Blade finishing
Now that the blade halves have been stuck together and filled with foam, the
last stage is the blade finishing. This involves filling any gaps on the blade
edges, adding a thin ‘veil’ of fibre glass to the leading edge, sanding down any
imperfections and painting (if required).
Fill any gaps along the leading edge with good quality filler, such as car body
filler. Leave this to dry.
Sand the blade along the leading edge and ensure that the surface is smooth.
Add a narrow strip of CSM fibreglass to the leading edge. Two layers should
be applied. This is to help hold together the two blade halves and also to add
an additional layer to help protect the leading edge. Lightweight 100gsm CSM
was used for this, although 200gsm CSM may also work. Additional resin will
be required and, as this will be exposed to the sun, this should be outer layer
resin mixture. Approximately 200g of resin will be required. Once dry, sand
again.
Fill any gaps on the blade surface with good quality filler, such as car body
filler. Leave this to dry.
Sand the blade to ensure that all the surfaces are smooth, especially along
the leading edge. The edge of the trailing edge should be thin, approximately
1mm or less width. This will be the final sanding process.
Clean the blade well to remove any dust or dirt.
If toner has not been used, the blades will need painting, both for protection
and aesthetics. Good quality paint should be used, preferably with an
undercoat layer. Spraying is the preferred (and easiest) method of application.
The blades are now complete! The next stage is to drill the holes to attach it to
your wind turbine generator…..
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