two hours to complete and made me feel very green andenvironmental-ish.

PartsandTools

Parts132-gallonRubbermaidroughnecktrashcan(frommygarage)1rollofwindowscreen(onhandfromfixingthepatiodoorlastsummer)190’hose($15.00)1nozzleset($3.00)1setofthree-conduitlocknuts($0.99)2half-inchboilerdrains($9.48)

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4flatmetalwashers($2.10)4rubberwashers($5.32)Totalwithtax:$38.22

Toolsutilityknifescissorsstaplegunpliersscrewdriver

1.Step1:AttachingtheFaucets

Beginbyusingtheutilityknifetocutaholeinthetrashcanforthefaucet several inches from thebottomof the can, but be carefulnottomaketheholetoobig.Therubberwasherswillkeepanyof

yourharvestedrainwaterfromleakingoutofyourbarrel.Thread the metal washer onto the faucet first, then the rubberwasher. The rubber washer should be sandwiched between themetalwasherandthesideofthetrashcan.Placethefaucetthroughtheholeyoucutandputanotherrubberwasherontheinsideofthetrashcan.Usetheplierstohelpscrewthelocknutontightly.Thetighterthescrew,thelesslikelytherewillbeleaks.Repeatthisprocessforthesecondfaucetseveralinchesfromthetop of the trash can. While a second faucet probably isn’tabsolutelynecessaryitcanactasanoverflowvalve.

Step2:AttachingtheScreenThescreenis important. Itwillkeepdebrisoutofyourrainbarrel. Itwillalso keep mosquitoes from being able to get in and lay eggs in your

water.Laythescreenoverthetopofthetrashcan.Beginstaplingthescreentothetopofthetrashcan.Besurethecaniscleaninsidebeforeyoustapleitclosed.Usethescissorstotrimofftheexcessscreen.

Step3:MakingtheLid

Idon’tsupposealidisstrictlynecessary,butIthinkitmakesitlookalittlebetter, and it will keep debris frompiling up on top of your rain barrel.Usingtheutilityknifecutoutanopeninginthelidofthetrashcan.Thiswillbetheintakeforthedownspoutfromyourgutters.Putthelidonoverthescreenandyourrainbarreliscomplete.

Step4:InstallingtheRainBarrelThelaststepisinstallingyourrainbarrel.

Begin by cutting your downspout to the desired height. I used autilityknife,butIsupposeaDremeltoolwouldworktoo.Youmayneedtomoveacoupleofthebracketsthatholdthedownspouttothewall.Justunscrewthemandmovethemwhereyouwantthem.Reattachthecurvybitatthebottomofthedownspoutandsetyourrainbarrelunderneath.

Iattachedahosetothefaucetat thebottomof thebarrelandran itaroundthesideof thehouseto thefrontwhereIneed it,butyoucouldjustaseasilyskipthehosealltogetherandsaveyourself$15.00.

GreenSolar-PoweredWaterBarrel

ByDanielMoeller(damoelid)(www.instructables.com/id/Green-Solar-Powered-Water-Barrel/)

Agreenwayofusingrainwaterwith theconvenienceofcitywater.Theattached solar regenerated pump enables you to water plants withpressure, even when the water in the barrels falls low enough that itbarelypassesthelevelofthefaucet.Thesun-warmedwateralsoaidsinthe growing of plants as it does not shock them. The twin 85-gallonbarrelsareraisedontoaverysturdy4×4boxassembly fromrecycledwood,held togetherwithnewcarriageboltsbecausethe totalweightofallthewaterwhenfullisapproximately1700lbs.Thisframeisrestingoneight2”-thick,18”squarecementpadstopreventsinking.Thebarrelsareraisedtoincreasetheheadpressureanddecreasetheworkloadonthepump.

Step1:WaterSuppliedfromMotherNatureLinkbarrel to downspout.Be sure that the topof barrel remainsbelowlevel of water entry. I found theWatersaver attachment for the 3 × 4downspoutpipeworksperfectly. Inorder toenableadequatewater flowtothebarrel,IadaptedtheWatersaverattachmentbydrillingoutthesideandaddingaflangefora1”PVCfitting. Isealedthisbyusingarubbergasket and additionally using a silicone sealer. Ensure there is adownwardslopebetweenthedownspoutandthebarrelentry.

Step2:OverflowBacktotheDownspoutEnsure youhavea completepath forwater from thedownspout to thebarrelorbarrelsandthenfromtheoverflowtothedownspoutagain.Use1”PVCoverflowlinefromthelastbarrelbacktothedownspout.Ensureyou maintain a drain angle towards the downspout or sediment couldcollectintheline.

Step3:DownspoutDrainConnectionOne-inchPVCentrybackintothedownspout.EnsurePVCpipedoesnotfullyblock the2”by3”downspoutandkeepthedownwardslope to thepipetomakethewaterflowtowardsthedownspout.

Step4:ManifoldCommonconnectionpoint forusingwater.Thisphotoof themanifold is

beforeIputthewatergaugeon(shownonintroandlaststep).

Step5:WaterFilterFilterthewaterfromthebarrel toprotectthepump.Thiskeepstheroofsedimentfromwearingoutthepump.Thiswaterfilterwilllastforever,asit has a reusable nylon mesh filter inside that only requires periodicrinsing.

Step6:BatteryBoxwithPowerSwitchKeepthebatteryandpumpprotectedfromtheelementsinsideafullsizebatterycase.

Step7:InsideViewofBatteryBoxwithMotorAn insideviewof thestandardsizebatterycaseandequipment layout.Thesolar cellwas leftwith clampconnections inorder toenablequickremovalofthebatterycaselidforcleaningandmaintenance.Thepumpwasrecycledfromanoldersailboat.Thebatteryisastandardsizelawntractor 12V, and with proper maintenance should last six to ten yearsbeforeneedingtoberecycledatthedepot.Anoldercarbatterythatjustdoesn’thavethepowertocrankthecarfastenoughanymorewouldbemorethanadequateforthisapplicationandagreatalternativetobuyinganewbattery.The5.5Wsolarcellwasalsorecycledforafractionofitsoriginalcost fromanonlineclassified,andsolarcellshavea lifespanofapproximatelyfifteentotwentyyears.Iwantedthislittleprojecttolastaslongaspossiblebeforeneedinganyrepairs.

Step8:FlowjetPumpClose up of Flojet 4405-143. Another pump that I have seen that isalmostidenticaltothisismadebyShurflo.ThistypeofpumpisusedinRVsorsailboatstosupplywaterpressure,aswellasforusingasawashdown pump on boats. I chose this type because it has an internalpressure switch that stops it from running all the time, only turning onwhenthewaterpressureinthehosedrops.InadditionIgotasuperdealonitsecondhand.Therearemanydifferentstylesofpumpsavailablethatwillbemorethanadequateforthisapplication.Itdependsonyourbudgetand theavailability of secondhandpumps in your area.Other things toconsiderwouldbewhetherornotyouwantthepumprunningallthetime(lawnsprinkler)oronlywhenyoupressthetriggeronyourhosenozzle.Withoutabuilt-inpressureswitch,thepumpwillrunwheneverthepowerisswitchedon. Inall typesofapplications,makesure thepumpoutputpressure does not exceed the pressure rating of your hose/pipe or itmightburstiftheoutletclosesorbecomesblockedunexpectedly.

Step9:WaterGaugeAsthewaterlevelchangesinsidethebarrel,thelevelinsidethetubewillfollowthesamelevel.ThiswasfuntoinstallasIdidn’twanttowasteallthe nice rainwater anddrain the tank before I drilled a 3/4” hole in thebottomofthetanktoinstalltheangledshut-offvalve.Iremindedmyselftoonlyuseabatterypowereddrill.Ireusedsomehalf-inchplastictubingthat I had left over fromanother application and connected it to a 3/4”anglevalvewithashutoff(whichcameinhandyduringinstall).Isealedaroundandunderallpenetrationsintothebarrel(valveandscrews)withatwopartepoxythatwasawaterprooffillerandsealer.Itisimportanttonot completely seal the tube or the level will not change to reflect thelevelinthebarrel.

RainwaterCollectionandDistributionSystem

ByMarkShannon(mark11photography)(www.instructables.com/id/Rainwater-collection-amp-distribution-system/)

ThisisacustomsystemIdesignedtocollecttherainwatercomingoffofmy roof and have both the ability to store the water and distribute itwithoutattachingany temporarypiping.Myapologies inadvance that Idon’thavepicturesshowingthestep-by-stepconstruction.

GetYourMaterialsandToolsIt’saprettysimplecollectionofmaterials,mostofwhichcanbefoundatyour local hardware store. I did a little hunting around to find anappropriaterainbarrelandendedupgettingonefromaneco-storehereinCalgary.

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Materials(6)2×4studs (each8 feet long)approximately (100)3” longdeckscrews55-gallonrainbarrelsectionsof2”centralvacuumtubing(couldsubstituteplumbingPVCor ABS pipe, but they cost two or three times the price). Length isdeterminedbythedistanceyouneedthewatertotravel—Ineededsixsections.assortedcouplings,endcaps,90degreeelbows,2”ballvalve,one‘Y’section,andtwothreadedadapterstoconnectintotherainbarrel.2”plasticstrapstoaffixthepipetothefence.(1) 10’ length of 3” PVC pipe and assorted 3” couplers/elbowsSiliconecaulkingstainless steel screws (optional, or substitute the deck screws)PVC/ABSGlueC-shaped straps—number depends on the length of your deliverypipe

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powerdrillsaw(Iusedamitresaw,butahacksawwouldwork)measuringtapelevelstring

Step1:BuildtheStandIdidn’thaveanysetplans,but IknewIwanted tobuildsomething thatwouldn’tfallapartundertheweightofthewater-filledbarrel.A55-gallonbarrel of water weighs over 200 kilograms. Also, if the base sags, theconnections will be stressed, so make the base of the legs wide tosupporttheweight.Ibuiltmineoutof2×4s,roughly2’by2’by2’.ThebarrelIpurchased(whichcanbeobtainedquiteinexpensively,justmakesurewhattheyusedtocontainwasn’t toxic)hadaspigotattached,soIhadtoaccommodatethatduringconstruction.Ihadtobecarefultomakesure the lengths were correct (measure twice, cut once), and that thejoints were square. Take a bit of extra time and it will stand upmuchlonger.

Step2:PrepthePipeInthisstepIpreparedthelengthsofpipebydrillinga1/2”holeeveryfootalongthepipe—besurethattheyareallinline.

Step3:DetermineYourFallLineIhavea40’sectionoffenceIwantedthepipetotravel,soIputascrewinthefenceatthelevelthewaterwouldbeexitingthebarrel,andthenasecondscrewinthefencewherethepipewouldend.Ithentookastringandattachedittobothscrewstofindoutwhatthefallwouldbefromthebarrel.Fromthis lineIputmarksonthefencewhereIwouldattachthepipeusingthestraps.

Step4:AttachthePipestotheFenceI attached the pipes to the fence with some plastic C-shaped straps,whichIfoundintheelectricalsectionofthehardwarestore.Then,usingtheABS/PVCglueIconnectedtheendcap,andthenIwentpipe-to-pipewithcouplers—almostallthewaybacktothebarrel.

Step5:PlumbtheBarrelThis step proved to be a bitmore complicated than I expected,mostlybecause Iwasusing vacuum tubing/connectors onone side.However,theonlypieces I could find to connect to thebarrelwere for plumbing.Unfortunately, they were about 1/16 of an inch smaller than I wanted

themtobe.SoaftercleaningtheinsideabitwithaDremel,Iwasbackinbusiness.Idesignedthissystemtobeabletostorerainwater,buthaveaspilloverpipethatwouldtakeanyexcessintothepipesystemandawayfromthehouse.Thisspilloverpipeentersthemainpipeontheoppositeside of the valve (see pictures). I cut holes in the barrel, as I wasconcernedthatthesmallspigotwouldn’tbeabletohandleanyvolumeofwater. I then attached the plumbing fixtures at the top and bottomandusedsomesiliconecaulkingtosealtheconnection.Ithenmeasured,cut,andgluedthepipes,elbows,andvalveassembly.

Step6:ConnecttheValveAssemblytotheWateringPipeThis is pretty straight forward—it helps to have a bit of leeway in your

wateringpipe(theoneyoudrilledholesinto).UsecouplersifneededandtheABS/PVCglue.

Step7:ConnecttoYourEavesTroughIdidthisstepadayafterIdidtheothersteps,andfromonedaytothenextIlearnedthatthe2”pipecapacitywasjustbarelyenoughtohandleany real volume of water coming from the barrel. So, I opted for a 3”diameterABSpipe to handle thewater coming from the roof. Itwas alittle trickygetting theoversized fixture toattach tomyaluminumeave,butwith someminormodifications I got it towork.Again, I used somesiliconecaulkingtosealtheconnection.

Step8:TesttheConnectionsforLeaksFinally,ifyouhavearainstorm,naturewilldothisforyou,butifnot(asinmycase)Iusedmygardenhose.IlearnedthatIhadasmallleakcomingfrom the eave connection—which I fixed once it dried out using somemorecaulking.Wehaven’thadanyrealrainasofyet,butIanticipatethissystemworkingjustfine.

DIY1000WattWindTurbineBySteveSpence(sspence)

(www.instructables.com/id/DIY-1000-watt-wind-turbine/)

Webuilt a 1000wattwind turbine tohelp charge thebattery bank thatpowersouroff-gridhome.It’sapermanentmagnetalternator,generatingthree-phase AC, rectified to DC, and fed to a charge controller. Themagnetsspinwiththewindandthecoilsarefixed,sonobrushesorslipringsarenecessary.

Step1:BuildtheMagnetDisksWehad 12” steel disks hydro cut.We cut a template formounting themagnets.Thenwemounted12-graden50magnetsaround theoutsideedge.Wethenbuiltaform,andpouredtheresinwithhardener.

Step2:BuildtheCoilDiskWewoundthenineindividualcoils,solderedtheminathree-phasewyeconfiguration, and encased them in resin. We used 35 turns of twoparallelstrandsof14-gaugeenameled(magnet)wirefor12volts.Use70turnsofsinglestrandfor24volts.Thethree-phasediagramshownhereshowsthreestatorcoils.Eachcoilisactuallythreecoilsinaseries.Coils1,4,and7areseriestogether,2,5,and8areseriestogether,and3,6,and9areseriestogether.

Step3:BuildtheBearingAssemblyTwoHarleyDavidsonwheel bearings are inserted into the pipe,with asmallerpipelockedbetweenthemtokeeptheminplace.

Step4:ConstructtheBladesThe blades are 2” by 6” pine, cut at 10 degrees on a table saw, andsandedintoaroughairfoil.Notperfect,butcloseenough.

