Today we will learn the project to build a homemade hydroelectric generator. Hydropower is one of the main sources of renewable energy in the world, representing a fifth of the world’s electricity.

There are two methods of making a home electric generator, either using a dynamo or building our own generator.

A generator has two parts:

• The stator, the part that does not move and is equipped with the coils to collect electricity.
• The rotor, the part that moves and that has the magnets that induce electricity in the coils.

How to make a hydroelectric generator.

The first thing we will do is print the discs that you can find here.

This plane will stick it to a piece of corrugated cardboard, trying not to form lumps when gluing it. With the help of a cutter, we cut the rotor and the stator.

We will make a small hole in the center of the rotor using a nail, larger in the center of the stator (specifically the size of the circle that is drawn).

Fold a piece of cardboard 3 x 16 cm in half and pass insulating tape around to keep it that way. This cardboard will be our guide for making the coils.

Prepare 8 strips of 4 cm of electrical tape before the next step. Wind the enameled copper wire through the guide to form the first coil so that it has about 200 turns, but not before leaving about 10 cm uncoiled to be the connectors.

Carefully remove the guide from the coil and use the pieces of electrical tape to maintain the shape of the coil. Scrape the enamel from the tips of each wire with an sandpaper (approximately 1 cm from each tip). Make sure that that portion of the wire is completely free of enamel. Repeat the above steps to make three other coils.

Construction of the coil.

Place the coils on the stator disk, respecting the direction indicated by the template (two coils in coils clockwise and two counterclockwise). Join the cables in such a way that the current can follow the path indicated by the arrows, starting with the anti-time coil on the lower left side. The connection of the cables must be done by winding the enamel-free sides of each coil. Place electrical tape to cover the connections.

Verify that your connections are correct by measuring the resistance of the circuit with a multimeter. If the connections are well made, the resistance should be small (<10 ohm).

Once the proper functioning is confirmed, glue the coils to the stator using silicone. Wait for the silicone to dry before placing the next coil.

Get 4 ceramic or rare earth magnets of about 18 mm in diameter. Using a magnetic compass determines the polarity of each side of the magnet and marks the north pole of two magnets and the south of the other two.

Glue the magnets with silicone so that the polarity alternates (N-S-N-S). The position and polarity are described in the rotor sheet.

We will make the shaft with a wooden shank of 20 cm x 1/4 ″. We will tip the tarugo with a blade.

Turbine construction

To build the turbine, we must drill the center of a 3 to 5 cm cork with a 1/4 ″ drill. Place the cork on the template and using a pen mark the places where the spoons will be placed.

Using a razor, pierce the marked places. Cut the handle of 8 plastic spoons leaving a centimeter of mango. Insert the spoons in the cork and adjust the angle and depth of each spoon so that they are spaced and have the same angle of inclination in relation to the cork. Silicone glue the spoons in the cork.

Get a 4 liter carafe of rectangular shape, cut with scissors or razor the bottom as seen in the photo.

Using a ruler, find the center of one of the lateral sides. Mark this point with indelible down. Repeat the work on the opposite side. Drill both sides with a 1/4 ”hole in the mark you made.

With the help of bed bugs, secure the stator to one side of the container in such a way that the center of the stator coincides with the center of the container.

With the help of a scissor cut 2 pieces of 1 cm each of a 1/4 ”PVC pipe. Pass the tube through the center of the plastic container and the stator and shaft as shown in the figure.

Insert the plug through the turbine and the container as seen in the previous figure. Position the turbine inside the container so that the spoons are under the bottleneck. Also adjust the position of the vinyl tube so that they do not touch the inside of the container. Now place the second tube after the stator. The tubes will help keep all parts of the turbine in position when it turns. Turn the turbine to check that the turbine does not hit the inside of the container.

Insert the rotor into the shaft. The magnets should be about 2 or 3 mm from the coils. Turn the shaft to check that the magnets do not hit the coils. Adjust the angle of the disc if necessary.

If the rotor turns smoothly, fix the position of it by placing hot silicone on the plug.

Place the container near a pipe and spin the turbine with water. Measure the energy you produce with a multimeter.

Note: If you decided to use the dynamo, replace the rotor and stator with it.

