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Vibrating windmill — 1 × 20 cm hard wood stick, end notched into ripples; propeller nailed at the tip; 15 cm scraper stick; scrape back and forth to make it vibrate and the propeller spins.
English
NongMali

Created by

NongMali

7. October 2026TH
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Vibrating windmill — 1 × 20 cm hard wood stick, end notched into ripples; propeller nailed at the tip; 15 cm scraper stick; scrape back and forth to make it vibrate and the propeller spins.

A vibrating windmill is a toy of the same type as the whirligig. It relies on vibrations from a stick that has been notched into wave-like ridges, which makes the propeller spin. This blueprint makes a real vibrating windmill at the size given in the source.
Beginner
About 1-2 hours

Instructions

1

Actual size

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2

Previously rotated

The turbine rotates using a rope to pull the shaft; the turbine vibrates using the vibration from scraping the rod that is bent into ripples.
3

Read from source

"The vibration of the wood is transmitted, creating waves and causing the propeller to rotate." (Sirindhorn Anthropology Center, author not specified, CC BY 4.0)
4

Pinwheel stick

Select a hardwood stick about 1 cm in diameter and approximately 20 cm long. Use a knife to shave it progressively from thicker to thinner. Shape the tip into wave-like ripples, and round the base into a handle grip.
Step 4 - Image 1

Materials for this step:

Hardwood BlockHardwood Block1 piece

Tools needed:

KnifeKnife
5

Propeller

Use a knife to whittle the wood into a propeller, drill a hole in the center, and hammer a nail firmly into the end of the stem, at least about 2.5 cm deep.
Step 5 - Image 1

Materials for this step:

NailsNails1 piece

Tools needed:

HammerHammer
6

Scraper stick

Use bamboo or hardwood, about 15 cm long and 0.7 cm in diameter, carved into a round shape that fits comfortably in the hand.
Step 6 - Image 1

Materials for this step:

Bamboo PolesBamboo Poles1 piece
7

Actual image

Actual vibrating turbine image (Sirindhorn Anthropology Center, unknown author, CC BY 4.0)
Step 7 - Image 1
Step 7 - Image 2
Step 7 - Image 3
8

How to Play

Hold the handle of the windmill crank with your left hand, and hold the scraper in the other hand. Scrape back and forth across the ridged section, and the vibration is transmitted to the propeller, making it spin.
Step 8 - Image 1
9

Troubleshooting

Turbine Vibration Troubleshooting

Flow

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10

History and Limitations

The vibrating turbine is a toy of the same type as the spinning top. Be careful of knives and hammers. Source: Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, Folk Tools and Implements Database "Vibrating Turbine" (author not specified) (license CC BY 4.0) **Limitations** The source does not provide the size of the blades, or the number or spacing of the ripples.

Materials

3

Tools Required

2
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This blueprint makes

CC0 Public Domain

This blueprint is released under CC0. You are free to copy, modify, distribute, and use this work for any purpose, without asking permission.

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