Step5:BoltItAllTogether

HowIBuiltanElectricity-ProducingWindTurbine

ByMichaelDavid(mdavis19)(www.instructables.com/id/How-I-built-an-electricity-

producing-wind-turbine/)

Several years ago I bought some remote property in Arizona. I am anastronomerandwantedaplacetopracticemyhobbyfarawayfromtheterrible light pollution foundnear citiesof any real size. I foundagreatpieceofproperty.Theproblemis,it’ssoremotethatthereisnoelectricalservice available. That’s not really a problem. No electricity equals nolightpollution.However,itwouldbenicetohaveatleastalittleelectricity,sincesomuchoflifeinthetwenty-firstcenturyisdependentonit.

OnethingInoticedrightawayaboutmyproperty is thatmostof thetime,thewindisblowing.AlmostfromthemomentIboughtit,Ihadthe

1.2.3.4.5.

ideaofputtingupawind turbineandmakingsomeelectricity,and lateraddingsomesolarpanels.This is thestoryofhow Idid it.Notwithanexpensive, store-bought turbine, but with a home-built one that costhardlyanything. Ifyouhavesomefabricatingskillsandsomeelectronicknow-how,youcanbuildonetoo.

Step1:AcquiringaGeneratorI started by Googling for information on home-built wind turbines.

Therearea lotof themout there inanamazingvarietyofdesignsandcomplexities.Allofthemhadfivethingsincommonthough:

AgeneratorBladesAmountingthatkeepsitturnedintothewindAtowertogetitupintothewindBatteriesandanelectroniccontrolsystem

I reduced the project to just five little systems. If attacked one at atime,theprojectdidn’tseemtooterriblydifficult.Idecidedtostartwiththegenerator.Myonlineresearchshowedthatalotofpeoplewerebuildingtheirowngenerators.Thatseemedabit toocomplicated,at least forafirsteffort.OtherswereusingsurpluspermanentmagnetDCmotorsasgenerators in their projects. This looked like a simplerway to go. So Ibegan looking into what motors were best for the job. A lot of peopleseemedtoliketouseoldcomputertapedrivemotors(surplusrelicsfromthe days when computers had big reel to reel tape drives). The bestapparentlyareacoupleofmodelsofmotormadebyAmetek.Thebestmotor made by Ametek is a 99 volt DC motor that works great as agenerator. Unfortunately, they are almost impossible to locate thesedays.TherearealotofotherAmetekmotorsaroundthough.Acoupleoftheir other models make decent generators and can still be found onplaces like eBay. Imanaged to score one of the good 30 volt Ametekmotors off of eBay for only $26. They don’t go that cheap these days.Peoplearecatchingontothefactthattheymakegreatwindgenerators.Otherbrandswillwork,sodon’t fretabout thepriceAmeteksaregoing

for.Shopwisely.Anyway,themotorIgotwasingoodshapeandworkedgreat.Evenjustgivingtheshaftaquickturnwithmyfingerswouldlighta12voltbulbquitebrightly.Igaveitarealtestbychuckingitupinmydrillpressandconnectingittoadummyload.Itworksgreatasagenerator,puttingouteasilyacouplehundredwattswiththissetup.IknewthenthatifIcouldmakeadecentsetofbladestodriveit,itwouldproduceplentyofpower.

Step2:MakingtheBladesBladesandahub to connect them towere thenextorderof business.Moreonlineresearchensued.Alotofpeoplemadetheirownbladesbycarvingthemoutofwood.Thatlookedlikeanoutrageousamountofworktome.IfoundthatotherpeopleweremakingbladesbycuttingsectionsoutofPVCpipeandshaping them intoairfoils.That lookeda lotmorepromising to me. I followed that general recipe. I did things a littledifferently though. I used black ABS pipe since my local home centerstorejusthappenedtohavepre-cutlengthsofit.Iused6”pipeinsteadof4”pipeand24inchesinsteadof195/8.Istartedbyquarteringa24-inchpieceofpipearounditscircumferenceandcuttingitlengthwiseintofourpieces.ThenIcutoutoneblade,anduseditasatemplateforcuttingout

theothers.Thatleftmewithfourblades(threeplusonespare).Ithendida little extra smoothing and shaping using my belt sander and palmsanderon thecutedges to try tomake them intobetterairfoils. I don’tknowifit’sreallymuchofanimprovement,butitdidn’tseemtohurt,andthebladeslookreallygood(ifIdosaysomyself).

Step3:BuildingtheHubNext I needed a hub to bolt the blades to and attach to the motor.Rummagingaround inmyworkshop, I foundatoothedpulley that fitonthemotorshaft,butwasa little toosmall indiameter tobolt theblades

onto.Ialsofoundascrapdiskofaluminum5inchesindiameterand1/4”thick that I couldbolt thebladesonto, butwouldn’t attach to themotorshaft.Thesimplesolutionofcoursewastoboltthesetwopiecestogethertomakethehub.Muchdrilling,tapping,andboltinglater,Ihadahub.

Step4:BuildingtheTurbineMountingNext I neededamounting for the turbine.Keeping it simple, I opted tojuststrap themotor toapieceof2×4wood.Thecorrect lengthof thewoodwascomputedby thehighly scientificmethodofpicking thebestlooking piece of scrap 2 × 4 off my scrap wood pile and going withhoweverlongitwas.Ialsocutapieceof4”diameterPVCpipetomakeashieldtogooverthemotorandprotect it fromtheweather.Foratail tokeep it turned into the wind, I again just used a piece of heavy sheetaluminum I happened to have laying around. I was worried that itwouldn’tbeabigenoughtail,butitseemstoworkjustfine.Theturbine

snapsrightaround into thewindevery time itchangesdirection. Ihaveadded a few dimensions to the picture. I doubt any of thesemeasurements are critical though. Next, I had to begin thinking aboutsomesortoftowerandsomesortofbearingthatwouldallowtheheadtofreely turn into thewind. I spent a lot of time inmy local home centerstores(LowesandHomeDepot)brainstorming.Finally,Icameupwithasolution that seems toworkwell.While brainstorming, I noticed that 1”diameter iron pipe is a good slip-fit inside 1 1/4” diameter steel EMTelectricalconduit.Icouldusealongpieceof11/4”conduitasmytowerand1”pipe fittingsateitherend.For theheadunit Iattacheda1” ironfloorflangecentered7½inchesbackfromthegeneratorendofthe2×4,andscreweda10”-long ironpipenipple into it.Thenipplewouldslipinto the topof thepieceof conduit I’d useasa tower and formanicebearing.Wires from the generatorwould pass through a hole drilled inthe2×4downthecenterofthepipe/conduitunitandexitatthebaseofthetower.

Step5:BuildtheTowerBaseForthetowerbase,Istartedbycuttinga2’diameterdiskoutofplywood.

ImadeaU-shapedassemblyoutof1”pipefittings.InthemiddleofthatassemblyIputa11/4”tee.Theteeisfreetoturnaroundthe1”pipeandformsahingethatallowsmetoraiseandlowerthetower.Ithenaddedaclosenipple,a1¼to1reducingfitting,anda12”nipple.LaterIaddeda1”teebetweenthereducerandthe12”nipplesotherewouldbeaplacefor thewires toexit thepipe.This isshown inaphoto furtherdownthepage.Ialsolaterdrilledholesinthewoodendisktoallowmetousesteelstakes to lock it in place on the ground. The second photo shows theheadandbase together.You canbegin to seehow itwill go together.Imaginea10’pieceofsteelconduit connecting the twopieces.Since Iwas building this thing in Florida, but was going to use it in Arizona, Idecided toholdoffonpurchasing the10’pieceof conduituntil I got toArizona.Thatmeant thewind turbinewouldnotbe fullyassembledandwould not get properly testeduntil Iwas ready to put it up in the field.That was a little scary because I wouldn’t know if the thing actuallyworkeduntilItrieditinArizona.

Step6:PaintAlltheWoodenPartsNext,Ipaintedallthewoodenpartswithacoupleofcoatsofwhitelatexpaint I had leftover from another project. I wanted to protect thewoodfromtheweather.ThisphotoalsoshowstheleadcounterweightIaddedtotheleftsideofthe2×4underthetailtobalancethehead.

Step7:TheFinishedHeadoftheWindTurbineThisphotoshowsthefinishedheadunitwiththebladesattached.Isthata thingofbeautyorwhat? Italmost looks like I knowwhat I’mdoing. Inevergota chance toproperly test theunit beforeheading toArizona.Onewindydaythough,IdidtaketheheadoutsideandholdithighupintheairabovemyheadintothewindjusttoseeifthebladeswouldspinaswellasIhadhoped.Spintheydid.Inamatterofafewseconds,thebladesspunuptoatrulyscaryspeed(no loadonthegenerator),andIfoundmyself holding onto a giant, spinning, whirligig of death, with noidea how to put it down without getting myself chopped to bits.Fortunately,Idideventuallymanagetoturnitoutofthewindandslowitdowntoanon-lethalspeed.Iwon’tmakethatmistakeagain.

Step8:BuildtheChargeControllerNow that I had all themechanical parts sorted out, it was time to turntowardtheelectronicendoftheproject.Awindpowersystemconsistsofthewind turbine,oneormorebatteries tostorepowerproducedby theturbine, a blocking diode to prevent power from the batteries beingwasted spinning themotor/generator, a secondary load todumppowerfromtheturbine intowhenthebatteriesarefullycharged,andachargecontroller to run everything. There are lots of controllers for solar andwindpowersystems.Anyplacethatsellsalternativeenergystuffwillhavethem.TherearealsoalwaysalotofthemforsaleoneBay.Idecidedtotrybuildingmyownthough.SoitwasbacktoGooglingforinformationonwind turbine charge controllers. I found a lot of information, includingsomecompleteschematics,whichwasquiteniceandmadebuildingmyown unit very easy. Again, while I followed a general recipe from anonlinesource,Ididdosomethingsdifferently.Beinganavidelectronicstinkererfromanearlyage,Ihaveahugestockofelectroniccomponentsalreadyonhand,so Ihad tobuyvery little tocomplete thecontroller. IsubstituteddifferentcomponentsforsomepartsandreworkedthecircuitalittlejustsoIcouldusepartsIalreadyhadonhand.ThatwayIhadtobuyalmostnothingtobuildthecontroller.TheonlypartIhadtobuywastherelay.Ibuiltmyprototypechargecontrollerbyboltingallthepiecestoapieceofplywood,asseeninthefirstphotobelow.Iwouldrebuilditina

weatherproof enclosure later.Whether you build your own or buy one,youwillneedsomesortofcontroller foryourwind turbine.Thegeneralprincipal behind the controller is that it monitors the voltage of thebattery(s) in your system,andeither sendspower from the turbine intothebatteriestorechargethemordumpsthepowerfromtheturbineintoasecondaryloadifthebatteriesarefullycharged(topreventover-charginganddestroyingthebatteries).Inoperation,thewindturbineisconnectedto the controller. Lines then run from the controller to the battery. Allloads are taken directly from the battery. If the battery voltage dropsbelow11.9volts,thecontrollerswitchestheturbinepowertochargingthebattery.If thebatteryvoltagerisesto14volts, thecontrollerswitchestodumping the turbine power into the dummy load.There are trimpots toadjust the voltage levels at which the controller toggles back and forthbetweenthetwostates.Ichose11.9Vforthedischargepointand14Vforthe fully chargedpointbasedonadvice fromdifferentwebsiteson thesubject of properly charging lead acid batteries. The sites allrecommended slightly different voltages. I sort of averaged them andcameupwithmynumbers.When thebatteryvoltage isbetween11.9Vand 14.8V, the system can be switched between either charging ordumping. A pair of push buttons allow me to switch between statesanytime, for testing purposes. Normally the system runs automatically.When charging the battery, the yellow LED is lit. When the battery ischargedandpowerisbeingdumpedtothedummyload,thegreenLEDislit.Thisgivesmesomeminimalfeedbackonwhatisgoingonwiththesystem. I also usemymultimeter tomeasure both battery voltage andturbineoutputvoltage.Iwillprobablyeventuallyaddeitherpanelmetersorautomotive-stylevoltageandcharge/dischargemeters to thesystem.I’ll do thatonce Ihave it insomesortofenclosure. Iusedmyvariablevoltage bench power supply to simulate a battery in various states ofcharge and discharge to test and tune the controller. I could set thevoltage of the power supply to 11.9V and set the trimpot for the lowvoltage trippoint.Then Icouldcrank thevoltageup to14Vandset the

trimpotforthehighvoltagetrimpot.IhadtogetitsetbeforeItookitintothefieldbecauseI’dhavenowaytotuneitupoutthere.Ihavefoundoutthehardwaythatitisimportantwiththiscontrollerdesigntoconnectthebatteryfirst,andthenconnectthewindturbineand/orsolarpanels.Ifyouconnect thewind turbine first, thewild voltage swings coming from theturbinewon’tbesmoothedoutby the loadof thebattery, thecontrollerwillbehaveerratically,therelaywillclickawaywildly,andvoltagespikescoulddestroytheICs.Soalwaysconnecttothebattery(s)first,andthenconnect the wind turbine. Also, make sure you disconnect the windturbinefirstwhentakingthesystemapart.Disconnectthebattery(s)last.

Step9:ErecttheTowerAtlast,allpartsoftheprojectwerecomplete.Itwasalldoneonlyaweekbeforemyvacationarrived.Thatwascuttingitclose.IdisassembledtheturbineandcarefullypackedthepartsandthetoolsI’dneedtoassembleit for their tripacross thecountry.Then I onceagain I droveout tomyremotepropertyinArizonaforaweekofoff-gridrelaxation,butthistimewithhopesofhavingsomeactualelectricityonthesite.Thefirstorderofbusiness was setting up and bracing the tower. After arriving at myproperty and unloading my van, I drove to the nearest Home Depot(about 60miles oneway) and bought the 10’ piece of 1 1/4” conduit Ineededforthetower.OnceIhadit,assemblywentquickly.Iusednylonropetoanchorthepoletofourbigwoodenstakesdrivenintheground.

