Greetings from western Virginia

[Windcatcher530 Dan]

From what I can tell from the pic is the 702 looks to be in good condition. I really like the old pedistal pump is still hooked up very original. Like the guys said a oil change wouldn't hurt and a little grease on the upper and lower furl system. Keep us posted. Thanks Dan!!!

[PaulV]

Welcome to the forum Dale. The distance from the bottom of the platform to the top of the upper step is a full step length. So I believe your mill is a 10', which is a B702. An 8' mill would typically have a 1/2 step length
under the platform.

The 8' and 10' mills take 2 qts of oil.

[ezwryder]

Welcome to the forum Dale. The distance from the bottom of the platform to the top of the upper step is a full step length. So I believe your mill is a 10', which is a B702. An 8' mill would typically have a 1/2 step length
under the platform.

The 8' and 10' mills take 2 qts of oil.

That is good information, thank you Paul. I am anxious to get back and do some discovery and rehab.

[Ron Stauffer]

Hey Paul, you should apply some discretion to the quick litmus of distinguishing between an 8 and 10. This tower is a good example where discretion is appropriate. The half step/full step only works with a legitimate Aermotor tower. The test relies on rung spacing per a standardized easy-to-build-up tower layout. A quick glance says this is an Aer tower but take a second glance to see in the top half of the bottom section and all the miss spaced steps. I looked a long time at it and think I know what is off with it. So it is a mixed bag of tower parts – Chicago X braces, FIASA or postF rungs, The bottom section likely has the rung hole spacing layout done upside down. Probably the section lap and anchor holes were done correctly or they would have had a difficult enough time assembling to know they were doing something wrong. The clue for the rung layout being upside down on the bottom section is that the bottom rung starts up too high and then at the top of the section they change over to mate with the second section. The laps between 1 & 2 sections and 2 & 3 half sections is correct as roughly a third of the rung is spaced above the lap and 2/3 below the lap. So the top part of the tower is laid out correctly so the half step/full step litmus works. I am guessing that at least the bottom ladder leg corner angle is 2.5 x 3/16 and not 2.5 x 1/8 making it newer/aftermarket/suspect.

The head of this mill is a classic for what is marketed as a 702. However, the tail vane, bone, helmet, wheel, furl lever and brake assembly are all aftermarket/reproduction. Not good enough pic to make determination on the spokes. So maybe the motor case and hub are original Chicago 702.

The Baker Monitor hand pump should be their newest 12-HD as it is the threaded bibb and has the adapter mounting ring for securing to the well casing. They did have a model set up for 2” pipe but I would guess you are going to have 1.25” pipe and 7/16” solid rod under the pump. You will want to service the packing on the pump also

Yes, the drop pipe would be hung on a pitless to do underground discharge to an uphill cistern besides plumbed in to the pump.. There should be a check valve on the discharge line on the lateral going up to the cistern outside the casing. Un clipping a pitless is easier than resetting it and a pump truck usage is appropriate.

Unsure of the perimeter reinforcing that is above the third girt of the tower. It could be for setting block and tackle for pulling pipe but is too low for standard 21’ pipe. There was a vendor who sold DIY setups that were 10’ pipes and rods. Your blessing is someone already laid it out and you only have to take apart and put it back together.

Chicago B702 takes 2 qts but a WE B702 takes 3. Oil and grease isnt going to make it pump so save that for last if you have to lay the tower down to service the well

Ron Stauffer
Montrose CO

[mtblah]

Paul & Ron , Thank you for knowing & sharing that information with all of us , not that we will remember off the top of the head , but , we will remember where to look a second time !

[PaulV]

Hey Paul, you should apply some discretion to the quick litmus of distinguishing between an 8 and 10. This tower is a good example where discretion is appropriate. The half step/full step only works with a legitimate Aermotor tower."

Agreed. Lots of non-standard stuff out there. The devil is in the details.

[ezwryder]

Un clipping a pitless is easier than resetting it and a pump truck usage is appropriate.

Thanks Ron for that info. It does not surprise me to hear that the system is a collection of parts. You should see the variety of materials used when they built the cabin. Nonetheless, it works, and after a little overhaul I think it will be very serviceable.

Can you elaborate on what a pump truck is, and its appropriate usage? I am not familiar with this.

[Ron Stauffer]

Pump truck/pump hoist rig/pulling unit. There are 5 different manufacturers

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The rigs are not quite as common in the East because of higher water table and a lot of submersibles are set on poly pipe. The rigs run on hydraulics either from the truck PTO or as mine with a deck engine. The main boom is raised by cylinders with a layback of 12' but does not rotate as a crane does. Stinger is extended from inside main boom for height of 36 to 48'. Outriggers level and stabilize. Main lines will lift 2 to 6k single and up to 12k parted. Options include second line, remote control etc. Lines are on drums hydraulic motor driven with automatic brakes when lines aren't engaged. They are the most versatile rigs when it comes to working on windmills, pumps and down hole.

There is different ways that yours could be set up below that hand pump. You say there is no water In the hand pump or it just drains out when not pumping? If none at all ever, then it has to have a stuffing box below the pump. There would just be sucker rod between the stuffing box and the hand pump if so. But that doesn't make sense as there is no purpose for the hand pump. If there is continuation of pipe and rod from the pitless up to the hand pump, there would be water in the pump when pumping, but would drain out when not pumping by a weep hole. Setups like this are more contrived with additional components that can fail besides just the leathers in the pump cylinder

I am familiar with appalachian ways as I grew up a hundred and fifty miles to the north of you just over the line where the dye color of uniforms changed. I like that area and have been down to Elkins and VPI. 35 years ago I started vacationing in the West and just had to move to the real mountains.

Ron

[Windcatcher530 Dan]

What i found when it comes to determine the size of a mill is to see what letter is on the main frame or gear box and to my surprise it's really accurate.

[ezwryder]

There is different ways that yours could be set up below that hand pump. You say there is no water In the hand pump or it just drains out when not pumping? If none at all ever, then it has to have a stuffing box below the pump. There would just be sucker rod between the stuffing box and the hand pump if so. But that doesn't make sense as there is no purpose for the hand pump. If there is continuation of pipe and rod from the pitless up to the hand pump, there would be water in the pump when pumping, but would drain out when not pumping by a weep hole. Setups like this are more contrived with additional components that can fail besides just the leathers in the pump cylinder

I don't know what's down there, yet, but this is what i am hoping to find when I pull everything.

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