Vintage Windmill and Wind Generator Forum

Windcatcher530 Dan wrote: Tue May 27, 2025 6:55 pm Just my Opinion!! That is one piss-pore design,i don't see any advantage to it.. With out the feet that would seem to be very wobbly. Ok I'm done.

It's very wobbly just laying there it's super easy to bend and twist without trying.

So just standard anchors and then the main tower angle and the x brace just bolt to the anchor leg. Interesting never seen or worked with a tower like this before.

So getting ready to put this mill up, a star 37, on this tower. But have never seen or used a tower like this. So on the anchors that go in to the ground are there three holes on one side with the small angle iron piece below the main angle iron with two holes?

Well took a break from it, came back built a big puller lots of drilling, lots of heating and got it off. Not sure why such the fight there was maybe a 1/4 of partial key left so I wouldn't anticipate that was the hold up but one may never know.

Haven't decided next steps yet. Probably a new main ...

I looked at the old mainshaft from mine. No hub threads, just the nut threads on the end. The entire length of the shaft (for the hub) is tapered for the hub. And then the key. I would imagine a very tight fit. I would also imagine heating the hub before the big pull.


Thanks windy, I've put ...

Well we will try this weekend with some heat and the puller plate. Hopefully fingers crossed it pops off then the repairs can begin, again.

Thanks Mike ill let you know, I have another plan I thought of just going to take some time to build a custom puller.

mtblah wrote: Sun Sep 08, 2024 5:19 am Brandon , I’m in New Braunfels if I can help
Got a 20 ton press
Mike B

Well, things did not go well this week. The key is completely drilled out but the hub will not budge not sure why it's not a press fit but something has gone wrong and we'll the hub flange snapped. I've been here before and it was taken to a machine shop to press the hub off, I just don't know what ...

Well we have taken a few steps back. Putting it together last night noticed another crack had developed right above the keyway in the hub. Not the end of the world but frustrating, went to drill out the new key to remove the hub for welding and the drill bit snapped halfway through. So no we have a ...

I used to do it the old fashioned way, now if I have a digger derrick handy sometimes I hand the tower secured until the concrete dries on the anchors. Now I often hinge them and on some I build a square base to hinge out of oil field pipe, I don't like the looks of a pipe frame on the ground but ...