EcoRenovator - View Single Post - Building a pedal power bicycle 12 volt generator, ghetto style

BananaC · 02-15-10, 03:27 AM

Great suggestions. They'll come in handy for version 2.0.

So we went back to the parts store and got a new $15 12v motor (from a 1979 Chevy 2wd 1/2 ton pick-up). The pulley was a hollow cylinder of blades and would have cost another $15, so we opted instead for a short length of free tubing that tightly fits over the shaft as a "roller". The motor only has one electrical prong, so we assumed the ground is through the mounting plate. Got a $3 25A-rated switch and 12-gauge wiring from the electronics store, and a $30 160W inverter from the home improvement center. The exercise bike was free and the battery was made last June! Everything went together perfectly.

We like that this set-up turns the motor a bit more than if we used a larger diameter wheel (aka "roller"). Unfortunately, the tubing on the motor shaft is wearing down after only several minutes of cycling. The shaft is round, but with two opposing flat sides (like your D, but with the curved side also ground down) and it does have a small threaded end. What can we use in place of the tubing? How do we determine the correct diameter?

Thanks again!

02-15-10, 03:27 AM	#93
BananaC Lurking Renovator Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Friction v. output. Great suggestions. They'll come in handy for version 2.0. So we went back to the parts store and got a new $15 12v motor (from a 1979 Chevy 2wd 1/2 ton pick-up). The pulley was a hollow cylinder of blades and would have cost another $15, so we opted instead for a short length of free tubing that tightly fits over the shaft as a "roller". The motor only has one electrical prong, so we assumed the ground is through the mounting plate. Got a $3 25A-rated switch and 12-gauge wiring from the electronics store, and a $30 160W inverter from the home improvement center. The exercise bike was free and the battery was made last June! Everything went together perfectly. We like that this set-up turns the motor a bit more than if we used a larger diameter wheel (aka "roller"). Unfortunately, the tubing on the motor shaft is wearing down after only several minutes of cycling. The shaft is round, but with two opposing flat sides (like your D, but with the curved side also ground down) and it does have a small threaded end. What can we use in place of the tubing? How do we determine the correct diameter? Thanks again! Last edited by BananaC; 02-15-10 at 03:40 AM..