Thread: How to make a fan blade?

Anyone ever needed to make a fan blade? I need one for my small home built compressor but the catch is i have dogs and when i loan it out kids may be around the air compressor, is there some way of making a fan blade so it will turn under normal conditions but if someone or something stops the blade like little fingers or a dogs tail or paw that the blade will stop turning? Need ideas

Only thing you can do is put a cage around the fan.

Yeah that is a lot of work Phaser i dont have any material either i was thinking i could float the fans bushing on the shaft and some how link the fan blade to the shaft by very weak rubber bands so if there is any tesistance the bands will break

Originally Posted by gazza2009au

Yeah that is a lot of work Phaser i dont have any material either i was thinking i could float the fans bushing on the shaft and some how link the fan blade to the shaft by very weak rubber bands so if there is any resistance the bands will break

The angular momentum of a full size set of blades blades is still going to bite unless the blades are made out of something like foam rubber and then are not really going to work very efficiently.

A better approach would be to use something like multiple small soft plastic drone blades. These blades will sting but won't cut skin.
Mythbusters did an episode on this showing it takes a big drone blades to cut skin.

However, by they time you set up 4 such blades I reckon you might as well just build a decent guard for a full size blade. A bit of sheet metal, a few brackets and some chicken wire is all that is needed.

Could a loose "o" ring drive be adjusted enough to just barely drive the fan coupled with a light weight cardbooard blade?

How big is the compressor Gazza? Would the likes of a larger diam (125mm) electric equipment cooling fan be enough airflow? They are shrouded around the outside and if mounted close to the compressor head would only need a grille over the outside.

Steve

Trouble is, a fan blade with some sort of slip device is normally not smart enough to tell the difference between needing to slip because a finger is present and not slipping because it has to move air.

If you are going to all this trouble to make a dinky compressor to loan to people, why is building a guard too much effort?

Michael

Yeah i think it may be a wild idea trying to make the slipper fan i will try make some sort of cage just need to find suitable supplies

How about buying a cheap fan, maybe something like this:
https://www.ebay.com.au/p/Heller-HHD...iABEgJy9vD_BwE
to get a ready made cage. You might even be able to use the blades, though I doubt there would be enough material in the hub.

Frank

I thought about buying this fan https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/CONDENSE...sAAMXQVT9SvPI2 but at $60 it is quiet expensive than i need to buy a billet of aluminium to turn on the lathe for the center of the fan to bolt to plus the cage it will all be adding up in cost

A lawn mower flywheel and cowling would do the trick, depending on size of the pump?
If it is smaller then maybe a the same parts from an old brush cutter could fit.
Try your local mower shops as they normally have a spare parts pile of old stuff that is not worthwhile reparing.

cheers, shed

Water cool it then water the garden at the same time

The simple and safest way is to put the compressor in the kids play pen and the compressor will be perfectly safe from every body.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Vintage-...kAAOSwfbhbzQSo

Maybe pick up something like this??

Steve

or 20 bucks for a brand new exhaust fan from Bunnings. Will need to box in the motor and wiring though.