How to Build an Electrical Generator

Electric generators may be the thing of the future. Although most of us won’t be independent from the power grid any time soon, we can still learn to generate small amounts of electricity for our home appliances. A small electrical generator can be used to power a light bulb, which can be very handy in a blackout or an emergency situation.

Things You'll Need

• Plexiglas box (3" width, 1" thickness)
• Electric Tape
• 1cm x 2cm x 5cm ceramic magnet bars
• Magnet wire 200'
• Miniature Lamp, 1.5V 25mA
• Large nail, 8cm long or more
• Knife or sandpaper to strip the wires

Instructions

1. Place the Plexiglas box in front of you on a table. Draw an “X” on the front side of your box. Drill a hole with the same width of the nail you will use in the center of the “X." Do the same procedure on the opposite wall of Plexiglas.

2. Put the nail through the hole in the front of the box and out the other side of the box. Connect your ceramic block magnets to the nail inside of the box. Just sort of sandwich the bar magnets to the nail.

3. Tape a piece of magnet wire to the outside of the box. Wind the wire around the box about 200 to 300 times.

4. Scrape the enameling off the ends of the wires.

5. Apply a little tape to hold the wires in place, but leave enough wire sticking out and away from the box (about an inch for the leads that are bent away from the box). Wrap the leads around a small light bulb.

6. Turn the nail around roughly to get the light to turn on.