Dynamo! How to build them

You get two books on building DC generators in one cover: one by Crofts (1900) - A practical treatise for amateurs containing numerous illustrations and detailed instructions for constructing a small dynamo; the other by Watson (1895): How to build a fifty-light dynamo or four horse-power motor.

Dynamos are machines that can be used as direct current generators or motors, similar to the motors used on old diesel-electric submarines. You could probably build exact replica of these machines and get excellent results, but these machines needed soft iron castings for the field windings. You could build a cupola and probably pour your own, or you could use this a starting point and perhaps adapt the iron from an existing machine together with the instructions here to develop a hybrid.

Crofts talks about the early history of the electric light, the framework of the dynamo, the castings for the dynamo, fitting-up the dynamo, winding the dynamo, the dynamo completed, management, semi-incandescent lights and dynamos as motors.

You'll see drawings of all the components from the shaft, commutator, shaft rocker, lubricator, the gramme motor, multiple windings and more.

This machine will power about ten 16 candle-power lamps, is about 16 inches wide and requires about 14 pounds of copper wire for the field magnets (more if shunt wound), with about 4-1/2 pounds for the amature.

Crofts book (British) contains much text explaining to the raw beginner what he's up against and how to get the machine generating electricity.

Watson's book (American) on the other hand contains detailed dimensioned drawings and less text. This is a big machine with a base about 34" long by about 20" wide. The field windings will require 38 to 42 pounds of copper wire, but remember this will generate four horsepower when used as an electric motor, and that's a continuous rating. T'aint no toy, jack.

Judging from the size and condition of Watson's book, it has to be rare. The machine may be a bit big for the average builder, but the contents ought to be reprinted and passed along to modern day builders. And so we have.

This is raw historical background material that will give you an idea of how primitive a machine can be and still produce useable amounts of energy.

So find an old AC pole transformer or motor and scrap the copper. Take a torch and cut the laminations into the shapes you need. It should be okay if they melt together because laminations are needed for AC to reduce Eddy currents, and this is a DC machine where there will be none. So you have low-cost ways of adapting available materials. Interesting book. Worth having. Neither book can be that common, but you can a copy of each for a very reasonable price.
5-1/2 x 8-1/2 softcover about 192 pages