Windmill tower

[Agent Blue]

I bought a pile of old windmill parts with a pump, some fan blades, bent tower supports and spent a day sorting and checking what was usable. To my surprise the pump dates back to 1901 with its cast iron case survived the fall from a forty foot tower when taken down, or I should say crash. There were sufficient pieces to complete an eight foot fan so I temporarily set it up on a test stand to check for seal and bearing problems.
With a pile of bent tower remains I picked through the pieces straightening and welding pieces together to form a shorter twenty five foot tower. The base is 8'6" square made up of short 2x2x1/8" short pieces. In place of the wire that held most towers in place I used 1" strapping. The plan is to place the head on the tower in spring.

 

[DJ54]

Are you going to use it on the pump in the background..??

 

[Markcuda]

Here is the windmill the wife and I put up 25 years ago.

 

[BHD]

Raising my 12' mill on a 60 foot tower, picture of taking down the 47 foot tower, and some of the finished project,

 

[BHD]

the tower steps on your short tower are on upside down the little bent part is to help keep your foot from slipping off,

and normally there staggered opposite not across from each other,

 

[Agent Blue]

the tower steps on your short tower are on upside down the little bent part is to help keep your foot from slipping off,

and normally there staggered opposite not across from each other,

Thanks for the tip. I was wondering when I placed them if a guy had bigger boots on how they would fit into the enclosures. Will rectify when the pump is added.... amateurs,.... grrrrrrrr

It will just be for decoration, not for pumping unless I bury a plastic drum with a drain back for the complete transfer between two sources. That would be easy to do while I am digging supports in as well.

 

[Agent Blue]

Here is the windmill the wife and I put up 25 years ago.

Neat ..... That is what I had in mind. The twenty five footer will be by the house. I have a forty foot tower and an extra Aermotor head that will be in the pond area. Always thought they were beautiful. We never had one on the home farm.

 

[Markcuda]

Mine did start out as a 50 footer, but, the last 25 feet were ok for us.LOL
Are the 3 leg towers very common?
I never did put the platform on.

 

[Agent Blue]

A twelve foot fan is something I have only dreamed of. Beautiful but at sixty feet in the air it will look like an eight foot. As you can tell I don't have a lot of knowledge on mills but trial and error things will work out. I love the A frame you use to take down and put up the tower system. I got a crane estimate of four hundred ( two hours job site plus travel time ) so I may build an A frame. I have some scrap left over and it would simplify the task. Besides having to depend on someone else's schedule sometimes does not work out. Awesome pictures by the way.

 

[Agent Blue]

Mine did start out as a 50 footer, but, the last 25 feet were ok for us.LOL
Are the 3 leg towers very common?
I never did put the platform on.

In my area many six foot fans had three post towers for shallow wells. I made a four leg tower because I just like the looks of it. It will also be easier to level on four steel ground supports. I mostly work alone so I scratch my head first and decide details later. More exciting that way. One thing about metal projects. After your done one can see the short cuts and view lessons learned.

* Gold winger here.... Riding in trouble free silence. Someday I will try a Harley.

 

[Markcuda]

* Gold winger here.... Riding in trouble free silence. Someday I will try a Harley.

Check out my website, you may be surprised at the miles on my 03 Ultra

 

[BHD]

tower hinges,
I made a set, for the project, they clamp on to the anchor and will let the tower pivot and line up correctly,

also if your planning on tilt up or down a tower, add some extra bracing on the base as most likely the angle iron in the tower many not be enough to keep from bending,
I went across the legs with what would be a temporary horizontal braces when standing making the base of the tower work as a unit not just the two legs pivoting, on the hinges. the a frame give some much needed leverage, and to help start the lift a jin pole helps as well, place out in front of the line,

I had side ropes on the tower as well so if a leg would have collapsed the mill would not have swung side ways crashing

I use the mill for water pumping for the farm, and cattle, the well is 280 feet deep,

 

[Agent Blue]

RE Tower Hinges;
I have a 8'6" base constructed of 1/8" square tubing that will add strength to the tower while it is lifted. At 25 feet I don't believe there will be too much strain on the angle braces especially with the A frame pole lift. I could see on a forty foot plus tower they would work well.
Hard to believe it can lift water in a well that deep.

 

[BHD]

be sure to tie the lower legs down so it does not slide if you try to tilt it up, no at 20 feet most likely one could make a jin pole on a tractor loader and set it up if you have a full size tractor, and 8 foot or smaller head, so set up the tower and put the head on after it is set up,

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I have a 10 foot mill on the short stroke and it pumps 265 feet up and then over 1/2 mile about 3000 feet horizontal on the surface to a tank, and it also has about another 30 foot of elevation on the surface where the tank is,