Vintage Windmill and Wind Generator Forum

I would not guarantee that all had the numbers. MAybe some real early ones didn't. ?

Those are some real good hints Ivan!

Sorry I have to correct myself they do have patent dates they don't have initiials or manufacturer dates on the wheel loop I forget to recalibrate my brain this morning.

More coffee can fix that....lol

With all of this wise information you have all given me, it sounds like the head was probably manufactured around 1930, correct? Thanks

Look on the upper one side of the hoop, and clean the slightly flattened area. It should have a month and year number.

Earlier Aermotor towers (before mid 1920s?) often had 20' leg sections. Later Aermotor ETBU ("Easy to Bolt Up") towers had sections about 14'.

Perhaps this is not an issue in AZ, but here in WI we have a thing called rain, and then another thing called winter. Whenever I see an Aermotor lying in this position (wheel down), with evidence that it's been there for a while, I can say, before I even get out of the truck and look: "First off, you have a broken hub."

The hub fills up with water and then cracks when it freezes.

LoTec, The broken hub due to water freezing is exactly the problem I am currently dealing with.

That is a really nice find. I would really like to find a three legged Aermotor tower. Looks to be in super good shape too.

waterPumper wrote: ↑Mon May 16, 2022 9:41 am LoTec, The broken hub due to water freezing is exactly the problem I am currently dealing with.

It looks like you have the chunk that broke out, that's good. I have welded the piece back in with nickel rod.

Of course, it's preferable to have the hub & shaft out of the mill to weld it so you don't risk melting the babbitt.

The biggest headache is trying to get the welded-in patch in the right position so the oil collector will just scrape the inside. I always grind a bevel on the outer edges of the patch and the hole in hub to give more surface area for weld to adhere; but I have learned it is a good idea to also grind a slight bevel on the inside edges so the oil collecter will not catch on any protruding edges. Unfortunately, sometimes some of the weld material gets through to the inside and makes a slight burr or bump, and then the oil collector goes CLUNK with every rev.

I first just tack the patch in place, put the shaft back in the mill and and check that the hub turns smoothly on the oil collector. I try to note the path the oil collector will travel and weld very lightly over those spots, to avoid internally protruding material if possible. When I'm done welding I usually slather the outside with epoxy to seal up any potential oil leaks.