Windmill FAIL

[o2batsea]

finally got round to putting up the pond aeration windmill. It was going pretty well until the thing was about ten feet up. At that point the fiberglass pole I was using for a support gave out and the thing came down head first. I think I can save some of it, but it's pretty jacked up. As they say, back to the drawing board.

 

[handirifle]

That sucks. Glad no one was hurt.

 

[Little_Grizzly]

Was this a homebrew windmill? A kit? Like to share the details?

 

[boggen]

youch!

details of size that it was?

 

[Domush]

Pics or it didn't happen (don't you wish, right? )

Sorry to hear about it, but I still want to see the carnage :ashamed:

 

[Agent Blue]

That don't sound good. I have a couple to put up. The latest was found on a rock pile that fell from a 40 foot tower. the case is fine and it took a day to reshape the wheel and sails. Probably need a crane to set them so I hope to get all three ready for one trip.

 

[BHD]

finally got round to putting up the pond aeration windmill. It was going pretty well until the thing was about ten feet up. At that point the fiberglass pole I was using for a support gave out and the thing came down head first. I think I can save some of it, but it's pretty jacked up. As they say, back to the drawing board.

sounds more like a tower failure, if you could call that a tower. hope you can salvage it,

I realize this is a different kind of mill, but they can be set up with out a crane,
this one a 54 foot tower, and a 12 foot mill close to a 1000 pounds in the head,

and this is taking the tower down when it was only 40 foot with out the head on it,
I used a Jin pole to take the head down, took the fan sections off first, and then the head, moved it in one piece, and then made a new lower section on it for 14 foot more height, on the tower,

 

[o2batsea]

Thanks for all the replies. Yes it's a homebrew windmill, a Lenz 2 turbine vertical that works a pair of bellows.
The glass support pole was just a bit undersized I guess. It was going up fine but the pole was deflecting quite a bit and it let go on what appeared to be a weak spot. It had gone up ok in earlier tests but that maybe weakened it for the real deal.
In any case the frame and the spokes the wings mount to got wrecked, but the wings themselves are ok and those are the most important thing anyway.
The new frame will be steel not fiberglass. The spokes will be more robust and the bellows strengthened.
I also plan to place it on the shore line where the breeze comes in off the chesapeake rather than back in the woods where it is sheltered. That way it need not be up high, it can be almost ground level and get tons of wind. Just hafta run a long garden hose back to the pond.