Here are some related videos:

Via re-energy.ca

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With technology developed by the INTA (National Institute of Agricultural Technology of Argentina), we can build a high-performance social stove to contribute to a reduction in fuel consumption through better caloric use. These designs contribute to improve the quality of life of vulnerable populations (minimum home heating).

This stove will contribute to energy savings, to the reduction of environmental pollution (through improved combustion) as a reduction in carbon monoxide and tar emission. Promotes afforestation / reforestation with biodiversity within the concept of sustainability. It promotes assisted and community self-construction of low-cost and high-efficiency stoves with the use of widely available materials.

The thermal mass stoves are built with materials that have a great capacity to accumulate heat, such as masonry, adobe or stones, which, even when turned off, continue to deliver heat, for several hours heat to the environment.

They are very suitable for cold areas, where stable heating is required especially at night and early in the morning.

If you do not have at home a suitable place to install a stove of this type, value the alternative offered by gas stoves, a type of heating very economical and high performance. The latest models have significantly improved their safety and energy efficiency. Gas stoves heat any room faster than electric stoves by burning gas in a burner, and its consumption is cheaper.

Advantages of thermal mass stoves.

• Greater thermal stability
• Load intervals of more distant firewood.
• Once the fire is extinguished, its cooling is very slow. Very suitable at night and in very cold areas.
• Heat transfer (radiation) more comfortable.

The parts of a thermal mass stove.

Construction of the stove.

A guide for the construction of a model of high-performance thermal mass stove, the principles of operation, its components and the step by step for its construction, as well as the main recommendations for its use and maintenance.

If you are interested in this type of project, the details of construction and assembly of the system, you can consult them in this complete construction guide.

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For my taste there is no bread comparable to a hot bread fresh from your own oven built with your hands. Today you can see the process of building a clay oven, for cooking with a rich natural flavor.

Instructions.

To build this homemade oven from the beginning, you will have a hard job, placing the stones, going through the filler with clay mortar, making the door arch and the dome, and finishing with clay mortar or sand for the bricks . It could take us days, but the good thing is that using recycled materials, we would only spend about $ 20 on the entire structure. You will no longer have problems baking a delicious pizza in your wood-fired pizza oven.

If you have the possibility I assure you it will be worth it. You have three possibilities, these two manuals: one in Spanish of Dandelion very well explained everything, one in English also very complete of The year of Mud where they assure us that for $ 20 you can have one, and this video where you can see live construction step by step:

Cob Construction

This constructive method was already used in England during the thirteenth century. The method uses a mixture of soil, sand and clay mixed with straw to form a block. These blocks used to be shaped like bread, giving this technique the name “cob”, in old English “bread.” It was the most common building material in England until it was replaced by cooked bricks during the middle ages.

Images theyearofmud.com

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Surprised we have stayed when we have seen how this Malay, Ed chew, turned the tetrabriks into beautiful lamps. The system is quite simple, form geometric figures with recycled briks, then join them in one piece. I paste the images of the process because it is easier to see than explain.

If you are interested in homemade recycled lamps we recommend these items: PET Lamp Lamps with PET bottle thread / Make your own lamp with tin rings / Lamp with a PET bottle and plastic spoons.

Here we show you the instructions:

1. Get some milk or juice containers, wash them and let them dry.

2.- Cut the material approximately 10 cm x 2 cm, the measurement depends on the needs and tastes. Make 5 folds.

3.- Once you have the pieces, join them using the same material.

4.- You can choose between a pentagon or hexagon.

5.- Since you have enough pieces, you have to start gluing one by one until you get the circle of the size you want, remember to leave some tabs to make the union easier. Do not forget to leave the hole for the boom.

The folding technique does not require glue to hold each of the modules.

Here the result:

If you prefer you can see the instructions on video:

Designer: Ed chew.

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Why not reduce our impact on the planet by making our own products of ecological cleaning? In addition to contributing to the environment, we can also save money.

Today, the use of organic products has become a worldwide trend. This is thanks to the work of the people and companies that love the environment, who explain the importance of preserving and maintaining balance on the planet.