Turnbucklesonthelowerendsofeachguy-lineallowedmetoplumbupthetower.Byreleasingthelinefromeitherstakeinlinewiththehingeatthebase, Icould raiseand lower the towereasily.Eventually thenylonline and wooden stakes will be replaced with steel stakes and steelcables. For testing though, this arrangement worked fine. The secondphotoshowsaclose-upofhow theguy-linesattachnear the topof thetower.Iusedchain-linkfencebracketsastiepointsformyguy-lines.Thefence brackets don’t quite clamp down tightly on the conduit, which issmallerindiameterthanthefencepoststheyarenormallyusedwith.Sothereisasteelhoseclampateitherendofthestackofbracketstokeeptheminplace.Thethirdphotoshowsthebaseofthetower,stakedtotheground,withthewirefromthewindturbineexitingfromtheteebelowtheconduittower.Iusedanoldorangeextensioncordwithabrokenplugtoconnectbetweentheturbineandthecontroller.Isimplycutbothendsoffandputonspadelugs.Threadingthewirethroughthetowerturnedouttobeeasy.Itwasacoldmorningandthecordwasverystiff.Iwasabletojustpushitthroughthelengthoftheconduittower.OnawarmerdayIprobablywouldhavehadtouseafishtapeorstringlinetopullthecordthroughtheconduit.Igotlucky.

Step10:ErecttheWindTurbineThe first photo shows the turbine head installed on top of the tower. Igreasedupthepipeonthebottomoftheheadandsliditintothetopof

the conduit. It made a great bearing, just as I’d planned. Sometimes Ieven amazemyself. Too bad there was nobody around to get an IwoJimaFlagRaising-typepictureofmeraisingthetowerupwiththeheadinstalled.Thesecondphotoshowsthewindturbinefullyassembled.NowI’m justwaiting for thewind toblow.Wouldn’t youknow it, itwasdeadcalm thatmorning. Itwas the first calmday I hadever seenout there.ThewindhadalwaysbeenblowingeveryothertimeIhadbeenthere.

Step11:ConnecttheElectronicsThefirstphotobelowshowstheelectronicssetup.Thebattery, inverter,meter,andprototypechargecontrollerareallsittingonaplywoodboardontopofablueplastictub.Iplugalongextensioncordintotheinverterand runpowerback tomycampsite.Once thewindstartsblowing, theturbine head snaps around into it and begins spinning up. It spins upquickly until the output voltage exceeds the battery voltage plus theblocking diode drop (around 13.2 volts, depending on the state of thebatterycharge). It is really runningwithouta loaduntil thatpoint.Oncethat voltage is exceeded, the turbine suddenly has a load as it beginsdumpingpowerintothebattery.Onceunderload,theRPMsonlyslightlyincrease as thewind speed increases.Morewindmeansmore currentintothebatterywhichmeansmoreloadonthegenerator.Sothesystem

isprettymuchself-governing.Isawnosignsofover-revving.Ofcourse,in storm-force winds, all bets are off. Switching the controller to dumppower into the dummy load did a good job of braking the turbine andslowingitwaydowneveninstrongergusts.Actuallyshortingtheturbineoutput is an even better brake. It brings the turbine to a halt even instrongwinds.ShortingtheoutputishowImadetheturbinesafetoraiseand lower, so I wouldn’t get sliced and diced by the spinning blades.Warning though, the whole head assembly can still swing around andcrackyouhardonthenogginifthewindchangesdirectionwhileyouareworkingonthesethings.Sobecarefuloutthere.

Step12:EnjoyHavingPowerintheMiddleofNowhereHowsweetitis!Ihaveelectricity!HereIhavemylaptopcomputersetupand plugged into the power provided by the inverter, which in turn ispowered by the wind turbine. I normally only have about two hours ofbatterylifeonmylaptop.SoIdon’tgettouseitmuchwhileI’mcamping.Itcomesinhandythoughfordownloadingphotosoutofmycamerawhenitsmemorycardgetsfull,makingnotesonprojectslikethisone,workingon thenextgreatAmericannovel,or justwatchingDVDmovies.Now Ihavenobatterylifeproblems,atleastaslongasthewindblows.Besidesthe laptop, I can also now recharge all my other battery poweredequipment like my cell phone, my camera, my electric shaver, my air

mattresspump,etc.Lifeused toget realprimitiveonpreviouscampingtrips when the batteries in all my electronic stuff ran down. I used thewind turbine to power my new popup trailer on a later vacation. Thestrongspringwindskeptthewindturbinespinningalldayeverydayandmost of the nights too while I was in Arizona. The turbine providedenoughpowerfortheinterior12Vlightingandenoughfor120VACatthepower outlets to keep my battery charger, electric shaver, and minivacuum cleaner (camping is messy) all charged up and running. Mygirlfriend complained about it not having enough power to run herhairdryerthough.

Step13:HowMuchDidItCost?Sohowmuchdidall thiscost tobuild?Well, Isavedall thereceipts

foreverythingIboughtrelatedtothisproject.

Part Origin Cost

Motor/generator eBay $26.00

Misc.pipefittings HomecenterStore $41.49

Pipeforblades HomecenterStore $12.84

Mischardware HomecenterStore $8.00

Conduit HomecenterStore $19.95

Woodandaluminum ScrapPile $0.00

Powercable Oldextensioncord $0.00

Ropeandturnbuckles HomecenterStore $18.47

Electronicparts Alreadyonhand $0.00

Relay AutoPartsStore $13.87

Battery BorrowedfrommyUPS $0.00

Inverter Alreadyonhand $0.00

Paint Alreadyonhand $0.00

Total $140.62

Nottoobad.IdoubtIcouldbuyacommerciallymadeturbinewithacomparable power output, plus a commerciallymade charge controller,plusacommerciallymadetowerforlessthan$750-$1000.

Step14:ExtrasIhavecompletedtherebuildofthechargecontroller.Itisnowinasemi-weatherproofenclosure,andIhavealsoaddedabuilt involtagemeter.BothwereboughtcheaponeBay.Ihavealsoaddedafewnewfeatures.The unit now has provisions for power inputs frommultiple sources. Italsohasbuilt-infused12Vpowerdistributionforthreeexternalloads.

The second photo shows the inside of the charge controller. Ibasically just transferredeverything that I originallyhadboltedonto theplywood board in the prototype into this box. I added an automotiveilluminatedvoltagegaugeandfusesforthreeexternal12Vloads.Iusedheavygaugewire to try to reduce lossesdue towire resistance.Everywattcountswhenyouarelivingoff-grid.

The third image is theschematic for thenewchargecontroller. It isprettymuchthesameastheoldoneabove,exceptfortheadditionofthevoltmeterandextrafuseblocksfortheexternalloads.

The photo directly below is a block diagram of the whole power

system. Note that I only have one solar panel built right now. I justhaven’thadthetimetocompletethesecondone.

Step15:MoreExtrasOnceagainIstayedonmyremotepropertyduringmyrecentvacationin

Arizona.ThistimeIhadbothmyhome-builtwindturbineandmyhome-builtsolarpanelwithme.Workingtogether,theyprovidedplentyofpowerformy(admittedlyminimal)electricityneeds.

Thesecondphotoshowsthenewchargecontrollerunit.Thewiresontheleftsidearecomingfromthewindturbineandsolarpanel.Thewiresontherightsidearegoingtothebatterybankanddummyload.Icutupanoldheavy-duty100’extensioncord tomakecables to connectwindturbine and solar panel to the charge controller. The cable to thewindturbineisabout75feetlongandthecabletothesolarpanelisabout25feetlong.ThebatterybankIamcurrentlyusingconsistsofelevensealedlead-acid 12V batteries of 8 Amp-Hour capacity connected in parallel.That gives me 88 Amp-Hours of storage capacity, which is plenty forcamping.As longas it is sunnyandwindy, (nearly every day is sunnyandwindy onmy property), thewind turbine and solar panel keep thebatterieswellcharged.

ChispitoWindGeneratorByvelacreations

(www.instructables.com/id/Chispito-Wind-Generator/)

The ChispitoWind Generator was designed to be simple and efficientwith fastandeasyconstruction.Thereareno limits towhatyoucandowithwindpower.Thereisnothingmorerewardingandempoweringthanmakingawind-poweredgeneratorfromscrapmaterials.Mostofthetoolsandmaterialsinthismanualcanbefoundinyourlocalhardwareshoporjunkpile.

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Toolsdrillanddrillbits(7/32”,¼”,5/16”)jigsawwithametalblade

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pipewrenchflatheadscrewdrivercrescentwrenchviseand/orclampwirestripperstapemeasuremarkerpencompassandprotractor¼“#20ThreadTappingSetanextrapersonhelpsalot!

MaterialsBuythehardtofindpartsat:www.velacreations.com/store.html.

Mount36inchesof1”squaretubing2”floorflange2”by4”nipple(3)3/4”self-tappingScrews

NoteIfyouhaveaccesstoawelder,youcanwelda4”sectionof2”pipeontoyoursquare tubing insteadofusing the flange,nipple,andsheetmetalscrews.

Motor260 VDC, 5—A continuous duty treadmill motor with a 6” threadedhub30to50amp

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Blockingdiode(one-way)(20)5/16”by13/4”motorbolts3”by11”PVCpipetail1squarefoot(approx)lightweightmaterial(metal)(2)3/4”self-tappingscrewsBlades24” lengthof 8”PVCpipe (if it isUV resistant, youwill not need topaintit)(6)1/4”-20bolts(9)1/4”washers3sheetsA4paperTape

Step1:BladesCutting Blades—makes nine blades (or three-blade sets) and a thinwastestrip.

Place the 24” length of PVC pipe and square tubing (or otherstraight edge) sideby sideona flat surface.Push thepipe tightagainstthetubingandmarkthelinewheretheytouch.ThisisLineA.MakeamarkneareachendofLineA,23inchesapart.TapethreesheetsofA4papertogether,sothattheyformalong,completelystraightpieceofpaper.Wrapthisaroundthesectionofpipeateachofthetwomarksyoujustmade,onethentheother.MakesuretheshortsideofthepaperisstraightalongLineAandthe paper is straight against itselfwhere it overlaps.Mark a linealongtheedgeofthepaperateachend.CalloneLineBandtheotherLineC.

11.12.13.

Start where Line A intersects Line B. Going left around Line B,makeamarkatevery145mm.Thelastsectionshouldbeabout115mm.StartwhereLineA intersectsLineC.Going rightaroundLineC,makeamarkatevery145mm.Thelastsectionshouldbeabout115mm.Markeachlineusingastraightedge.Cut along these lines, using the jigsaw, so that you have fourstripsof145mmandonestripabout115mm.Takeeachstripandplacethemwiththeinsideofthepipefacingdown.Makeamarkatoneendofeachstrip115mmfromtheleftedge.Makeamarkat theotherendofeachstrip30mm from the leftedge.Markandcuttheselines,usingthejigsaw.Placeeachbladewiththeinsideofthepipefacingdown.Makeamarkalongtheangledlineoftheblade,3inchesfromthe

wideend.Makeanothermarkon thewideendof theblade,one inch fromthestraightedge.Connectthesetwomarksandcutalongtheline.Thispreventsthebladesfrominterferingwiththeothers’wind.

SandingtheBladesYou should sand the blades to achieve the desired airfoil. This willincreasetheefficiencyoftheblades,aswellasmakethemquieter.Theangled (leading) edge wants to be rounded, while the straight (tailing)edgewantstobepointed.Anysharpcornersshouldbeslightlyroundedtocutdownonnoise.

Step2:HubandMount

CuttingTail

Theexactdimensionsof the tailarenot impobalortant.Youwantaboutonesquarefootof lightweightmaterial,preferablymetal.Youcanmakethetailanyshapeyouwant,solongastheendresultisstiffratherthanfloppy.

DrillingHolesinSquareTubing:Usingthe5/16”drillbit

Placethemotoronthefrontendofthesquaretubing,sothatthehubparthangsovertheedgeandtheboltholesofthemotorfacedown.Rollthemotorbacksoyoucanseetheboltholes,andmarktheirpositiononthesquaretubing.Drill a 5/16” hole at each mark all the way through the squaretubing.

FloorFlangeHolesThiswillbedealtwith in theassemblysectionof thismanual,as theseholesarewhatdeterminethebalance.

DrillingHolesinBlades:Usingthe¼”drillbit

Mark two holes at the wide end and along the straight edge ofeachof the threeblades.The firstholeshouldbe3/8ofan inchfrom the straight edge and 3/8 of an inch from the bottom. Thesecondholeshouldbe3/8ofan inch fromthestraightedgeand1¼inchesfromthebottom.Drillthesesixholes.

DrillingandTappingHolesinHub:Usingthe7/32”drillbitand¼”tap

The treadmillmotor comeswith the hubattached.To take it off,holdtheendoftheshaft(whichcomesthroughthehub)firmlywithpliers,and turn thehubclockwise.Thishubunscrewsclockwise,whichiswhythebladesturncounterclockwise.

5.6.7.

Makeatemplateofthehubonapieceofpaper,usingacompassandprotractor.Markthreeholes,eachofwhichis2³⁄8 inchesfromthecenterofthecircleandequidistantfromeachother.Placethistemplateoverthehubandpunchastarterholethroughthepaperandontothehubateachhole.Drilltheseholeswiththe7/32”drillbit.Taptheholeswiththe¼”×20tap.Bolt thebladesontothehubusingthe¼”bolts.Atthispoint, theouterholeshavenotbeendrilled.

Measurethedistancebetweenthestraightedgeofthetipsofeachblade. Adjust them so that they are all equidistant. Mark andpuncheachholeonthehubthroughtheemptyholeineachblade.Labelthebladesandhubsothatyoucanmatchwhichbladegoeswhereatalaterstage.Removethebladesandthendrillandtaptheseouterthreeholes.

MakingaProtectiveSleevefortheMotor

Drawtwostraightlines,about¾”apart,alongthelengthofthe3”by11”PVCpipe.Cutalongtheselines.Makea45-degreecutattheendofthepipe.Placeneedlenosepliersinsidethestripthathasbeencutout,and

prythepipeapart.MakingsuretheboltholesofthemotorarecenteredinthemiddleofthemissingstripofPVCpipe,pushthemotorintothepipe.Anextrapersonwillmakethisaloteasier.

Step3:AssemblyPlacethemotorontopofthesquaretubingandboltitin,usingthetwo5/16”by13/4”bolts.Place thediodeon thesquare tubing,about2 inchesbehind themotor, and screw it into position using the self-tapping metalscrew.Connect the black wire coming out of the motor to the positiveincomingterminalofthediode(labeledAConthepositiveside).Connect the red wire coming out of the motor to the negativeincomingterminalofthediode(labeledAConthenegativeside).Centerthetailoverthesquaretubingatthebackend.Clampyourtailontothesideofthesquaretubing.Usingtwoself-tappingscrews,screwthetailinplace.Placeeachbladeon thehubso thatall theholes lineup.Usingthe¼”boltsandwashers,boltthebladestothehub.Fortheinnerthree holes, use twowashers per bolt, one on each side of theblade.For theouter threeholes, justuseonewashernext to theheadofthebolt.Tighten.

