Hello All / Beatty Restoration

[Joshschneids]

Hey everyone, i would like to say thanks to Paul for starting this forum. I have come across many windmill related questions and you can not just go and ask anyone about them like cars etc. as we all know. That being said i am looking forward to seeing some great posts on here and learnig more about some cool mills. My name is Josh and i am from Ontario Canada and i have had an interest in Windmills ever since i aquired a Beatty Windmill from my grandpa. I recently pulled my Beatty Windmill out of my grandpa’s shed where it sat for 20+ years and he got it from a local farm about 2 miles from where i grew up in southern Ontario. I have now transported it to my garage and am now starting to slowly tear it apart. Anyways just thought i would introduce myself. Here are some pics of my project so far.

[wind fab]

hey josh

where in ontario are you, im south of hamilton

paul

[Joshschneids]

hey josh

where in ontario are you, im south of hamilton

paul

Hey Paul, i am up towards Parry Sound. Moved here a few years ago. Grew up just north of waterloo out in the boonies. I am down in that area a lot as i still have family there.

[PaulV]

Thanks for sharing Josh! Your mill looks to be in pretty good shape. Wheel arms appear to be made from pipe???

[Joshschneids]

The mill seems to be in decent shape. A couple broken cast pieces i will have to get welded but nothing major. Yes the wheel arms if i remember off hand are about 3/4” pipe and they thread into the Cast hub. This is something i have found only the Beatty’s to have and i think it is pretty cool. However one thing from looking at the mill i can see where water got into the tubes and froze over the winter and split the tubing. Not bad by any means. What amazed me the most was all of the 11/16” bolts on this thing that attatched the 6 blade sections came off with 2 wrenches and i never had to add heat at all. Pretty amazing for a almost 100 year old machine that lived most of its life getting beat in the elements.

[Wayne]

Taking the bolts apart. I had the same experience with a Freeman I took apart. I was amazed how easy all the nuts came off. Are you going to replace the arms that are split? That might be a chore getting them out of the hub.

[Peter vk]

Hi Josh, a lot of the time the hub is also cracked where the pipe screws in. water gets in there and freezes.
Peter

[Joshschneids]

Taking the bolts apart. I had the same experience with a Freeman I took apart. I was amazed how easy all the nuts came off. Are you going to replace the arms that are split? That might be a chore getting them out of the hub.

Yes i imagine the bolts had a much more loose tolerance to the threads back then and that is why they come apart. My theory at least. I will remove the wheel arms. 2 are out and i am going to have to heat up the other 4 to get them out. I will not replace the pipes as the splits are very minor. I am going to shoot some youtube videos of the restoration.

[wind fab]

josh

you have to apply heat to the face of the hub directly above the wheel arm pipe, like dull red. they can be tough and if your not replacing you might consider leaving them alone

paul in canada

[Joshschneids]

Paul

Thanks very much. I think i will take your advice and leave them. They are all in good shape and solid. I have 2 wheel arms that came out upon sail removal as the ends had collapsed and they slid out of the hub. The hub itself is fine but the threads on the arm are buggered and rusted through. I think i will cut the end off and get a piece of threaded pipe and weld it to the end and thread them back in. Thinking i could buy a pre threaded piece of gas pipe at the hardware store and hopefully the threads will fit. Do you have any experience with the threads and know if they are a standard pipe thread? Thanks! Josh