New Member: Fairbury Project

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rickrutland
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon May 18, 2020 5:20 pm
Location: Stockdale, TX

New Member: Fairbury Project

Post by rickrutland »

I just joined this group and have already learned a lot. Thanks! I have a Fairbury 8' that I think is a Model 7. I had never heard of Fairbury before.
It's been on the ground for years, but is in pretty good condition. I'm cleaning it up and reworking the tower.
I have a couple of quick questions:

1. Any idea where I might could get some parts? I need the ball bearing turntable, long spring for the tail and probably some other small stuff.
2. It will be ornamental and not pumping water, so I assume I need to hand a weight on the pump rod. Any suggestions for how much weight?
3 I downloaded some info from this site, but could use a diagram that would show brake, Furling (?) mechanism. I have the brake, but nothing else.

Thanks in advance!


Rick
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windybob
Posts: 3503
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:59 pm
Location: Ames Oklahoma

Re: New Member: Fairbury Project

Post by windybob »

Hey Rick welcome! Fairburys are common on the great plains. Made in Nebraska for many years. I have several, but have never worked on one. ( future projects). There should be no problem getting answers from others here on the site more familiar with them than me.
Call Dan Benjamin for parts. P M me for the phone number.
Kansas Rust Buzzard
Posts: 535
Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2018 9:33 pm

Re: New Member: Fairbury Project

Post by Kansas Rust Buzzard »

I personally love Fairburys. They have Timkens in them, often a mill on the ground will get a mouse nest in it and the bearings will rust up. They are neat because you can take out the cast iron carrier with the whole gear and shaft set in it and put it on the bench. Personally, I always torch the shafts out, its a lot less risky than breaking a cast part and the bearings probably are not coming off anyway. Take the bearings and races to your local bearing dealer, it usually costs me about $110 to replace all of them, get some cold rolled shafting and just put it all in new. There is an oil spring on the wheel shaft, sometimes they are rusted off, take a picture of it and all the rest before you mess with it, note direction of winding, also make note of shaft lengths. If the spring is shot get some music wire and wind another on a small lathe, its not real important how pretty it is, its just an auger for oil really. Fairburys sometimes have stubburn oil plugs, break it loose while its on the ground before you put it up. The linkage in the upper tower for the cut off is kind of funky, it has a turn table like bearing that will be shot, I usually take lubricated white plastic and make a new one. If your going to use the wheel brake, check it out real good, sometimes they need repair, sometimes they need bent, for me, they most often need to be in the iron pile behind the shed but everyone has their own opinion. I have seen a lot of Fairburys damaged by a brake out of adjustent, mine all pump so when the vane turns it off in a storm if they creep they have to move the cylinder and on deep wells it doesn't make a problem for me. If I was putting it up for display in your yard, I would dig a hole under it, put a drum or something in and hang the rod down it with a weight or spring so the windmill thinks its over a well. I do that on the wood vaneless mills all the time, they work better and don't creep much when off. Again, these are my opinions and what I do, everyone else will have their own ideas and I am happy for them.
Dave Straub
Posts: 95
Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2018 10:49 am
Location: Syracuse Ne
Contact:

Re: New Member: Fairbury Project

Post by Dave Straub »

We have worked on Fairburys and have a few comments. When replacing the wheel shaft and the end that sticks out the small gear, some mills have a weak pean on the shaft end and when the pean fails you will find the wheel and shaft laying in your front yard. The solution is to drill and tap the shaft end with 5/16" thread and install a bolt and washer. Yes the brake is a poor design and needs careful adjusting. We made some changes and if interested I can supply a photo. Also swapping parts sometimes won't work as changes were made during production. Like the cradle assembly may not work in a different case. The small gears seem to wear and become pointy after a while. The helical gears are a good idea as two teeth are under load at all times vs one tooth on standard gears.
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