Stover Airflow disassembly

[TomsWaterPumper]

Haha! Got bored with the M, so you switched to the AirFlow. LOL

Something like that... I started dismantling the Airflow thinking I would harvest the gears to repair "Project lost cause", the 10ft Sears Roebuck Stover S model . Both have the same diameter and teeth count gears, same manufacturer, but that's where the similarities end, and "take a wrong toyn at Albuquerque".

The gear's shaft mounting, both crank and pinion are completely different. So are the intact connecting rods, good condition but a completely different design.

The splined drive shaft is still stuck in the housing. Now that the hub is out of the way, my oxy-acetelyne torch should help persuade it to move. Once I extract the drive shaft, I can remove the pinions and get a look at both the crank gear and pinion gear's plain bearing conditions (both are cast iron on cast iron).

Can you confirm from the pics that this is an Airflow? Any idea if I have, an 8ft, 10ft, or what?

This one is missing the tail regulator and vane, bonnet, spokes and wheel.

[windybob]

I don't have one of those, so I can't help much. I would say that if you measure the length of the entire tail, that will give a goo idea of the size of the mill. eg. 8 ft tail, 8 ft size mill etc.

6 1/2, 8 1/2 and 10 1/2 were the sizes of this mill. And yes it is a Airflow. They had that unusual design of hub/shaft combination. If you have the Windmill "bible" on page 306-307 it tells about it. NOTE>>>THE WHEEL IN THE PICTURE IN THE BOOK IS INCORRECT. That is a wheel from a Monitor 6 ft windmill.
If the hub on your mill has a 4 hole hub, it's more likely a small mill. If it has 5 or 6 holes, it's either a medium or large mill. The wheel in the picture is a 4 spoke (arm) wheel. I can't see the hub clear enough to know if the hub actually has 4 holes, or more. I do know that 6 ft Aermotor mills have 6 spokes, and Dempsters have 5 spokes. If they put a 4 spoke wheel on a 5 spoke hub, then they went through a lot of work. Not only that, but the Monitor spins backwards of a Stover mill.

[windybob]

Maybe CTXMiller can throw you some numbers to compare.

[CTXmiller]

Yours looks like a 10.5’ Airflow as it is bigger than my 8.5’. Here is a photo of the internals of a 8.5’.

[TomsWaterPumper]

Yours looks like a 10.5’ Airflow as it is bigger than my 8.5’. Here is a photo of the internals of a 8.5’.

Off the top of my head, I know my large crank gears measure 11.2"

[CTXmiller]

I was basing the size comparison (8.5’ v 10.5’) on the hub sizes and bolt holes on the hubs as your hub has more bolt holes to affix to the spokes. Yours is indicative of a larger mill.

[CTXmiller]

Here is a photo I believe I captured off the old forum and I believe this one to be a 6.5’.

[TomsWaterPumper]

...it is a Airflow. They had that unusual design of hub/shaft combination. If you have the Windmill "bible" on page 306-307 it tells about it. NOTE>>>THE WHEEL IN THE PICTURE IN THE BOOK IS INCORRECT. That is a wheel from a Monitor 6 ft windmill.

The Airflow's hub/shaft design has a lot going for it. The bending moment is carried by the large cast iron housing, the torsional load is carried by the relatively small driveshaft, the 'divide and conquer' philosophy. It's the same principle and design concept as a 'full floating' rear axle used in a lot of 3/4 and larger trucks (serious racecars, too). Like a big truck, the Airflow's spinning wheel and hub ride on a pair of larger Timken bearings, that center and are supported by the large diameter 'snout' of the mill body, which is very strong. You can remove the drive cap's 3 bolts, remove the splined axle without touching the wheel or hub. Just like a full floating truck axle, if the axle shaft twists and breaks, work stops but the hub and wheel don't fall off and crash to the ground.

'windmill bible' is this The Field Guide to American WIndmills by Lindsay Baker?

If the hub on your mill has a 4 hole hub, it's more likely a small mill. If it has 5 or 6 holes, it's either a medium or large mill....

The hub shown in CTXMiller's pic on page 1 of this thread has provisions for 5 spokes, he indicates his is an 8.5

My hub takes 6 spokes, (2) bolts per attachment point. That's a good indication mine is a 10.5ft I suppose.

[TomsWaterPumper]

I was basing the size comparison (8.5’ v 10.5’) on the hub sizes and bolt holes on the hubs as your hub has more bolt holes to affix to the spokes. Yours is indicative of a larger mill.

I see what you mean, your 5 spoke hube w/single holes vs my 6 spokes hub w/2 holes to attachment. Mine has to be for a heavier duty/larger mill.

Can you easily measure your crank gear size, so I can compare?

Here is a photo I believe I captured off the old forum and I believe this one to be a 6.5’.

The green painted one is definitely lighter duty than mine

[windybob]

According to the picture , rotation IS.. CCW. I thought being a Stover, it would be CW. Surprise.

Yes that is the book.