On the other hand, industrialized products used in household cleaning, are largely characterized by being very polluting and harmful to the planet. In addition to that in most cases, they are not recycled correctly, ending in rivers, oceans, and seas, managing to kill several marine species.

One of the biggest advantages of using environmental products is the money savings you can have with them. Being manufactured with homemade ingredients, they are much cheaper for everyone, and do not harm the environment.

Reasons to go to ecological cleaning.

• To have a good time learning something useful.
• To save us money on high quality products.
• In order to make our own custom soaps.
• To teach children the value of things.
• To be self-sufficient.
• To be able to recycle products that can be very polluting.

Homemade recipes for ecological cleaning.

1. Clean the oven without toxic chemicals.
2. Pressure washers
3. Organic homemade cleaner with lemon.
4. Ecological multipurpose detergent.
5. Formula to clean vegetables and fruits from pesticides.
6. Organic multipurpose soap.
7. Homemade air freshener
8. Fabric softener
9. Glass Cleaner.
10. Window cleaner.
11. Carpet cleaner.
12. Toilet cleaner.
13. Ceramic floor cleaner.
14. Dishwasher detergent.

You dare? Here are some recipes with which you can create your basket for natural cleaning, save a lot of money and stop harming the environment. Homemade ecological cleaning products:

1. How to clean the oven without toxic chemicals.

A simple and cheap method to clean the oven without chemicals. The process will be divided into two parts, first we will clean the entire inner part of the oven itself and then clean the window.

2. Pressure washers.

The force of pressurized water is responsible for saving effort, labor and the need to use toxic chemicals.

3. Ecological homemade cleaner with lemon.

With this homemade lemon and vinegar cleaner, that you will see you can do yourself without any problem, you will have at your disposal a natural and very effective multipurpose disinfectant and cleaner.

4. Ecological detergent.

With a piece of neutral coconut soap, 2 lemons and 4 tablespoons of ammonia (which is biodegradable) we can make a cleaning detergent, which does not pollute and whose economic value is incomparably less than the detergents sold in the markets.

We have to melt the soap, chopped or grated in a liter of water. Then we add 5 liters of cold water. We squeeze the lemons. Finally, pour the ammonia and mix well. Store the resulting product in bottles and use it instead of commercial detergents. You will get six liters of very cheap and effective detergent.

5. Formula for cleaning vegetables and fruits from pesticides.

Fruits, vegetables and vegetables are basic foods in a healthy diet, their properties are very important for us. However, some of these foods that are consumed raw may be more harmful than beneficial because they have been treated with pesticides or may contain bacteria and may endanger our health.

6. Multipurpose ecological detergent.

With water, vinegar, ammonia, sodium bicarbonate and boric acid we can make a multipurpose detergent to use in any type of cleaning, replacing the conventional multipurpose detergent.

In a liter of warm water (45 ° C), put a tablespoon of vinegar, a tablespoon of ammonia, a tablespoon of baking soda and a tablespoon of borax or boric acid. Like any conventional cleaning product, you have to keep it out of reach of children and pets.

7. Home air freshener.

We will need a liter of alcohol (preferably 70º), 4 liters of water, 1 homemade soap and Eucalyptus leaves.

Let the eucalyptus leaves soak with alcohol for two days. Boil 1 liter of water with grated soap, until dissolved. Add water and eucalyptus aroma to a bottle. And ready!

8. Fabric softener.

We will need 5 liters of water, 4 tablespoons of glycerin, 1 grated soap and 2 tablespoons of rose milk.

Boil 1 liter of water with grated soap until dissolved. Add 4 liters of cold water, along with glycerin and rose milk. Stir well until mixed, then to the bottle.

9. Glass cleaner.

To facilitate cleaning, use 3 tablespoons of vinegar diluted in 11 liters of hot water. If the glass is very dirty, clean it with soap and water first. To dry surfaces, use recycled cotton cloth or old newspapers.

10. Window cleaner.

Mix a cup of alcohol, 2 cups of water and a tablespoon of ammonia. Put on gloves and apply the solution with a piece of cloth.

11. Carpet cleaner.

Mix two parts cornmeal with one part of borax. Spray generously, let stand one hour and aspirate.

