How to Build a Water Wheel Pump

Aside from pulverizing granules, this utility can help in providing drinkable water. Here is a guide to help you build a water wheel pump.

Required Tools and Materials

Protractor
Scissors
Saw or cutter
Pails or buckets
Hammer
Nails
Wood planks
Skewer
Ruler
Pen

Make the Paddles

Lay down a wood plank and put a ruler or straight wood beam on it. Put the beam or ruler about 2 inches from the end. Illustrate a straight line. Using the ruler divide this into ten equal lines.

Make the Circles

Use the protractor to make two circles. Make them as big as you want your wheels to be. Be aware of the midpoint as it will be the axle. If you don’t know how to use a protractor, any circular object (like a bottle or large pot) will do. When you build a water wheel pump, just be sure the sizes are accurate.

Make the Stand

There is no standard look and design here. It just needs to be something the wheels can stand on. If you want the traditional look, cut a couple of pieces from the wood planks. Shape them like a triangle. You should also construct a vertical beam for more strength.

Never lose sight of the wheel size when putting the base together. The foundation has to be solid. You might consider making a square base for the triangles too. Whatever the design, be sure to add some grooves or indentations. This is for the wheels.

Cutting the Boards

What you need to do now to build a water wheel pump is cut the paddles. Get the board with the ten segments. Cut each one using your handsaw. The circles you made earlier have to be cut too.

Putting Everything Together

Set the paddles 40 degrees among the two wheels. Apply a liberal amount of glue to keep it in place. Now put the skewer through the middle of the wheels. Take the whole structure and set it on the base you made earlier. Put the pails or buckets in place. The addition of the buckets is the final step when you build a water wheel pump.

Tips and Warnings

Before you start think about what you’ll be using it for. If you’re going to pump water or saw wood, you will need to make large wheels. It also follows that you have to create a larger base.

The point is all the pieces have to be in proportion for it to work. The manner in which the paddles are set is also important. In this example, deviating from the 40 degree angle will render the device ineffective.

Always put on goggles and gloves to keep your hands and eyes protected. Any saw type will do, but regardless of the type, be careful when using it. Alternatively you can use a cutter. You should also have some cloth to wipe away any excess glue.

When you build a water wheel pump, you’ll get a utility that can serve myriad functions. As long as it’s made properly, it can serve you for a good many years.