Hold theendof theshaftof themotor (whichcomes through thehub) firmlywith pliers, and turn the hub counterclockwise until ittightensandstops.Screwthenippletightlyintothefloorflangeusingapipewrench.Clampthenippleinavicesothatthefloorflangeisfacingupandlevel.Placethesquaretubing(andeverythingthatisonit)ontopofthefloorflangeandmoveitsothatitisperfectlybalanced.Through the holes of the floor flange,mark the square tubingatthepointofbalance.Drillthesetwoholesusinga5/32”drillbit.Youwillprobablyhavetotakeoffthehubandtailtodothis.Attach thesquare tubing to the floor flangewith twosheetmetalscrews.Foralongerlifespanofyourwindgenerator,youshouldpainttheblades,motorsleeve,mount,andtail.

Step4:AdditionalInformation

UseofChispitoWindGeneratorYouwillneedatower,wire,ammeter,chargecontroller/regulator,andabatterybankforyourChispitoWindGenerator.

The tower is one of the most important components in your windgenerator system. Itmust be strong, stable, easily raised and lowered,and well anchored. The higher your tower is, the more wind yourgeneratorwillbeexposedto.Guywiresmustbeplacedatleastevery18feetoftowerheight.Guywiresmustbeanchoredtothegroundatleast50percentoftheheightawayfromthebase.

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HowtoBuildaThermoelectricLamp

Byscraptopower(www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-a-thermoelectric-lamp/)

The thermoelectric lamp generates electricity off the temperaturedifferencebetween thehot candleand the cool heat sink.Thiswecanusetopowersmalldevices,likearadioorverybrightLEDs.YoumaybeabletochargeanMP3playeroffofit,too!

Here’sWhatYou’llNeedA thermoelectric peltier chip, the bigger the better; I used a 100Wversion.A large heat sink; I used a dell one with heat pipes. The successdependsonthisheatsink,sogetthebestyoucan!Anemergencyphonecharger(wearegoingtostealthejoulethiefoutofit).Asmallamountofrockwoolinsulation;smallamountsavailablefromgardencenters.A small tin can with a lip around the top. (Heinz beans will do.) ACokecan.ThermalheatcompoundSomeheavydutyfoil,about30×30cmAfootofthickcopperorsteelwireforthehandle.(2)25mmlongM6Bolts(4)40mmlongM5Bolts(1)50mmlongM5Bolt

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The bolts don’t need to be any exact size, just use whatever isavailable;almostanywillwork.

ToolsYou’llneedTinsnipsSolderingironPliers(withcutters)DrillbitsSandpaperM6tapforcuttingthethreads.Thisisnotessentialasyoucouldjustuseanordinarynut,butit’sneater.Drill(drillpressmakeslifeeasier...)Glueorgluegun

Step1:DrilltheHolesintheCanandFittheFeetandCentralAdjustmentYoucanseethatIhavedrilledfiveholesinthebottomofthecan.Theseareforthefeetandcandleheightadjustment.I fittedlittlerubberfeettothem;thisisnotessential.

Step2:TightenThemAllUpandGluetheCentralNutinPlaceOnceyou’vetightenedallofthefeetup,youneedtogluethecentralnutinplace.

You can see I’ve added a cardboard shim inside of the can. Thisbecause the Coke can is slightly too small for the tin can. The shimprevents it fromtippingslightlywhen thecandleheight isadjusted.Thecardboardonlyneedstobeabout25mmhigh.

Step3:CuttheCandleDoor

Nextyouneedtocut thehole for thecandle in thesideof thecan; thisshouldbearound30to35mmbyabout50mmlong.Istartedbydrillingasmallholeandworkedfromthereusingthetinsnips.Afterthisyoucandrill theventilationholesall thewayaroundthetopofthecan.Iuseda3mmdrillbitforthis.

Make sure you sand all the edges so you can’t cut yourself on themetal!

Step4:CuttheCokeCantoSizeNowcuttheCokecantoabouthalfofftheheightofthetincan.Youcansee in the photo I am testing the height of the flame;wewant it to bearound6mmawayfromtherulerwithanewcandle.You’llprobablyhavetomakeafewadjustmentstogetthisright.

Step5:FitSomeRockWooltotheCokeCanNext turn theCokecanoverandfill itwithrockwool insulation.Pokeaspaceinthemiddlewithapenorsomethingsimilarforthebolttogointo.

Step6:TestiftheCokeCanFitsintheTinCanNowyoucanfitthecokecaninplace.Youcanseealittledimpleinthemiddle; this is because the coke canwas forced down to give the boltsomething to rest on. The coke can might not fit perfectly on the boltbecauseof the insulation,youmightneed towiggle itaboutabit.Testthemovementtomakesureyoucanadjusttheheightsmoothly.

Step7:FittheHandleNext,youcanformthehandleforcarryingthedevice.Iusedsomethickcopper wire as a handle because it matches the heat sink pipes. Youneedtobendthehandlebackthroughtheholestopreventitfromturning(seethephoto).Thisstopsthedevicerotatingupsidedownwhenyouarecarryingit(theheatsinkistheheaviestpart).

Step8:DrilltheHeatSinkforthePeltierHolderNowwecanworkontheheatsink.HereIhavedrilledtwoholestomountthe peltier. You can either tap the holes or use a locknut on the otherside.The twoholesneed tobesetso that thebolts fit insideof the tincan; this keeps thepeltier in the rightposition. I havealsocleaned the

heatsink,soitwillbereadyforthethermalcompound.

Step9:CutthePeltierHoldertoSizeNextyoucanmakethecoverforthepeltier.It’seasiertocutthesquareoutwiththispartstillattachedtothecan—cutthesquareandthenuseacanopenertoremovethebottom.Markaroundthepeltierwithamarkerorascribeanddrillaholeinthecenter.Workoutfromthisusingthetinsnipstomakethesquare.Thesquareneedstobeslightlysmaller thanthepeltierchipsothatitgripsit.Markthetwoholesthesameasontheheat sinkanddrill them for thecorrect size. Imade thecutout slightlyroundsoIwouldn’tcutthroughthestrengtheningribsonthetinlid.

Step10:ApplyThermalCompound

Step10:ApplyThermalCompoundNowyoucanapplythethermalcompoundtotheheatsink.Makesureitis clean and spread the compound over the contact area. Note: Thethermalcompoundonlyneeds tobeavery fine layer,nota thickpastelikeIhavedonehere.Thereisalittletoomuchthermalcompoundinthephoto.

Step11:FitthePeltierNowyoucanfitthepeltiertotheheatsink.Pressitdownintothethermalcompoundandwiggletosmoothoutthecompound.Youcanseethatthepeltier isverydirty fromsoot, this is frommytesting.Thesidethat is incontact with the heat sink must be clean though. When you use thedevice, try and avoid getting soot on the peltier as it blocks the heattransfer.Usethecandleheightadjustmenttogetthisright.

Step12:InsulatethePeltierNowyouneedtomakeathermalinsulatorforbetweentheheatsinkandthefiretin.Cutasquareoutofthefoilthesamesizeasthepeltierchipandfitthisoverthepeltier.Fillaroundthesideswith5mmthickstripsofrockwool.Foldthefoiloverandyoushouldendupwithsomethinglikeinthepicture.Don’tworryifitistoothick,astheboltswillcompressitwhentightened.

Step13:CutanAluminumPatchforthePeltierNowcutasquareofaluminum thesamesizeas thepeltierchip.Sandthepatchwith finepaper to remove thepaint.Apply thermalcompound(thesameasinstep10)andgentlyplaceitoverthepeltierreadyforstep14.

I ended up replacing the steel and aluminum plate with a thickaluminumplatetohelpkeepthetemperaturesteady.SeethephotosforhowImadeit.

Step14:BoltthePeltierDownNowyoucanbolt thepeltierdown.You’llneed topunchsomeholes intherockwoolinsulatorforthebolts.

Step15:SolderandFittheJouleThiefYoucan remove thebatterypack from theemergencychargerand justusetheplasticendcapwiththecircuitinit.

Firstcheckthepolarityofthewirestomakesurethatyouknowwhichwaytosolderthemon.Youcandothisbyjusttryingthembothwaystoseewhichwayworks.Dothiswiththepeltierheatedbythecandle.You’llneedtosolderthewiresontothejoulethiefandattachthejoulethieftothetincan.Ijustusedhotmeltgluetofixitinplace.Youshouldhavea

nice2.5mmoutputjackwhereyoucanplugthingsin.

Step16:FinishedProductItshouldbefinishednow!Tryvariousloadsintheoutputtoseewhatkindof power you get. Different peltiers will put out different amounts ofpower; it also depends on the temperature difference you manage toachieve. Imanaged to chargemy smallMP3 player, but it didn’t haveenough power to charge my phone. You can see it powering an LEDtorchhere.

Builda60WattSolarPanelByMichaelDavis(mdavid19)

(www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-60-Watt-Solar-Panel/)

Several years ago I bought some remote property in Arizona. I am anastronomerandwantedaplacetopracticemyhobbyfarawayfromtheterrible light pollution foundnear citiesof any real size. I foundagreatpieceofproperty.Theproblemis,it’ssoremotethatthereisnoelectricityavailable. That’s not really a problem. No electricity equals no lightpollution. However, it would be nice to have at least a little electricity,sincesomuchoflifeinthetwenty-firstcenturyisdependentonit.

Ibuiltawind turbine toprovidesomepoweron the remoteproperty(willbeanotherInstructableinthefuture).Itworksgreat,whenthewindblows.However,Iwantedmorepowerandmoredependablepower.Thewind seems to blow all the time onmy property, except when I reallyneed it to. I do get well over 300 sunny days a year on the propertythough,sosolarpowerseemedliketheobviouschoicetosupplementthewindturbine.Solarpanelsareveryexpensivethough.SoIdecidedtotrymyhandatbuildingmyown.Iusedcommontoolsandinexpensiveandeasy to acquirematerials to build a solar panel that rivals commercialpanels in power production, but completely blows them away in price.Readonforstep-by-stepinstructionsonhowIdidit.

Step1:BuySomeSolarCellsIboughtacoupleofbricksof3×6mono-crystallinesolarcells.Ittakesatotalof36ofthesetypesolarcellswiredinseriestomakeapanel.Eachcell produces about ½ volt. Thirty-six in a series would give about 18volts,whichwouldbegoodforcharging12voltbatteries.(Yes,youreallyneedthathighavoltagetoeffectivelycharge12voltbatteries.)Thistypeofsolarcell isasthinaspaperandasbrittleandfragileasglass.Theyareveryeasilydamaged.TheeBaysellerofthecellsIpurchaseddippedstacks of 18 in wax to stabilize them andmake it easier to ship themwithoutdamagingthem.Thewaxisquiteapaintoremovethough.Ifyoucan,findcellsforsalethataren’tdippedinwax.Keepinmindthoughthattheymaysuffersomemoredamage inshipping.Notice that thesecellshavemetal tabs on them. You want cells with tabs on them. You arealreadygoingtohavetodoalotofsolderingtobuildapanelfromtabbedsolarcells.Ifyoubuycellswithouttabs,itwillatleastdoubletheamountofsolderingyouhavetodo.Sopayextrafortabbedcells.

Ialsoboughtacoupleoflotsofcellsthatweren’tdippedinwaxfromanother eBay seller. These cells came packed in a plastic box. Theyrattled around in the box and got a little chipped up on the edges andcorners.Minorchipsdon’treallymattertoomuch.Theywon’treducethecell’soutputenoughtoworryabout.Theseareallblemishedandfactorysecondsanyway.Themainreasonsolarcellsgetrejectedisforchips.So

what’sanotherchipor two?All together Iboughtenoughcells tomaketwo panels. I knew I’d probably break or otherwise ruin at least a fewduringconstruction,soIboughtextras.

Step2:BuildtheBoxSowhatisasolarpanelanyway?Itisbasicallyaboxthatholdsanarrayofsolarcells.So Istartedoutbybuildingmyselfashallowbox. Imadethebox shallowso the sideswon’t shade the solar cellswhen the suncomesatanangle.Itismadeof3/8”-thickplywoodwith3/4×3/4piecesofwoodaroundtheedges.Thepiecesaregluedandscrewedinplace.Thispanelwillhold363×6inchsolarcells.Idecidedtomaketwosub-panelsof18cellseachjustsomakeiteasiertoassemble.IknewIwould

be working at my kitchen table when I would be soldering the cellstogether,andwouldhavelimitedworkspace.Sothereisacenterdivideracrossthemiddleofthebox.Eachsub-panelwill fit intoonewell inthemainpanel.Thesecondphotoismysortofbackoftheenvelopesketchshowingtheoveralldimensionsofthesolarpanel.Alldimensionsareininches(sorryyoufansofthemetricsystem).Thesidepiecesare3/4by3/4andgoallthewayaroundtheedgesoftheplywoodsubstrate.Alsoapiecegoesacrossthecentertodividethepanelintotwosub-panels.Thisis just the way I chose to do it. There is nothing critical about thesedimensions,oreventheoveralldesign.

Step3:FinishingtheBoxHereisaclose-upshowingonehalfofthemainpanel.Thiswellwillhold

one18-cell sub-panel.Notice the little holes drilled in the edges of thewell.Thiswillbethebottomofthepanel(itisupsidedowninthephoto).Theseareventholestokeeptheairpressureinsidethepanelequalizedwiththeoutside,andtoletmoistureescape.Theseholesmustbeonthebottomof thepanelor rainanddewwill run inside.Theremustalsobeventholesinthecenterdividerbetweenthetwosubpanels.Afterusingthepanelforawhile,Inowrecommendthattheventholesbeincreasedtoatleast¼”indiameter.Also,tokeepdustandcrittersoutofthepanel,stuff a little fiberglass insulation in the holes in the bottom rail of thepanel.Theinsulationisnotneededintheholesinthecenterdivider.

Next I cut two pieces ofMasonite peg board to fit inside thewells.Thesepiecesofpegboardwillbethesubstratesthateachsub-panelwillbebuilton.Theywerecuttobealoosefitinthewells.Youdon’thavetousepegboardforthis.Ijusthappenedtohavesomeonhand.Justaboutany thin, rigidandnon-conductingmaterial shouldwork.Toprotect thesolarcellsfromtheweather,thepanelwillhaveaPlexiglasfront.Inthethirdpicture,twopiecesofscrapPlexiglashavebeencuttofitthefrontofthepanel.Ididn’thaveonepiecebigenoughtodothewholething.Glasscould also be used for this, but glass is fragile. Hail stones and flyingdebristhatwouldshatterglasswilljustbounceoffthePlexi.Nowyoucanstarttoseewhatthefinishedpanelwilllooklike.

