JWR:
Regarding the recent article by CentOre, titled: Need a Power Source? Got Water?: There is good info on the waterwheelplace.com web site [1] for the do-it-yourselfer to calculate potential horsepower and watts from any given wheel configuration. Pa in Pennsylvania
James;
I won’t claim to be an expert on hydro power generation, but would advise against two non-durable materials mentioned: Instead of aluminum pipe for a shaft, get some steel pump shafting from an industrial metals supply or a well supply. Aluminum won’t hold up. Another is Teflon. While very slick, it will not last at all. I would suggest UHMW for the bearings if you are going to use plastic. Get in touch with a plastic supply to obtain some. It is not expensive, nor is the shafting very costly. – Michael H.
Dear Jim,
Yesterday’s discussion of floating boat mills reminded me of a very thorough article on boat mills and hanging mills in Low Tech Magazin [2]e. Anyone interested in this versatile technology should review it. Allow me to commend the online magazine also. With detailed articles on pedal-powered machines, human-powered cranes, ropeways, and other neglected technologies, it’s both fascinating and practical. Best wishes to all and thanks for your hard work. – W.T., M.D.