ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

I agree with previous posters that the issue is more likely the handle
configuration than the generator itself.

To that end McMaster-Carr sells nice "hand wheels" that are very robust:

< http://www.mcmaster.com/#hand-wheels/=lt011j >

Make sure you choose the "solid" style rather than the "spoked" style.

Happy cranking!


--------------------------------------------------

Paul Orselli, President and Chief Instigator

Paul Orselli Workshop (POW!)
World Headquarters
1684 Victoria Street
Baldwin, NY  11510

(516) 223-1043

POW! website
<http://www.orselli.net>

Exhibit tips + tricks at the ExhibiTricks blog:
<http://blog.orselli.net/>


On Sat, Mar 9, 2013 at 12:11 PM, Ian Russell <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
> institutions.
>
> *****************************************************************************
>
> I have contributed regularly to ASTC-L for many years without ever
> promoting
> my own exhibits, but it seems that the following information will be useful
> for anyone looking to strengthen an existing exhibit...
>
> Here are two photos of hand-cranked generator exhibits we produce. They
> were
> originally designed as one of our portable interactives for outreach etc,
> but we also often sell them for permanent displays.
>
> Short links: http://bit.ly/Xy9Bhw and http://bit.ly/ZzTuxW
>
> They have incandescent, halogen and LED lamps. The really neat feature of
> well configured exhibits of this kind is the startlingly heavy 'drag' you
> feel on the crank the instant a lamp is switched on. But scarcely any drag
> with the dazzling, energy-efficient LED lamp. It is a real test of strength
> (and a test of the crank-handle!) to get any amount of light from a 35w
> incandescent lamp!
>
> We use a modified heavy-duty lathe-handle for the crank. After some early
> failures, we even found it necessary to strengthen these by modifying the
> hand-grips! You can see how we did it, by replacing the grip with a red
> ball
> to minimise the leverage it exerts. After years of heavy use in
> installations all over the world, as far as I know none of these modified
> cranks have ever broken.
>
>
> Promoting public engagement with science
> through a contagious delight in phenomena
> *
> [log in to unmask] * http://www.interactives.co.uk
> *
> http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/ian-russell/0/636/305
> *
> Give people facts and you feed their minds for an hour.
> Awaken curiosity and they feed their own minds for a lifetime.
> *
> Ian Russell
> .
>
> ***********************************************************************
> For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and
> the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
>
> Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at
> www.exhibitfiles.org.
>
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***********************************************************************
For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.

Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.

The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit
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