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Model T FordI was born 1946 in east S. Dakota and the farm area there was quite late getting hooked
up to the power lines. About 1960 my dad's farm was the last and furthermost customer
north of the power co-op. We survived using kerosene lamps for light and a windmill
water pump to water livestock. We had a 6 volt tube type Radio and charged the battery
for a while with a homemade wind charger that my dad made with a top of a Model T
engine block. The Model T (Ford) engine was junk because of a broken crank shaft. It
had a cam shaft with a large gear at the front of the engine driving the 6 volt generator
from the engine. Dad just bolted a prop to the large gear with 2 bolts. No pistons or oil
pan or other moving parts. He climbed up there and oiled the moving parts regularly with
an oil can.
Today’s engines are a lot different. You might be able to do something similar with a
lawn mower engine or something. I understand a lot of them have been junked. Some of
them, 8-10 horse, use a generator/starter combo to start the engine and charge the battery
after it is running. You might use that, but those only put out 10 amps (maybe). If you make
a prop, balance it somehow. I think a lawn mower blade balancer may work, or an old
type tire balancer, the one that is cone shaped.
Offered by Darrell.