Step4:PainttheBoxNext I gaveall thewoodenpartsof thepanel several coatsof paint toprotectthemfrommoistureandtheweather.Theboxwaspaintedinside

andout.ThetypeofpaintandcolorwasscientificallychosenbyshakingallthepaintcansIhadlayingaroundinmygarageandchoosingtheonethat felt like ithadenough left in it todo thewhole job.Thepegboardpieceswerealsopainted.Theygotseveralcoatsonbothsides.Besuretopaintthemonbothsidesortheywillwarpwhenexposedtomoisture.Warpingcoulddamagethesolarcellsthatwillbegluedtothem.

Step5:PreparetheSolarCellsNowthatIhadthestructureofthepanelfinished, itwastimetogetthesolarcells ready.As Isaidabove,getting thewaxoff thecells isarealpain.After some trial anderror, I cameupwithaway thatworks fairlywell.Still,Iwouldrecommendbuyingfromsomeonewhodoesn’tdiptheir

cells inwax.Thisphotoshows thecompletesetup Iused.MygirlfriendaskedwhatIwascooking. ImaginehersurprisewhenIsaidsolarcells.The initialhotwaterbathformeltingthewax is in theright-rear.Ontheleft-front isabathofhotsoapywater.Ontheright-front isabathofhotclean water. All the pots are at just below boiling temperature. ThesequenceIusedwastomeltthebricksapartinthehotwaterbathontheright-rear.I’dteasethecellsapartandtransferthemoneatatimetothesoapywaterbathon the left-front to removeanywaxon thecell.Thenthecellwouldbegivenarinse in thehotcleanwateron theright-front.Thecellswouldthenbesetouttodryonatowel.Youshouldchangethewaterfrequentlyinthesoapyandrinsewaterbaths.Don’tpourthewaterdown the sink though, because thewaxwill solidify in your drains andclogthemup.Dumpthewateroutside.Thisprocessremovedalmostallthewaxfromthecells.Thereisstillaverylightfilmonsomeofthecells,butitdoesn’tseemtointerferewithsolderingortheworkingofthecells.Don’t let thewaterboil inanyof thepansor thebubbleswill jostle thecellsagainsteachotherviolently.Also,boilingwatermaybehotenoughto loosen the electrical connections on the cells. I also recommendputtingthebrickofcellsinthewatercold,andthenslowlyheatingituptojustbelowboilingtemperaturetoavoidharshthermalshockstothecells.Plastictongsandspatulascomeinhandyforteasingthecellsapartoncethewaxmelts.Trynottopulltoohardonthemetaltabsortheymayripoff.Ifoundthatoutthehardwaywhiletryingtoseparatethecells.GoodthingIboughtextras.

Step6:SoldertheSolarCellsTogetherI started out by drawing a grid pattern on each of the two pieces ofpegboard, lightly inpencil, so Iwouldknowwhereeachof the18cellswould be located. Then I laid out the cells on that grid pattern upside-down so I could solder them together. All 18 cells on each half panelneedtobesolderedtogetherinseries,andthenbothhalfpanelsneedtobe connected in series to get the desired voltage. Soldering the cellstogetherwastrickyatfirst,butIgotthehangofitfairlyquickly.Startoutwithjusttwocellsupside-down.Laythesoldertabsfromthefrontofonecellacrossthesolderpointsonthebackoftheothercell.Imadesurethespacingbetweenthecellsmatchedthegridpattern.IcontinuedthisuntilIhad a line of six cells soldered together. I then soldered tabs from

scrappedsolarcellstothesolderpointsonthelastcellinthestring.ThenImade twomore lines of six cells. I useda low-wattage soldering ironandfinerosin-coresolder.Ialsousedarosinpenonthesolderpointsonthebackof the cells before soldering.Usea really light touchwith thesolderingiron.Thecellsarethinanddelicate.Ifyoupushtoohard,youwillbreakthecells. Igotcarelessacoupleof timesandhadtoscrapacoupleofcells.

Step7:GlueDowntheSolarCellsGluingthecellsinplaceprovedtobealittletricky.Iplacedasmallblobofclearsiliconecaulkinthecenterofeachcellinasix-cellstring.ThenI

flipped thestringoverandset inplaceon thepencil linegrid Ihad laidoutearlier. Ipressedlightly inthecenterofeachcell toget it tosticktothepegboardpanel.Flipping the floppystringof cells is tricky.Anothersetofhandsmaybeusefulinduringthisstep.Don’tusetoomuchglue,anddon’tgluethecellsanywherebutattheircenters.Thecellsandthepanel they are mounted on will expand, contract, flex, and warp withchanges in temperatureandhumidity. Ifyouglue thecells too tightly tothesubstrate,theywillcrackintime.Gluingthematonlyonepointinthecenter allows the cells to float freely on top of the substrate. Both canexpandandflexmoreorlessindependently,andthedelicatesolarcellswon’t crack.Next time I will do it differently. I will solder tabs onto thebacks of all the solar cells. Then I will glue all the cells down in theirproper places. Then I will solder the tabs together. It seems like theobviousway togo tomenow,but I had todo it thehardwayonce tofigureitout.Hereisonehalfpanel,finallyfinished.

Step8:InterconnecttheStringsofSolarCellsandTesttheHalfPanelHereIusedcopperbraidtointerconnectfirstandsecondstringsofcells.You could use solar cell tabbing material or even regular wire. I justhappened to have the braid on hand. There is another similarinterconnectionbetweenthesecondandthirdstringsattheoppositeendof the board. I used blobs of silicone caulk to anchor the braid andprevent it from flopping around. The second photo shows a test of thefirst half panel outside in the sun. Inweak sun through clouds the halfpanel is producing 9.31 volts. It works! Now all I had to do is buildanotherone just like it.OnceIhadtwohalfpanelscomplete, I installedthemintheirplacesinthemainpanelframeandwiredthemtogether.

Step9:InstalltheHalfPanelsintheBoxEachofthehalfpanelsdroppedrightintotheirplacesinthemainpanelframe.Iusedfoursmallscrews(likethesilveroneinthephoto)toanchoreachofthehalfpanelsinplace.

Step10:InterconnecttheTwoHalfPanelsWirestoconnectthetwohalfpanelstogetherwererunthroughtheventholes in thecentraldivider.Again,blobsof siliconecaulkwereused toanchorthewireinplaceandpreventitfromfloppingaround.

Step11:InstalltheBlockingDiodeEach solar panel in a solar power system needs a blocking diode inserieswithittopreventthepanelfromdischargingyourbatteriesatnightorduringcloudyweather.IusedaSchottkydiodewitha3.3ampcurrentrating. Schottky diodes have a much lower forward voltage drop thanordinary rectifier diodes, so less power is wasted. Every watt countswhenyouareoff-grid.Igotapackageof2531DQ03Schottkydiodeson

eBayforonlyafewbucks.SoIhaveenoughleftoversforlotsmoresolarpanels

Myoriginalplanwastomountthediodeinlinewiththepositivewireoutsidethepanel.Afterlookingatthespec-sheetforthediodethough,Idecided tomount it insidesince the forwardvoltagedropgets lowerasthetemperaturerises.Itwillbewarmerinsidethepanelandthediodewillworkmoreefficiently.Moresiliconecaulkwasusedtoanchorthediodeandwires.

Step12:RunWiresOutsideandPutonthePlexiglasCoversIdrilledaholeinthebackofthepanelnearthetopforthewirestoexit.Iputaknot in thewires forstrain reliefandanchored them inplacewithyetmoreofthesiliconecaulk.

ItisimportanttoletallthesiliconecaulkcurewellbeforescrewingthePlexiglascoversinplace.IhavefoundthroughpastexperiencethatthefumesfromthecaulkmayleaveafilmontheinsideofthePlexiglasandonthecellsifitisn’tallowedtothoroughlycureintheopenairbeforeyouscrewonthecovers.

Andstillmoresiliconecaulkwasusedtosealtheoutsideofthepanelwherethewiresexit.

Step13:AddaPlugIaddedapolarizedtwo-pinJonesplugtotheendof thepanelwires.AmatingfemaleplugwillbewiredintothechargecontrollerIusewithmyhome-built wind turbine so the solar panel can supplement its powerproductionandbattery-chargingcapacity.

Step14:TheCompletedPanelHereisthecompletedpanelwiththePlexiglascoversscrewedintoplace.It isn’tsealedshutyetat thispoint. Iwanted towaituntilafter testing itbecausewasworriedthatImighthavetogetbackinsideitiftherewereproblems.Sureenough,atabpoppedoffoneofthecells.Maybeitwasdue to thermalstressesorshock fromhandling.Whoknows? Iopenedupthepanelandreplacedthatonecell. Ihaven’thadanymoretroublesince.Iwillprobablysealthepanelwitheitherabeadofsiliconecaulk,oraluminumACducttapewrappedaroundtheedges.

Step15:TestingtheSolarPanelThefirstphotoshowsthevoltageoutputofthecompletedpanelinbrightwinter sunlight.Mymeter says 18.88 voltswith no load. That’s exactlywhat I was aiming for. In the second photo I am testing the currentcapacityofthepanel,againinbrightwintersunlight.Mymetersays3.05ampsshortcircuitcurrent.Thatisrightaboutwhatthecellsareratedfor.Sothepanelisworkingverywell.

Step16:UsingtheSolarPanel

Here is a photo of the solar panel in action, providing much neededpoweronmy remoteArizonaproperty. I usedanoldextension cord tobring the power from the panel located in a sunny clearing over tomycampsiteunderthetrees.IcuttheoriginalendsoffthecordandinstalledJones plugs. You could stick with the original 120V connectors, but Iwanted to make sure there was absolutely no chance of accidentallypluggingthelow-voltageDCequipmentinto120VAC.Ihavetomovethepanelseveraltimeseachdaytokeepitpointedatthesun,butthatisn’treally a big hardship.Maybe someday I will build a tracking system toautomaticallykeepitaimedatthesun.

Step17:CountingtheCostSohowmuchdidall thiscost tobuild?Well, Isavedall thereceiptsforeverything I bought related to this project. Also, my workshop is wellstockedwithallsortsofbuildingsuppliesandhardware.Ialsohavealotofusefulscrappiecesofwood,wire,andallsortsofmiscellaneousstuff(somewouldsayjunk)layingaroundtheshop.SoIhadalotofstuffonhandalready.Yourmileagemayvary.

Part: Origin: Cost:

Solarcells eBay $74.00*

Misc.lumber HomeCenterStore $20.62

Plexiglas ScrapPile $0.00

Screwsandmisc.hardware Alreadyonhand $0.00

Siliconecaulk HomeCenterStore $3.95

Wire Alreadyonhand $0.00

Diode eBay $0.20+

Jonesplug NewarkElectronics $6.08

Paint Alreadyonhand $0.00

Total:$104.85Not toobad!That’sa fractionofwhatacommerciallymadesolarpanelwithacomparablepoweroutputwouldcost,and itwaseasy. Ialreadyhaveplanstobuildmorepanelstoaddtothecapacityofmysystem.

I actually bought four lots of 18 solar cells on eBay. This pricerepresentsonly the two lots thatwent intobuilding thispanel.Also, theprice of factory second solar cells on eBay has gone up quite a lotrecentlyasoilpriceshaveskyrocketed.

Thispricerepresentsoneoutofa lotof25diodesIboughtoneBay

for$5.00.

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•••••

SolarPowerSystemByMr.Chicken

(www.instructables.com/id/Solar-Power-System/)

This Instructable will show you everything you need to put together aprettygoodsizedelectricsolarpanelsystem.

Thingsyouwillneed:

Suppliessolarpanelschargecontrollerbatterycharger2AWGcableatleastone12voltmarinedeepcyclebatterymechanicallugs1powerinverter1Rubbermaidtoteorothercontainer1batterycharger

ToolscablecuttersredelectricaltapescrewdriverdrillcrescentwrenchGathersuppliesandlet’sgetstarted.

Step1:PreparingtheBatteries

Step1:PreparingtheBatteriesThefirstthingyouwanttodoischargeyourbatterieswithacharger.Thiswill insure they are charged to capacity and ready to go at set up. Ipurchased my batteries new and they were only at about 60 percent.Whilethebatteriesarecharging,youcansetupthesolarpanelsandgetthemwiredupandreadytogo.

Step2:PlaceBatteriesinContainerOnce the batteries are fully charged, place them in the container andmakesureallthepositive(+)terminalsareononesideandnegative(-)ontheother.Once inplace,measurefromterminal to terminal tomakethejumpers.

Step3:CreatingtheJumpersNext,wewanttoconnectthebatteriesinparallel.Todothis,makesomejumpersoutof2AWGcable.Note:Makesure tosizeyour jumpers foryoursystem. Ifyouwant tousea larger inverteryouwillneed tousealarger cable.1200watts/12volts5100amps.Dependingonwhereyoulook,2AWGcableisgoodforaround100amps.Ifyouwanttorunsay,a2400 watt inverter, you should use two cables per jumper. Measurebetweenterminalsandcutthecabletolength.Thenaddthemechanicallugs.Since thebattery terminalswereabitbigger than theholes in thelugsIbought,Idrilledthemouttofit.

Step4:PreparingtheLid

Step4:PreparingtheLidNow,addsomeholesinthelidtorunthewiresforthechargecontrollerandtheinverter.Iwantedthechargecontrolleroutsidesoitwasvisible.Youcouldjustaseasilyputit insidethecontainerforamoreconcealedlook.

Step5:ConnectingtheChargeControllerandInvertertotheBatteriesNextweconnect thechargecontrollerand the inverter to thebatteries.You will want to make sure the inverter is turned off and the chargecontrollerisnotconnectedtothesolarpanelsyet.

Step6:FinalSetUpandTest

Step6:FinalSetUpandTestIt should all be wired together. All that is left is to connect the chargecontroller to thesolarpanelsand turn the inverteronandcheck toseethatitworks.

••••••

Step7:SomeFinalThoughtsI originally made this set up as a backup power source for when thepowerwentout.But,IthinkIwilluseitmoreoftenthanthat.Idon’tthinkthe solar panels are powerful enough to charge the batteries afterdepletingthemeveryday.Iwilluseitforafewdaysandupdatehowwellthe system charges with constant use. I originally tested out a singlebatteryandwasable to runa lampandmy laptop forabout fivehoursbeforeIfinallyshutitoff.Thegoodthingaboutthisinverterisitwillshutoff automatically if the voltage drops too low to prevent depleting thebatteries.I’mprettyconfidentthatwiththethreebatteriesIwillbeabletopower larger items foranextendedperiodof time.Also, this isaprettyexpensivesetup,about$650.

