Vintage Windmill and Wind Generator Forum

Does anyone make wood blades for windmills? I need some to repair a Baker Monitor L vaneless. What I have are made of cypress and I would like some additional blades of that wood.

Finding good cypress is a problem, I wish I would have bought $10k extra 25 years ago.

Some people today are using Poplar because of it being hard to get Cypress. Home Depot and Lowes sale a 1/4 X 6 X 48 of Poplar that I have made blades out of. You can get 2 blades from each piece. Just need to make you a jig for a table saw. Doesn't take long to cut what you need.

you also can get blades from Dan Benjamin if you want some ready to go

Dempster used Poplar originally on some, I have used it with poor results, it breaks up in hail really bad and it rots out fast. If you don't go with Cypress there are better choices than Poplar.

I use treated pine, find straight grain and let dry in weighted pile before working, uneven drying of wood will warp 10 percent of the blades, but they will out last cypress. Do not seal blades to ribs, drying prevents rot at that point