Junk Engineering

>>1242764
DC motors work as generators, so find a big one and build a machine to spin it. No need to get much into the theory of it, just find some parts and mess around. Here's a good video of what I'm talking about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DfKeigoDI4

As for components, I've had good luck at flea markets, but otherwise just look for junk on the side of the road.

>>1242774
>>1242764
Permanent magnet motors are the easiest ones to get up and producing electric. The other types can be used too, but some need the stator charged to make the field and some need that plus being spun at around 10% faster than their rated speed to do it.

Creating your own permanent magnet generator is also pretty easy and can have much tougher durability than simply refitting a used motor.

>How the hell do I start amassing components?

Look up what you need for your project first. Then look for stuff that have those things in them. Junkyards will sell you items, that's part of their trade. Car alternators are a prime DIY salvage item for this sort of thing. For smaller stuff, look for office printers that have big motors in them as well as treadmill exercise equipment.

While you can salvage all the parts you need, some things are better sourced online from mouser or digikey where you can buy exactly the specs you need and know it works 100%. For things like start/run caps you can normally find t hose at hardware stores. For very large caps, like for sustaining a charge for initial starting of a salvaged motor's magnetic field, you may find what you need in power supply units and old old CRT TVs. Buying those new can be pretty expensive.