My costs (without tax or shipping charges) andwhere I got things:Solar panels—$250 (used from craigslist) Marine batteries—$240 (forthreefromWal-Mart)2AWGCables—$5(forabout2feetfromLowe’s)Lugs—$8(foreightfromLowe’s)1200Winverter—$130(Amazon.com)I had the Rubbermaid container and battery charger, and the chargecontrollercamewiththesolarpanels.

Idon’t think itunrealistic tospendaround$700orso,possiblymoredependingonhowyousetyoursystemup.DependingonhowthisworksIwillmostlikelyupgradetosomebettersolarpanels,increasethesolarpanelarraysize,andgetsomemorebatteries.

HowtoMakePVSolarPanelsByviron

(www.instructables.com/id/How-to-MAKE-PV-Solar-Panels/)

This isnot “How toMakePVSolarCells”. It is possible tohome-makeCopper Oxide and other kinds of materials, but that is a whole otherstory,whichImaydointhefuture.ItmightbealittleambitioustoexplainhowImadePVsolarpanelsoutofvarioustypesofcells,howandwhereI obtained those cells inexpensively, the differences in various kinds ofcells,andhowtoworkwiththemtogetfreeelectricityfromthesunandother sources of light. In essence, this involves ways to connect cells,whichmay producemore or less than one volt. Also, you are not onlytrying to increase power output but also decrease the load; that is,efficiently conserve the energy whether it is meager or significant. Forexample, even the weakest solar panels can run watches, calculators,and radios, charge batteries, and, if it were specifically designed to,power a computer as it would a calculator. Here are some pictures ofSolarPanelsthatIhaveconstructed.

SuppliesandSourcesWhatyoumaybeabletousetobuildausefulsolarpanel:“Broken”solarcells.Theyareverycheapandtheywork,theyarejustrandomlyshaped.Theyareusuallycrystallinesiliconones,whichalwayslookbrokenevenwhentheyarenot.

Surplussolarcells:Amorphoussiliconprintedonglassareexcellent,usuallyproducingmore thana volt, andmuchsturdier than the thinonesthatbreakinbulkquantities.Ifthesebreak,theyusuallycanbefixed.

••••••••

IndiumCopperSelenideCells:Theseare“new”andareconvenientlysoldasglasstileswitheasytosoldertabs.

Anyoftheabove,soldascellspreparedforassemblyintopanels;inotherwords,completeandsolder-readyorwithwiresandtabs.(Iwillexplain how to prepare inferior quality cells in this Instructable.)Miscellaneousitems:wire glue—There is already another Instructable for usingwire glueonbrokensolarcells.brass extrusions bracket |_| shaped—Convenient for connecting toglasscells.soldersoldering iron—lowwattage small flat-head screwdriver thin (around20AWGorless)strandedcopperwirelampcordorspeakerwirealligatorclipsdeep picture frames or shadow boxes—look for imported frames atthe El Cheapo store and pray a machine made them

••

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••

acrylic/Lexan/Plexiglas/etc.clearpolymersheets routerorDremel tocutout themiddleofoneoutof threesheetsRTV(SiliconeGlue)orhigh temperaturehotmeltglue (Caution—youdon’twant thesun tomeltit!)Rectifierdiodesuchas1N4001or1N4004voltage doubler or multiplier circuits (you can make) to increasevoltageoutput—examples:ICL7660,MAX1044,MAX232,etc.widestickytapedoublestickyfoamtaperechargeablenickelbatteriesgel cellsor carbattery (youhaveone,might aswell use it until it’s useless)—Li-Ionarenot recommendedbecausetheyarehardertochargeanalogvoltmeter(onlybecauseitdoesn’t need batteries like a digital one) AC inverter—if you arechargingapowerful batteryandwouldoccasionally runsomemain-powered appliances. Some UPSs can be easily modified to beinverters,iftheycanbeturnedonafterapowerfailure.Sources:BrokenSolarCells:HerbachandRademanSiliconSolarElectronicGoldmineGlass(Amorphous)SolarCells:ElectronicGoldmineNote:Otherstoreslistedmayalsosupplyglasssolarcells.IndiumCopperSelenideCells.AllElectronicsEdmundScientificElectronicGoldmine

OthersourcesCheapweatherdamagedsolarpoweredoutdoornight lights—(commonfailuresarecircuitcorrosionanddefectivebatteries,not thesolarcells).Defectivesolarcalculators,solarchargedflashlights,etc.

PerhapsalittleofftopicFor a reasonably good deal on Complete and Useful Solar Panels Irecommend“SolarCarBatteryChargers”thatareaboutoneortwowattsandbetween$20and$30wheneveranopportunitytogetsomearises.But those are what I am trying to show how to make an approximateequivalentof.

Step1:HowtoUse“Broken”CellsTheyare thecrystallineones thatalways lookbroken,but if they reallyare, then they have not been fully prepared for use. It is an extrachallenge tosolderwiresonto thembut this ishowIdo it:Look for thewidelineonthepieces,andsortoutonesthatonlyhavethinlines.Thethin lineonesmightbeusefulwithwiregluebutare toohard tosolder.Thensortthepieceswithwidelinesbyhowbigtheyare.Theywillallbeabout 0.55 volts, but the larger pieces make more current than thesmaller pieces, and it’s nice to have a panel with consistent current,especially theoneyoumakewith thebiggestpieces.Let’ssavethebigpiecesuntilwelearnwhattodowiththesmallpieces.Stripapartashortlengthofstrandedwireandputthenowloosestrandsinasmallboxjustsoyoucanfindthemandsotheydon’twanderintoanotherprojectandcausea short circuit.Actually, anotheroptionmaybe tousewire-wrapwire insteadofbarestrands, ifyoudon’tmindstrippingtheendofeach

piece.Thebrokencellshaveaverythinconductivelayeronthebluesideandaveryrough,thickeroneontheother.Itwillbemorechallengingtosolderontothemthanonperfectcellsbutthisishow.Firsttheblueside...

Step2:PreparingBrokenCellsIfyoucansolderontothecellsthentheyarehigherqualitythantheonesIhavesoyoucanskipthesepreparingsteps.Ontheblueside,scratchthe thick linewithaverysmall flatscrewdriverwith justa little forcesothat thecelldoesn’tbreak,and the lineshould turn fromwhite toshinyunless it’s already shinyand ready to solder.Try tomakea little shinycircle. We will solder there. Make the flat edge of the screwdrivercompletely touch the scratchedarea so it rubswide.Mostly pushbackandforthsothattherubbingremovesthethinoxidation.Afterscratchingtheline,turnthecellandscratchthecirclebackandforthagain.Maybeturn it oncemore and scratch it oncemore.Now flip the cell over andnotice the rough stuff on the back. If there appears to be two differentroughnessesor shadesofgrey,wearegoing to scratch in twoplaces.Again,turnthecellandscratchitinoneortwolittlecirclesbypushingtheedgeof thescrewdriverupanddown to remove thecoating thatsolder

won’tstickto.Nowbacktotheblueside.Trytogetasolderballtostick.If it does not stick, and rosin gunks up the area, scrape it off and tryagain,and if itseemshopeless,scrapeanotherpartof thewide lineonthecell.Ididnothavethatproblembecauseofpractice.Nowtrytoputabumpof solder in the twoplacesscratchedon thebottomof thecell. Iwasonlyable togetonebumptostick.Thereareareason thebottomwheresolder justwon’t stick.But if neither spot sticks, try scraping therosin off the spots and soldering again, or carefully scratching anotherspot.Ifyouhaveabumpontheblueside,it’sgoodbutyoucan’tlaythecellflatnow.Thespotthatworkedwasrougherandthickerthantheonethatdidn’t,andthatmeansthere’salotmoresilverthere,andmorelikelyitwill solder.Now thatyouhave twosolderbumps,youcanattach twothinwires,eitherstrandsfromstrandedwireorthinwire-wrapwire.Whatabout thicker wire? It can pull the lines off the cell and then you canforgetaboutsolderingit.Put it inthe“wireglue”bin.Nowthattherearetwowireson thecell, test itwithameter.Thebluesideof thecellwillmakeupto0.55negativevolts,soconnect themeterPLUSto thewireon thesilver-graybottomof thecell.Mycell isn’tgettingmuch lightbutthemeterneedleisindicatingthatitismakingelectricity.

Step3:“Broken”or“Crystalline”CellPanelsIn the laststepImentionedthat theblueside isnegativeandthesilversideispositive.Nowallyouhavetodoissolderyourcellsinseriestoget

morevoltage.Todothatyouonlyneedonemorewireforeachadditionalcellyouadd.Remembereachcellmakesuptohalfavolt,soconsidera12voltpaneltohave24ormorecells.Afewextraisgood.Onereasonforthatisadiodelowersthevoltagejustalittlebit,andanotheristhatit’snicetohave12voltsforchargingbatterieswhenit’snotthesunniesttimeofday.Adiodeisusedwhenthepanelchargesbatteries,sothebatteriesdon’t give any power back to the panel in the dark. That would be awasteoffreepower.Becausethecellsaresofragile,itwouldbegoodtoinstalltheminadeeppictureframe(shadowbox)withdoublestickfoamtapeorRTVglue.Becareful, this ispermanent.Youcouldmakeit lesspermanentwithhot-meltgluealso.At thispointyoudon’tneed to thinkthat the cells are “already broken”, and you will have a well workingpanel. You could hide the shard-shapes with fluorescent lightingdiffractionplasticovertheframedpanelifyoulike.Perhapsyou’veseenashard-cellpaneljustlikethatbeingsoldbefore.

Step4:PreparingGlass(Amorphous)CellsI received a surplus glass cellswith instructions on how to use coppermesh to make a connection to the glass cell. The glass cell was pre-scratched in theareawhere themeshandwiresweresupposed togo.But . . . even with the copper mesh, it didn’t stick. It was doable, butdifficult, andnot verystrong.All thewirespulledoff.Someof youmay

havehadsuccesswithusingcoppermeshsolderedtoscratchedareasofglass cells, but there is an easier way. Perhaps you have abroken/damaged glass cell. Youmay still be able to use it, unless thedamagehasmade theglass transparent, inwhichcase there isseveredamage to thephotovoltaicpartof thecell.One interesting thingaboutthe glass cells: Looking at them, you see lines, just as you may onbroken or crystalline cells, but those lines are not current-collectingconductors. They are gaps between areas of the glass cell that eachmakeabouthalfavolt.So,glasscellscanbeexpectedtohavetwolinesforeveryvoltofoutput.Andtheycanmake6or9or12or20volts.So,wewant to connect the wires to places with themost amount of linesbetween them to get the highest voltage. And out of the wires on thesilver side, of course. Scratch the silver (probably aluminum) near theedges and test the voltage and polarity. I usually use a red wire forpositiveandablackorgreenfornegative.Easyconnectionmethod:Youneedtwobrassextrusions,carefullycutwithaDremel(safetygoggles!),and wires soldered on this side of the extrusions Note: The extrusionmusthaveenoughspaceinsideitfortheglasscelltofit.Theextrusionisthencrushedalittle(beforeputtingitontheglass)sothatitwillbitetheglass with some pressure and make contact with the scratched edge.Slidethecrushedextrusionontotheglass.If it’stoocrusheditwon’tgoon,sopryitopen.Ifit’snotcrushedenoughitfallsoff,socrushitmore.Whenitbites,andthereisvoltageinthelightacrossthetwoextrusions,putstickytapeor justa littleplasticcementovertheextrusiontohelp itstay there. Theglass cell is now ready to use. The long one shown isactuallytwo9-voltonesononeglass,andistheonethatIputextrudedcontactsonbecausethecoppermeshwouldn’tstick.

Step5:PreparingCopperIndiumSelenideCellsTheseare ratherwell preparedalready.Theyhaveeasy tosolder tabsandaremarkedwhichendisnegativewithadashofablackmarker.Theones I got, I mounted in frames and in an acrylic polymer sheetsandwich.Three in series . . . inparallelwith threemore in series . . .makesnice12volts.Ihavebeenadvisedthatthesecellsundergosomekind of reaction if first exposed to full sun with no load for about 15minutes, and that the result is good. I’m told that the result generatesmoreoutputthaniftheyarenottreatedthisway.JustFYI.Ididn’tnoticethedifferencebetweenthepanelthathadpre-sunnedcellsandanotherthatdidn’t.ThecellsareglasstilesthatappeartobemadesimilartotheAmorphous glass, but they aremore efficient and produce around 4.5

volts and 100ma each in full sun, approximately. As they say, yourmileagemayvary.IhavenoadviceforbrokenCIScells.ItisveryeasytoconnectCIScellstogether.Peelbackthetabsalittle,whichpointtoeachotherunderthecell,andstarttopeelbackthestickytapethatholdsiton,justenoughsothatyoucansoldertheminseries.Andwatchthepolarity!Igoofeditupacoupleoftimes.Nodamagedone,butIhadtodoitover.Whensoldering,wet theendsof the tabswithsolder, thenpressdownquickly with a popsicle stick or something to flatten them against thebottomofthecells.Thecellsgotogethernicelyliketiles.Withmoderatecarefulness,youdon’tneed toworrymuchabout ruining themyourself,justdon’t leave themalonewithcuriouspeopleuntilyourpanel isdoneandsafeinsideasolidframe.I’vefastenedthemwithbothRTVsiliconeand double-sticky-foam tape. I prefer the silicone-glued result, with thecelltilesgroutedagainsttheglassfrombehind.(Nosiliconebetweenthecellsandtheframeglass.)DSFT(foamtape)ismorelikelyto(ithas,infact)letgoofacoupleofthecells.Asmentionedbefore,althoughIdon’tknowifit’snecessaryforCIScells,useadiodewhenchargingbatterieswiththepanels.

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Step6:ApplicationsforSmallSolarPanelsThe solar panels I made and pictured generate around 1 or 2 wattsgenerally.ThesearetheapplicationsIusethemfor:Chargingbatteries.In the blackout of 2003, those batteries ran our blackout party, whichincluded black lights, fans (it was a hot day), radio, small TV, and lowvoltage lights. And an AC inverter. (I go to the rechargeable batteryrecycle binswith ameter and if theyarenot really dead then I borrowthemuntiltheyare.Ididn’tbuyanyofthesebatteries.)Solarnightlights—nowadaysaverycommonthingwhereIlive.

Solar powered fans—although my solar panels run computer fansdirectly when it’s hot (the sun makes it hot, and the sun runs thefans!), I notice that solar charged battery powered fans aremuchmorepowerful.SolarflashlightsSolarpoweredradios—includingmyhamradioshack.

