Hollow Mendo Block

thingiverse

This is the rotor block for the mendocino motor. The hole is 3/8" and is sized for a standard dowel. The magnets I've used have an interior dimension of 3/8". Wire is wrapped in the grooves, and solar cells are mounted on the flats. The way I have made the mendo motor in the past depended on a 1" balsa block with a similar shape. The grooves were put in with a router table and custom jig. The center hole was done with a drill press. I don't have access to those tools, so am developing this as a way of making the motor without use of the woodshop tools. Here is an article on the Mendo Motor: http://fussingwithstuff.com/2008/06/mendocino-motor.html Instructions Make it on the Makerbot or similar tool. Insert an 8" long 3/8" dowel. Wrap two lengths of 50' long magnet wire. solder the cells to the ends of the wire. Assemble the rotor on the base using 1 1/18" x 1/4" ceramic magnets.