12. Bathroom cleaner.

For general cleaning of bathrooms, use a brush with baking soda and warm water. For sinks, pour vinegar and let stand overnight, rinse in the morning. To clean containers, apply a paste of borax and lemon juice. Let stand a few hours and rinse. Or a strong vinegar solution.

13. Ceramic floor cleaner.

Mix approximately 3.5 liters of water with white vinegar and a cup of ammonia in a cleaning bucket. Wash the floor as usual.

14. Dishwashing detergent.

We can make our own homemade dishwasher. We will only need: 3 whole lemons, 2 goblets of water, 200 g. of fat salt, 1 beaker of white vinegar, 1/4 of beaker brightener, 1 Taper or a jar to store it.

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We have all met at some point with the need to have some additional shelving at home. Either for the bedroom itself or for the children, for the kitchen and even for the living room. The simplest thing is of course, to buy them from a store, eventually assemble it at home and that’s it. We have the problem resulted. However, there is also the alternative of making custom shelves with material of different origin.

Today I propose an idea that I loved to make yourself a bookcase with old drawers that you no longer use. It is an interesting way to recycle a piece of furniture or part of it, as well as a way to create something new that will be as you imagine it. For this you will not need much material or much time. In a few hours of work and some drying time you can release a beautiful and original shelf.

For the realization you will need the following elements: drawers, sandpaper for wood, paint or varnish, wood glue, screws and fixing holes and finally some imagination. It would be best if you used drawers of different sizes to play with this and create something original. Also, you could follow the same style of drawers or combine them according to the result you are looking for.

For step by step, you first have to sand the drawers very well to remove traces of previous varnish or paint. Then you will apply either a new varnish with a color that you like the most. If you prefer you can also apply some color paint for wood. When you have the drawers ready you will place them next to each other to create the shape of your shelf. When you have found the shape you will glue them with the wood glue. You let them dry well so that they are fixed as recommended by the glue manufacturer.

When you have all the previous steps ready, it will be time to install the wall shelf. For them, nothing is simpler than drilling the back of the upper and lower drawers where the screws will pass. Place the dowels on the wall, fix and go. You will have a bookshelf ready as you have imagined it, with little material and quickly and easily. A good idea to share and do as a family.

Via | Designsponge

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Many people still think they need a lot of space to have a home garden. However, it is possible to make many varieties of crops for example on a terrace. Today we talk about the cultivation of potatoes, we start preparing a wooden box where we can grow them.

How to make a wooden box to grow potatoes.

Materials.

For this project you will need the following materials:

1. Six untreated wooden boards, with the following measures 2 ″ x 6 ″ x 8 ′.
2. Two 2 ″ x 2 ″ x 2 ″ x 6 ″ wooden bolts. You can also use a 12 ′ long bolt.
3. Approximately 65 cover screws 2 1/2 ″ long.
4. Drill and drill bits.

Instructions.

For assembly you must follow the following steps:

1. Cut the two 2 ″ x 2 ″ x 6 ′ bolts into four 33 ″ pieces.
2. Cut the six 2 ″ x 2 ″ x 8 ′ tables into 12 21 ″ lengths and 12 24 ″ lengths.
3. With a drill, open two holes at each end of the 24-inch pieces, approximately 3/4 ″ from the edge. This will allow the screws to enter the center of the cut side of the 21-inch pieces.
4. Screw two of the 24 ″ pieces and two of the 21 ″ pieces to form a frame.
5. Step four you will have to repeat it five more times so you will get a total of 6 frames. Stack one on top of the other, making your box.
6. Place one of the 2 ″ x 2 ″ x 33 ″ pieces in the inner corner of one of the frames. This frame will be the base of the box.
7. Drill two holes on the outside of this frame, so that they align with the bolt you placed in the corner of the frame. In this case, the screws will anchor the bolt in the corner of the frame at two points.
8. Repeat the last step for the three remaining inner corners of the frame.
9. Slide one of the other frames over the base frame, with the four “legs” inside. These two floors will be used to sow.

We already have the box ready, now we have to sow and grow the potatoes.