Aboutsolar-poweredcomputersIguesspeopledon’t leavetheir laptops in thesun. . . .Myapproachtodesigningasolarpoweredcomputer,(andmydefinitionofcomputerisaprocessor with memory and a keyboard and a screen that runs not-necessarily-an-operating-system) is to use very high resistance CMOSchips,whichuseverylittleelectricity,justlikewatchesandcalculators.Acomputerisalsoacalculatorwithlotsofmemory,andCMOSmemoryisacommonthing!Atnighttime,thecomputerhasnotusedupallitssolarpower so it uses what is stored in the rechargeable battery. There issimplynodemandforthesolarpoweredcomputers,noranyobstacletosolarpoweringaPDAoralaptopwithsimilarlysizedpanels.

DutycyclesIn simple theory, if you get eight hours of sun and need one hour ofpower,youcangetbywithoneeighththesolarpowerbysavingitupinbatteries.Also,ifLEDlightsshouldrunallnight,it’seasytocollectmore

thanenoughsolarpowerduringtheday inbatterieswith therightsizedpanel.

Step7:GettingMorePracticalPowerfromYourPanelItisveryeasytogetafewsolarcellsandputthemtogetherintoapanel,but sometimes it gets expensive to get enough cells tomake a usefulvoltage. If you obtained one or two large cells, youmay have awholewattor two,butonlyavoltor less,andthat’ssad.Not toomanythingsrunonlessthanavolt.Perhapsyougotenoughbigbrokencellstomake6volts,butwouldn’t itbenicetohave12volts?Thenmaybeyoucouldkeepabatterychargedandoccasionallyrunaninverteronit.Inthelaststep Imentionedhowtimecouldbeused tosaveuppower foranothertimewhen itwill be used.And a small panel canmake enough poweroveralongtimetorunabigloadforashorttime.InthisstepIamtalkingabout matching the voltage of the panel, whatever it may be, to thevoltagethatyoufinduseful.Orgenerally,matchingsupplyanddemandinasatisfying,practicalway.Itmaybepossibletodesigna2voltcircuitfora2voltpanel,butunnecessary.Itispossible,onlyusinggermanium

transistorsasfarasIknow,togetanyvoltageoutofabighalf-voltcell,butIdon’tknowamodernway,soI’llleavethatideaalone.Buttherearemany voltage doubler or multiplier circuits that work at slightly highervoltages,andI’vemadeafewpanelsaround6volts,whichI’dliketoget12outof.ThereisavoltagedoublerchipstillavailablecalledICL7660orMAX1044that isveryconvenienttouse.SoIwilluseitasanexample,since I’d ratherhavearoundawattat12volts thanat6volts.There issomethingelseIdidthatwasveryobviousinthepictureforstep1,whereIhad threebrokencellpanelsaround6voltsandput them inseries togetaround18volts...andsincethecellswerelarge,thatarrayhasalotofcurrent.ButifIusejustone6voltpanelandwant12volts,Iusethevoltagedoublerandgettwicethevoltageinexchangeforhalfthecurrent.ACtransformersdothesamething...almostthesamepowergoesoutasgoes in,butatamoreusefulvoltage.Somecircuits thatdo thisarecalled“DCtoDCconverters”.

SolarLawnMower!Bymarsh

(www.instructables.com/id/Solar-Lawn-Mower-1/)

I’vehadbatterypoweredlawnmowersbeforeandtheyarearealpaintokeepcharged.Youhavetoeitherplugtheminortakethebatteryoutandthatsucks.

Thisisonesolutiontotheproblem.Installsolarpanelsonthemowerandjustleaveitparkedinthesuntochargeit.

Here’showIdidit!

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••

ToolsandMaterialsNeeded

Toolssolderingironwirestrippervoltmeterscrewdriverwrenches

Materialsbattery-poweredlawnmower(2)12voltphotovoltaicsolarpanels4generalpurposerectifierdiodesdouble-sticktapenuts,bolts,andwasherssolder

Step1:EvaluatetheLawnmower’sCurrentConditionI had a DR Neuton Mower, but this Toro came up on Freecycle(www.freecycle.org).ItwaswaymoremondothantheDR,soIdecideditwouldbethedonormachine.

ThefirstthingIdidwascheckthebatteries.Theyweretoast,soIhadtobuildanewbatterypack.

I got four replacement batteries at my local electronic supply for$18.00 each. To keep themas a cohesive pack, I applied double-sticktapebetweeneachbattery,justliketheoriginalsetuphad.

Step2:HowtoWireItUp

A photovoltaic (PV) solar cell has a power output recognized in watts.Whenthesunisshining,thepotentialofthePVcellisgreaterthanthatofthebatteries,soenergywillflowfromthePVcellstothebatteries.

Butwhathappenswhenthesungoesdown?Thenthebatterieshaveagreaterpotential.Thatmeansthatifyoudon’ttakestepstopreventit,energy will flow from the batteries to the PV cells. This energy will bewastedasheatemanatedfromthePVcells,ultimatelyburningthemoutanddrainingthebatteries.

Wecanpreventthisbyinstallingdiodesinthecircuit.Adiodeislikeaone-waycheckvalveforelectricity.Itmakesitpossibleforthesolarpanelto charge the battery, but impossible for the battery to heat the solarpanel.

Thecircuitbelowshowsthetypicalwiringforthistypeofapplication.Thissystemusesfour6voltbatteriesandischargedbytwo12voltsolarpanels. The overall system voltage is 24 volts. When you line upbatteries,theirvoltageaddsasyouplacemoreintheseries.Thepanelsare12voltssoweneedtoisolatethemfromeachother.Thediodesalsoaccomplishthistask.

Step3:HookuptheBatteriesReturningtothebatterypack.Let’streatthesefourbatteriesastwosetsoftwo.Hookthemtogetherasshownandtestthevoltagetomakesure

they show12 volts per pair.OCV (open-circuit voltage)maybeon theorder of 14 volts.This is normal. In fact, if it’s below10 volts youmayhaveabadbattery.Finally,therewillbeaninterconnectbetweenthetwosets.Asshownintheschematic,weneedtotapthisinterconnecttohookupourPVcells.Do thisusingawirestripper.Donot cut thewire, justbreachandseparatetheinsulation.

Step4:InstallthePowerTapsJustaswedidon the interconnect,breach thepositivepower leadandinstall a diode.Make sure the band on the diode is closest to the red

Step5:RepeattheProcessDothesamethingagainonthenegativeside.

This timemake sure thebandof the diode is facingaway from theblackwire.

Step6:ScavengeSomePartsWith this PV panel came a cigar lighter plug. Yes, I said cigar lighter.Readyourowner’smanual.ThatheatsourceisaCIGARlighter.

We’renotgoingtouseit,butweneedtotakealookatit.First, cut thePVconnectoroff. Leavea footor soofwireon it and

striptheends.Setthatasideandlet’slookatwhatwehaveleft.Openupthecigarlighterplug.There’sacircuitboardinthere.What

doyouthinkitdoes?

Step7:ContinuingwiththeWiringWe’renowreadytoconnectthepowertapstothePVpowerplugs.

Slideheatshrinktubingoverthewirebeforesolderingthewiretothediode.Attachthewirestothediodesandsoldertheminplace.Next,slidetheshrinktubingoverthesolderjointandthediodeandshrinkitdowntoinsulatethejoint.

Make sure to get the polarity right! The stripped wire from the PVpanelispositive.Makesurethiswireisconnectedtoadiodethatpointstowardapositiveterminalofthebattery.I’vetriedtomakeitclearonhowtomakethisdetermination.

Step8:CheckYourWiring!Atthispointyoushouldhavetwoconnectorswiredthroughdiodestothebatteries. Check these with a volt meter; there should be no voltagepresent.Thediodesareaone-waycheckvalveforelectricityfromthePVpanelstothebatteries,notthereverse.

Step9:ContinueCheckingYourWiringAtthispointyou’reallwiredupandyoucanmakesomevoltagecheckstomakesureyoucansafelyproceed.

Step10:MountthePVPanelsNowthatthehardpartisoutoftheway,let’sgettotheeasystuff.

Thesepanelshavekeyholeshapedmountingholes.Placeascrewintheholeandtightenanutdownoverit.Thisgivesyouastudmounting.AlignthestudontothecoveranddrillmountingholesforthePVpanels.Next, cut spacers to conform to the contour of themotor cover. Don’tforget,it’sallplasticandthestuffflexesreallywell.It’sprettyforgiving.

In this installation thereweresomereinforcementson theundersidethathadtoberemoved.TinsnipsandanX-ACTOknifetookcareoftheoffendingplasticprettyquickly.

Usetheotherhalfofthecontour-cutspacertoshimthebottomofthemounting.

Step11:RuntheWiringNowthatthePVpanelsaremounted,runthewiresintothemotorcover.

Step12:ChecktheSolarPanelOutputOCV(open-circuitvoltage)ofthesePVpanelsisontheorderof16to20volts.Ifitisespeciallylightout,thisisthereadingyoushouldget.

Step13:TheFinalHookup!ConnectthePVpanelstothebatterybanks.

Next, check your voltages.You should have two banks of 12 to 15voltsandtheoverallvoltageshouldbeatleast24volts.

Step14:ThereItIs!Itworksandreallyworkswell. I’vebeenmowingmylawneverydayforthree days and themower is fully charged every time I turn it on.All Ineednowisalawn.

Solar-PoweredFountain/HerbGarden

ByJamesHarrigan(sleighbedguy)(www.instructables.com/id/Solar-powered-fountainherb-

garden/)

Hereisasimplegardenfountainutilizinga$20solarpanel/pumpcombo,somesewerpipe,bamboo,andastrawberrypot.The fountainwillonlyrunindirectsunlight,buttheherbswillthriveinthesameconditions.Thisone isn’t hard to do, and again doesn’t require any special tools.Everythingshouldrunyouabout$50.

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GathertheMaterialsfloatingsolarfountain(fromHarborFreightTools)bambooclearspray lacquerstrawberrypot4”ABSpipe (2’ segment)4”endcaps(2)3/8”vinyltubingshrinktubingwireepoxyABSpipecementToolsdrillsaw (handsaw,bandsaw, jigsaw,ormitersaw) router (useful) lathe

(optional)

Step1:DisassembletheFountainThisiswaterproofand,therefore,takingitapart isabitofapain.Inmycase,HarborFreightsentthewrongitemasareplacementandIdonothaveapool...sothiswasmyonlyoption.Flipoverthefountain.Along

thebottomarecircularbumps.Drillthrougheachonewithroomtospare.Ifthisdoesnotloosenit,youwillhavetocutthetwohalvesapart.Yourreward for thisarduous taskwill beapumpand twosolarpanels.Thiswasthebyfarthehardeststep!

Step2:CutthePipeandBambooThefountaindoesnotneedtoutilizebamboo,Ijustreallylikeit.Cutthebamboo to theheightyouwant.The fountain issupposed tohave19.5inchesoflift.Rememberthewateristravelingfromthebottomofthepot.Measurethepipewithonecapon.After thetwohalvesaredry-fitted, itshouldfitlikeitdoesinthepicturebelow.Iusedabandsaw,soIhaven’tprovidedameasurement.Thepotmightbedifferent,andweallknownoonecanjustdrawastraightlinearoundacylinder.Thismightbeabitoftrialanderror.ThebambooIchosetousehastheniftylittlespout.Thiswascuton thebandsaw, then thehorriblecutwascoveredwith twine(epoxiedinplace)tohidetheflaws.Thesewercapsare$6apiece,andIgluedthetoponfirst.Ichosetosavethe$6andmaketheprojectharder.Thecapsarealsodomed,soIroutedasmalltroughneartheedgeanddrilledsomedrainageholestocapturemostofthewater.Duetoanotheroneofmymistakes,Ihadtomaketheplugtoholdthebambooupright.Thisisn’tnecessary.Ifyoudon’thavealathe,thelargeholewillneedtofit the endof your bamboo.Or you canepoxy the bamboo to the cap.Just remember to drill for the wire and the tubing. I left out the

wiring/solarpanelportion.Thereareonly twowires.Besure touse theshrink tubing tomake sure the wires are fairly well protected from thewater.

Step3:DryFittingAssemblethefountainwithoutgluinganythinginplace.IfyouusetheaplugtoholdthebamboouprightasIdid,makesurethewireandtubingclear the cap and that thewire can get out of the pot. Another issue Ifoundwithmyoriginal configurationwas that the spoutwas too long. Ihad tocut it nearly inhalf. It isbetter to find thisoutbefore it is totallyassembled!Ifeverythingfits,lacquerupthebambooandtwine.Whenit’sdry,you’reallset.

Step4:PlantThoseHerbsandEnjoySomecontrasting rockshide theABSpipeand reallycapoff thewholefountain. Ihad toaddsomeclearvinylaround theedgesof thepipe tokeepthewaterfromdrainingoffasquickly.Ithasbeentwodays,andthewater isgetting to theplants,but keeping the fountain running.For thesolar panels, I chose to use thepart of the fountain already containingeverythingjustbecauseitwaseasierthanbuildinganothersetup.Ifyoudoplantomakeyourowncontainerforthesolarpanels,usesuperglueandclearacrylic.Ididsometestswiththis,anditworksverywell.

SolarPVTrackerBybwitmer

(www.instructables.com/id/Solar-PV-tracker/)

Foraclassproject,IdecidedtotrymakingalowcostPV(photovoltaic)tracker.Beingabletofollowthesun’spaththroughtheskycanraiseyoursolar panel system’s output considerably (30 to 50 percent), but theargon filledonescanbeabitpricey,andseem tobeabitunsteady inwind. I looked at several different designs, looked at what materials Icouldfind,andthisishowIdidit.Thepanelismountedtoaframe,whichis attached to two bike wheels. The wheels are mounted to a largerwoodenframe,andthewheelsandpanelaremovedbya12volt linearactuator. The sensor is an LEDmodel and is purchased from RedrokEnergy.TheLEDsensorsensesthepathofthesunandtellstheactuatorhowmuchtomovetokeepthepanelproperlyoriented.Atthefrontofthetracker are two legs that can be adjusted to the proper altitude forseasonal changes. I used bicycle wheels because they are durable,strongenoughtohandlesomeweight,and,bestofall,inmycase,free!

WhatdoYouNeed?

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WhatdoYouNeed?Here is what I used to make this tracker, and where everything wasobtained:Severaltreated2×4s(Lowes)

Twowheels froma freebicycle (freeoralmost freebikesareprettyeasytofindfromthelocallandfillorthriftstore)Apieceofangleironwithpre-punchedholes(Lowes)A12volt linearactuator(~$75fromeBay) An LED tracking sensor (~$40 fromwww.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#led3xforsale) Various nuts, bolts,screws,cable,andwire(scroungingaroundmyworkshop)

Step1:MakingtheBaseandMountingtheWheelsTomake a nice, sturdy base I cut the 2 × 4s at angles and put themtogether tomake two triangles.Youcanmake themwhateversizeyouneed, depending on the size of your panels. I then tied them togetherwithacoupleof2×4sat thebase,andacoupleup top.Thismadeanice,sturdybasetomountthewheelsto.Icutacoupleofsmallpiecesofangle ironwith ahacksaw, found themid-point on the crossmembers,and attached themwith exteriorwoodscrews. I put thewheels throughtheholes,andspun themwithsatisfaction.Here isapictureof the topwheelbeingmounted.

