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A crash course in changing the world.
A new way to power... my sewing machine
This objective has been the most difficult for me so far. I admit, I thought it would be hard to work up the courage to carry out my plan for ACT2, but this one has been harder. My skills center on organizing people, helping groups to achieve actual results, and making communication between people smoother -- not on inventing things. I can be resourceful, and when I have a small need I can figure out a way to meet it with supplies I have on hand, but electricity sources just feel like they are beyond me.
I am so amazed when I read about inventions like the sOccket or the wind belt, or clever ideas like Sayel Cortes' "save some heat for later" idea. They just seem so simple after someone points them out, but I know the leap to get from not having an idea, to having an idea, is a great and wonderful thing.
I did not have that leap for this project. I tried sketching out some Rube Goldberg-esque inventions, but they didn't lead anywhere interesting. So I thought maybe I'd get a little hand generator and power my cell phone for a day, but that's not really inventing anything, so I didn't think it was in the spirit of the game. Then I tried staring into space for a while, and I suddenly realized my sewing machine was on the corner of my desk, in my line of sight. So here's my crazy, probably unworkable idea that combines several of the things I was musing about:
The cord from my sewing machine goes to the foot pedal, of course, but also to a Mysterious Black Box in the Wall. Another Cord goes from this box up the wall to the Roof, where it plugs into Mysterious Black Box #2. This box is attached to a Panel and the panel is covered in Wind Belts! When the Wind blows, it powers the Wind Belts, which power the Mysterious Black Box #2. One or the other of the Mysterious Black Boxes -- it's a little unclear which -- stores up the power so that when I want to make quilts or pajamas, my sewing machine is ready to go!
If someone out there wants to capitalize on this idea, I will gladly split any proceeds with you, 50-50. Hah.
Views: 1795
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Comment by Starling on March 24, 2010 at 4:10am
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Ah wow - a treadle under the desk to power a laptop would be amazing!
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Comment by Nicholas Nagao on March 24, 2010 at 4:13am
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ninmah, I can't wait to see the pictures! Make sure to narrate as you go...the process of building something from scratch is always fun and a bit amusing. Keep in mind you want to only create as much electricity as you need, because the more electricity you create, the harder you're going to have to work, especially for the foot pedal one. You don't want too much of a work out while you're at work, as it might be embarrassing if you're sweating profusely just so you can sew those drapes later.
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Comment by Ebert Rassenmussen on March 24, 2010 at 8:27pm
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I looked a bit more into wind belts after reading your post. Please let me know if you find any!
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Comment by Zoe B on April 12, 2010 at 11:49pm
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hi ninmah
Did you know that you can convert many of the newer (but non-electronickycomputery) sewing machines to treadle power? It's dead easy... take any sewing machine that has a motor driving it via a belt (internal-motor machines will not work for this). Take the motor and belt off the machine, put the machine on an old treadle base (you may have to cover the h*** in the table where original machine sat with a small piece of plywood. Check to see that the belt pulley on the machine is lined up with the big flywheel in the treadle, drill two h***s in the plywood for the new treadle drivebelt to pass through You can test the alignment with some thick string to make sure nothing is rubbing where it shouldn't (on some sewing machines the base extends out too far and is in the way of the belt). Attach leather drive belt and sew away!
I have converted three electric sewing machines to treadlepower this way... I really wanted a treadle machine with zigzag, then an industrial stitcher, and a Singer 201 all-purpose.
Using a treadle to power a generator, inverter, battery arrangement is highly ineffiecient because of the massive energy losses in the system, and the comparatively high draw of a sewing machine motor... I am currently building a treadle-powered laptop charger and the amount of treadling for a tiny trickle of electricity will be huge. But if muscular calves are your goal...
cheers
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Comment by Reid Falconer on April 26, 2010 at 8:36pm
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Great Post! :)
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