In relation to planting, follow the following recommendations:

1. Select a place with sunshine for the box.
2. Prepare the soil at the base of the box. Add potting soil and organic fertilizer, in a mixture of 40% organic fertilizer, 40% chopped leaves or grass and 20% soil. Fill the last two floors with the mixture.
3. Sow the potatoes at an approximate depth of 3 ″ -4 ″ and cover them with soil. Add a thin layer of leaves as mulch.
4. When potato plants measure approximately 30 cm, add another frame and fill it with soil, only one third of the plant.
5. Add the remaining frames.

To harvest the potatoes, remove the boards from the bottom frame to access the soil. When you have removed all the potatoes of this level, refill it with soil and place the boards. To harvest more potatoes, repeat the same steps with the tables of the second frame. And so on until reaching the upper frame.

Enjoy your homemade potatoes!

Images: vegetablegardener.com

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The tropical is in fashion. And even on Halloween we are seeing it. A few years ago we have seen how pineapples began to replace pumpkins in many Halloween decorations.

But this year, this trend has exploded, giving the pineapple a very special role in Halloween decorations. If you also want to have one scary pineapple to decorate your party, here are the steps to follow…

1.To start, you will have to Mark the eyes and mouth on the pineapple.

two.Cut the top of the pineapple (the one with the leaves, and reserve it).

3. The next step is to empty the pineapple following the same ritual as if you emptied the pineapple to use its meat for a salad or for a cocktail. With a knife, draw a circle on the pulp to help you empty it.

4. Start taking the pulp from the pineapple, being careful not to break the peel. To help you, you can use a Parisian or punch. Remember also not to scratch too close to the shell, so that it remains hard.

5. Help yourself with a knife to trim the contour of the mouth and eyes.

6.Put some candles inside the pineapple already empty, and turn them on.

7.Cover the pineapple with the top that we had cut at the beginning of the process.

And now, to enjoy this party with your pumpkin pineapple. Easier and original, impossible, right?

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Dehydrated fruit It is a healthy choice for those who like sweets and fruit. Dehydrated fruit It is easy to make and can be the healthiest and fastest snack for children. These fruits contain sugar as well, but they are not as harmful as the refined sugar we normally consume.

We can also buy this type of fruit in a store, but it can be quite expensive, so we decided to make a cheaper version at home and also, we know perfectly and without any doubt that we are eating and where it comes from.

You will only need some fruits and an oven to dehydrate them. If you already have a fruit dehydrator the task is simpler, but a normal oven will also do that function perfectly.

How to make dehydrated fruit at home.

Learn how to make dehydrated fruit at home following each of these steps. You will see that it is something very simple and the best, very healthy.

Select the fruit.

Choose the fruit you want to dehydrate. You can choose from many options. The most common are apples, peaches, plums, bananas or strawberries.

But you can also try other types such as fig, kiwi, pineapples, pears, mango, citrus peels and many others. The limit is in your imagination.

See that they are in good condition.

Find the best fruits you can get. They should not be very mature, make sure they don’t have bruises.

Cut the fruit.

You may cut them into slices or cubes. Before doing so, wash each one very well.

Cherries cut them in half and remove the heart of apples and pears. Cut the slices rather thick.

You should also make sure to cut the pieces of similar sizes so that they dry all at once.

Sun dried.

It’s one of the ways you can dry your fruits and the most ecological. The drawback is that it only works for those people who live in climates above 40 ° C.

It is a process that takes longer and the weather must be quite dry. But do not worry, if this is not the right option for you, we will show you others.

Place the fruit slices on a tray and put them directly in the sun. You should also turn the fruit once a day to dry evenly.

During the night, store the trays to avoid dew.

Or you can use a homemade dehydrator that you can put in the sun and thus increase its temperature thanks to it.

Oven-dried

It is a less ecological option, but there are times when there is no other possibility.

Place the oven at 60 ° C. Put the trays with the fruits and leave the oven door a little open. In this way you allow the exit of any steam.

Check if this list.

Each type of fruit has a time of removal, so you should test if it is dried as follows:

Touch a piece of fruit if you see that it is dry but not fragile and flexible, it is ready.

Take a piece of the fruit and cut it. If there are still traces of moisture, you may need a little more inside the oven.

With these simple steps you already have your homemade dried fruit.

You can experiment to dehydrate from a lot of different fruits, kiwis, apples, strawberries, bananas …

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