Step2:AddingtheWoodenFrametotheWheelsI then mounted the 2 × 6 piece to the bike wheels by drilling holesthroughthebikerimsandthe2×6andboltingthemtogether.IalsousedbigU-bolts to clamp the rims to theboardbydrillingholes through theboard and clamping it down tight. The board pivoted nicely on the two

bikerims.The2×6isn’twideenoughtomountthepanelto,soIaddedsomesmaller2×4stothetopandbottomoftheboard,cuttothesizeofthepanel.Each2×4board isas longas thesolarpanel iswide,andwasattachedtoeachendofthe2×6withscrewsandbolts.Thisallowsaniceflatplaceonwhichtomountthepanel.Iattachedsmallpiecesofangleirontotheholesontheendofeachpanel,andthenscrewedthemtothewoodenframe.Thissecuredthepaneltotheframe.

Step3:AddingtheLinearActuatorIpurchasedthe12voltlinearactuatoroneBay.It’sbuilttoholdupintheweather,isstrongenoughtomovehowevermanypanelsIwouldwanttoaddto it,andhasa longenoughstroketomovethepanelsall thewayfromonesidetoanother.Imounteditontheonesideoftheframewithathroughboltandattachedittothemovablesolarpanelframe.Tomountittothesideoftheframeholdingthesolarpanel,Ijustusedastapleonthe

board that moves on the bicycle wheels. A short piece of cable goesthroughtheholeonthelinearactuatorandthestaple,andIusedasmallcableclamptosecureit.Thisallowseverythingtomovearoundandflexas neededwhen it’smoving.When hooked to the battery the actuatormovesthepanelallthewaytoonesideand,reversingit,movesitallthewayback.Thenextstep isgiving the tracker thesmarts toknowwhenandhowmuchtomove.

Step4:AddingtheLEDTrackerIwishIhadmorepicturesoftheLEDtrackingunit,butthereisplentyofinfoatRedrokswebsite.TheunitusesLEDstomeasurethepositionofthe sun and tells the linear actuator howmuch tomove and where toposition the panel. It’s really a slick little unit, and at a great price. I

mountedminebyputtingitinanemptypeanutbutterjarandmountingitto a 2 × 4. I attached the 2 × 4 to the side of the unit to get the LEDtrackerupabovethepaneltogiveitanunobstructedviewofthesun.

Step5:FinishingItUpThisisprettymuchthefinishedproduct,anditworkswell.Ihadanissueofcondensationaccumulatinginsidethepeanutbutterjarandhadtosealitbetter.Thesizeofthetrackercanbemadetofithowevermanypanelsyouneed,andtherearemanywaystoconfigureatrackerlikethis.

GreenhousefromOldWindowsByMichaelTaeuber(cheft)

(www.instructables.com/id/Greenhouse-From-Old-Windows/)

ThisisabriefguideonhowItooksomeoldwindowsfromhousestheywere tearing down in my neighborhood and turned them into a smallgreenhouseinmybackyard.Icollectedthewindowsoverthecourseofayearandahalfandthebuildtookaboutthreemonths,spendingonedayaweekonit.Ispentabout$300forthelumberfortheframeandscrews,caulk, latches, etc. That’s almost 10 percent of what a greenhouse kitwouldcost.ThesizeIbuiltwas7feethigh×10feetdeep×6feetwide.But the size of your greenhousewill depend on yourwindows and thetimeyouwanttoputintotheproject.

Step1:CollectWindowsandPlanTwoPairofEqualSidesLookforoldwindowsandsaveeveryoneyouget.Afteryouhavemany,laythemoutandplayagametryingtomaketwopairsof“walls”boththesame height. Two to three inches won’t matter as you can cover thedifferencewithwood.Smallerholeswillneedtohaveglasscutforthemorfilledwithsomethingelse.Keepinmindthatoneendwillneedadoorandtheotheraholeforafan.

Step2:CreateaFrameUsingthewindowsyouchoseasaguide,constructaframeforeachwall.Usegoodlumberforthis,asitisthestructurethatholdsalltheweight.Iusedall2×4sforthestudsand4×4sforthecornerposts.Choosealength that allows at least 14 inches of the stud to be placed in thegroundforsupport.

Step3:BracetheWallsStartplacing thewallsup,bracing themwell so theydon’t fallover.Besuretocheckthattheyarelevel.

Step4:MaketheFoundationSecureTo avoid certain problems with pesky city building permits, I built thestructureshedheightanddidnotpouraconcrete foundation. Instead I

buriedcinderblockstostabilizethe4×4cornerposts.Theykeepitfrommovinganinch.

Step5:ScrewonWindowsIusedsomenicecoateddeckscrewstoaffixthewindowstotheframe.Thiswillallowforeasyremovalandreplacementifanybreak.Thissidefacingthecamerahastheemptywindowforafan.

Step6:GetaFloorIwasabletofindsomeonewhoneededrocksremovedfromtheiryard.Usingrocksorstones isgoodfor tworeasons:gooddrainageandheatstorage.

Step7:BuildtheRoofThiswastricky.Iendedupgettingsidingfromanoldshedsomeonehadtorn down. Any material you use, look for lightweight and waterproofmaterial. Be sure that you have some that will open for ventilation, atleast20to30percentofyourfloorspace.Youcangetbywithlessifyouuseafanforventilation.Alsobuildtheslantroofwithatleasta4-degreepitch,otherwiserainmaynotsheetoffwell.

Step8:AddtheShelvesandFansIfoundanoldpicnicbenchandthisfanandshelfinthegarbage.IfiguredIcouldusetheminmygreenhouseandsavethemfromalandfill.

Step9:CaulkandPaintUseagoodoutdoorcaulkandsealallthecracksandholesbetweenthewindows.Paintthewoodtoprotectitfromtheweather.

Step10:Winter

Onewinterwas especially bad nearme.We had several feet of snowweeks on end. Luckily, I had already emptied the greenhouse andremoved the roof panels in late November. I live in a zone five area.During the last month I brought out an electric heater to keep thetemperaturemoreconsistentovernight.

Later I was able to obtain a large picture window and decided toinstallawindowedroofinthespring.Itwillallowmuchmorelightinandthereforeheat.IusedthesamedeckscrewstoaffixthewindowstotheroofframeIalreadyhadbuilt.Fortheroofvents,Itooktwowindowsandscrewedthemtogether.IfoundolddoorhingesandusedapieceofPVCasabrace.Iaddedascrewholdingittotheframeasacotterpin.Lastly,in case a huge gust of wind came along and tried to yank open thewindows, Inailedasmallchaintotheframeandwindowtoprevent thewindowslammingbackwardsontotherestoftheroof.

I alsomodified the south facing bench. It connects to the frame ononeendandstillusescinderblocksontheother.Thiswillhopefullyallowmetoutilizethespaceinsidebetter.It’sfillingquickly!

Now that the roofwill allowsomuch light through, coolingwill beagreaterissuethissummer.ImayplacesomeoftheoldpanelsbackupinJulyorAugusttoreflectsomeofthatlight.Ialsoobtainedsomereflectingfabric.

Lastly,Ithinkinthefuture,Iwillcompletelyrebuildtheroof,usingthewindows foragable typestructure. Itwill forceme tousesomesortofpolymaterialtocoverupthegableends.Thecurrentpitchoftheroofisnotenoughtoslopewateroffthewindowscompletely.

Step11:FanWindowIwasunhappywithhavingtoremovethefan/ventwindowandhavingtoprop itagainstsomethingwhilecooling thegreenhouseduring theday.The framewas already designed to fit the window into it. I decided tohaveitslideupandbeheldinplace.Istartedbysalvagingsomehinges

fromanoldentertainment center.Theyare the kind that sit completelyoutside thedoor.Plus thesehadauniqueshape that fitarounda rightangle. This allowed thewooden “stops” to swing in place andhold thewindowupwhile Iwas ventingorwhen the fan is in place.Across theframe I nailed some boards to hold the fanwindow against the frame.Lastly,IfoundanoldpulleyandfastenedittothewindowsoIcanpullitupeasily.

Step12:SpringRoofVentUpgradesHadamajor score!A local communitygreenhousewas torndownandreplaced.Iwasabletogetsomegreatparts.Hereisapictureofthenewwindow system. It originally opened the windows on the side of thegreenhouse. Thewheel is turned and rotates the gear attached to thepipe, opening the windows, which makes opening and shutting easy.Whileeverywindownowmustbeopenat thesame time, I cancontroltheangleatwhichtheyareopen.

Alsopicturedisagutterclaimedfromthetrash.Thehingesideoftheroofwindowsalwaysleakedprofusely.Theguttercatchesthewaterandstoresitinabucketforeasywatering.

Step13:SpringShadingBought some secondhand rolling shades that are working great. Theyeasilyrollupanddownthesouthfacingwallwhilenottakinguptoomuchroom.

Step14:WinterTwoYearsLaterHere is the greenhouse in a mild winter. I overwinter many potted

perennialsinside.Toinsulatetheroof,Istretchasheetofpolyacrossthetoptokeepoutthedrafts.LastOctober, Irepaintedboththeinsideandout.Allthewoodisdoingwell.Ihopethat,withcare,thegreenhousewilllast over ten years. It has changed the way I garden, making mybackyardmuchmoreproductive.

AnAlgaeBioreactorfromRecycledWaterBottles

ByMichaelH.Fischer(mfischer)(www.instructables.com/id/An-Algae-Bioreactor-from-Recycled-Water-Bottles/)

InthisInstructable,wedescribehowtobuildaphoto-bioreactorthatusesalgaetoconvertcarbondioxideandsunlightintoenergy.Theenergythatisproducedisintheformofalgaebiomass.Thephoto-bioreactorisbuiltfrom plastic recycled water bottles. By designing the apparatus to becompartmentalized,weareable todomanyexperiments inparallel.Byusingalgaeasabiofuel,wecanincreasetheworld’ssupplyofoilwhileatthesametimewedecreasetheamountofatmosphericcarbondioxideusedduringitsproduction.Theresultingproductisasustainablebiofuelwhose carbon footprint is neutral inasmuch as the CO2 produced onconsumptionisessentiallybalancedbytheCO2usedinitsproduction.Inthis Instructable,wefirstmakethecarbondioxidedeliverysystem,thenmount the water bottles on a rack, and then inoculate the bottles withalgae.Afterlettingthealgaegrowforaweek,weextractthebiomass.

Step1:MakeCarbonDioxideDeliverySystemTo make the carbon dioxide delivery system, connect an eight-portsprinklersystemmanifoldtoa1”longPVCpipe.Togetgoodseals,useTeflon tape to tape the threads before attaching the pieces together.Next, attach the 1” pipe to a T-connector. Block off one end of the T-connectorandattachtheotherendto1’longPVCpipe.

Step2:AttachTubingtoManifoldForeachmanifold,cuteightpiecesof flexible tubingandconnecteachpiecetoaportofthemanifold.ThemanifoldthatIamusinghasadialoneachporttocontroltherateofflow.Makesurealltheportsthatyouuseareopenandallowapproximatelythesameamountofcarbondioxidetoflowthroughtheport.

Step3:MountCarbonDioxideSystemMounttheairsystemtoametalrackusingzipties.Attachtheairsystemtoatankofcarbondioxide.

Step4:MountWaterBottlesHotgluethewaterbottlestothemetalrack.

Step5:MakeAlgaeMediaWenextmakethemediumtogrowthealgae.Althoughtherearemanypossible mediums, a standard garden store fertilizer contains all thenitrogenandnutrientsthatthealgaeneed.

Step6:MediaInoculationAgoodsourceofalgaeispondalgae,ifavailable.Ifnot,therearealargenumber of online vendors that sell batches of algae. To inoculate theculture,measure out a fixed amount of algae and add it to the growthmedium.

Step7:GrowthandHarvestingAfter several days of sunlight and CO2 exposure, the algae are muchdenser. A French press is then used to extract the algae from thesolution.Thebiomassofthedriedalgaecanthenbeusedasafuel.Asaby-product of this process, a large amount of atmospheric CO2 issequestered.

CONVERSIONTABLESOneperson’s inch isanotherperson’scentimeter. Instructablesprojectscomefromallovertheworld,sohere’sahandyreferenceguidethatwillhelpkeepyourprojectontrack.

NotesforYourProjects

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Collectedinthisvolumeisabest-ofselectionfromInstructables,reproducedforthefirsttimeoutsideofthewebformat,retainingallofthecharmandingenuitythatmakeInstructablessuchapopulardestinationforinter-netuserslookingfornewandfunprojectsdesignedbyrealpeopleinaneasy-to-digestway.

HundredsofInstructablesareincluded,rangingfrompracticalprojectslikemakingabutcherblockcountertoporbuildingsolarpanelstofunanduniqueideasforrealisticwerewolfcostumesortransportablecampinghottubs.Thedifficultyoftheprojectsrangesfrombeginneronup,butallareguaranteedtoraiseasmileora“Whydidn’tIthinkofthat?”

Numerousfull-colorpicturesaccompanyeachproject,detailingeachstepoftheprocessalongtheway.It’saninvitationtotryafewyourself,andonceyou’redone,seeifyoudon’thaveacoupleofideastoshareatInstructables.com.

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ContinuingtheInstructablesserieswithSkyhorsePublishing,amammothcollectionofprojectshasbeenselectedandcuratedforthisspecialbest-ofvolumeofInstructables.Theguidesinthisbookcovertheentirespectrumofpossibilitiesthatthepopularwebsitehastooffer,showcasinghowonlinecommunitiescanfosterandnurturecreativity.

Fromoutdooragriculturalprojectstofindingnewusesfortraditionalhouseholdobjects,thebeautyofInstructablesliesintheiringenuityandtheirabilitytofindnewwaysoflookingatthesamething.HowtoDoAbsolutelyEverythinghasthatinspades;thepossibilitiesarelimitless,thankstonotonlytheselectionofprojectsavailablehere,butalsothenewideasyou’llbuildonafterreadingthisbook.Full-colorphotographs

illustrateeachprojectinintricatedetail,providingimagesofboththeindividualstepsoftheprocessandtheendproduct.

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do-it-yourself projects to get you off the grid: rain barrels, chicken coops, solar panels, and more

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