Windmill wind turbine

Easy to print yet very well working pinwheel, looking more like wind turbine. It uses common bearings easy to find in DIY stores or in sport equipment stores (they are used in roller skates). All parts fit into 18x18x18cm volume printer, so it is suited even for small printers like Prusa Mini.

I printed all part with PET-G without supports with 0.15mm layer height. There are two versions of blade file, one regular and second with “scaffold”. I preferred the scaffold one because the blade is narrow and very tall, causing wavy print at the top of the blade, which I didn't like. With scaffold (easy removable, not connected with the blade itself), the blade will print nice and clean but it is not necessary, it's just for the way it looks.

All parts are already correctly oriented for the print and no supports are needed.

The hardware needed:

• 8 mm diameter rod
• 1 piece M5x30 mm bolt
• 2 pieces M5x10 mm bolt (3 pieces with a clamp)
• 4 pieces M5 nut
• 2 pieces skate roller bearing 608 size (608 ZZ / 608 2Z advised)

• 3x16mm screw if you already have 10 mm diameter rod (then you also don't need the 8 mm rod of course)

Assembly:

You will need printed parts rotor_front, rotor_back, all three blades, bearing insert and additional hardware M5x30mm bolt, three M5 nuts and one 608 bearing to assembly rotor as pictured. 

Don't forget to leave a little bit of space between first two nuts for the rotor to spin freely.

Then insert the entire assembled rotor and second bearing into one part of the main body and screw the other body with an M5x10mm bolt with an M5 nut on the other side. Then press in tail_connector and insert rotor_tip to cover rotor hole.

Finally, slide the stopper and the whole pinwheel onto the bar, align it to the end of the bar and then slide the stopper up a few millimeters and secure with an M5x10mm bolt. This will ensure there is enough space between the rod and the main body so they don't rub against each other.

8mm rod is selected because it fits bearing inner diameter. If you already have 10mm rod like from old pinwheel or whatever, I created second version of stopper serving like adapter. it fits 10mm rod on the bottom and substitutes 8mm rod on the top. I suggest using 3x16 screw just to reinforce it like so, but I didn't manage to break it even without that screw:

Optional “reinforcement” screw is also possible with the blades, if you have a windmill in strong wind conditions. Around 30% infill for first 36mm is advised in that case (rest of the blades 0% infill).

Enjoy!