Space + Equipment

Unfortunately, building a turbine is not the kind of thing you can do in a dorm room or even in your apartment. No, you need to weld, machine and drill, and none of the equipment required to do this is cheap or easy to come by. I met today with David at Midway Studios, who is graciously allowing us to work there and will be helping us weld. Now we can finally move out the heap of parts I've accumulated in the hallway of my apartment.

David also directed me to the McMaster-Carr catalog for our bearings. I'm looking at model #5967K84, the Cast Iron Flange-Mounted Steel Ball Bearing 4-Bolt SQ-Flange, for 1" Shaft Dia, 3-3/4" Base. It's on page 1095.

However, I'm also considering the Nickel-plated version on page 1098 because it might stand up better to the outdoors. Even if you're not in the market for mounted ball bearings, the McMaster-Carr catalog is worth checking out. It's like flipping through a life-size lego catalog.

More details about the project will be posted over the weekend.