Vintage Windmill and Wind Generator Forum

Ron, I'm not sure what you mean by wheel tension. I assembled it like a drawing I found online. As for the furl system, my bolts are 15 inches down from the top of stub. But I dont see how that would affect the way the furl system works. It can only bolt in the one spot. Say you bolt it together without a stub tower at all. The length of angle iron from the bolt to the top would only affect the tower base width. I'm going with an 8' x 8' overall base.

The top of the stub tower is very tight to the mast. I had a couple big c clamps holding it tight while I welded it. I thought about welding it to the mast, but didnt because I think the mast is cast iron. I could be wrong.Are you concerned about the mast unscrewing from the bottom mounting plate? That thing is very rusted stuck. I was hoping to get that off so I could weld the tower together and then drop the mast in from the top, but i couldn't get that off. I tried heat and lube and alot of torque, it wouldn't budge. So I had to weld it together around the mast.

Appreciate the feedback. Definitely correct me if wrong. I didnt join this forum for atta boys, I joined because I need help. Thanks!!

Working on the tail bone, I think I need to rework the spot where the buffer attaches. It's hard to tell by the pictures ctxmiller provided. I bolted it up so i can change the angle to where its supposed to be. It looks like the 2 bells on the original go inside to outside, opposite top to bottom. And it looks like they are close to 90* bends. I think one of my bolt holes is off. Mine is at more of an angle, but hard to see in the pictures provided. My parts should be here tomorrow so maybe that will help with mocking it up.

The diagram is correct but does not match your installation. If you look at one individual section (3 blades), you will see that each outer band end of one section is either both on the outside or both on the inside. They are meant to alternate or overlap. Pay no attention to the arc lines in the diagram with the arrow ends. The outer band configuration is the lines that are actually shown on the spokes in the diagram. An Aermotor wheel under tension is stronger when it comes to force against the wheel. How I can tell that the wheel is not under tension is that there is no distortion of the spokes out next to the outer band. This distortion indicates a wheel under tension.

15" may be close enough to 16" to work but maybe not be "right". The travel of your furl lever will be different. You will want to test it on the stand with tail, brake assembly and furling etc all in place. Look for either the furl lever dropping out of the furl ring or the brake and tail not engaging fully. The distance difference also impacts the starting angle of the tower. Standard Aer towers are 6 degrees but yours will be different.

I am referring to the top of the stub tower angle where it ends on the mast. It may be tight now but wont be down the road. You are attempting to hold the weight and force on the head with just four bolts at the base. Either the mast wears or the angle tweaks out. It only takes four tabs of weld to secure.

Ron

A little late but all the aftermarket tail bones have the strut and Z bar just flat stock welded in...

And the retaining bolt for the tail pin has an offset to aid in the buffering/torsion of the tail bone when it furls

Ron

Here is the diagram straight out of aermotor manual and maybe less confusing. You can do either a clockwise or counter clock wise overlap.. You can usually tell by looking at the wheel on how it was oriented originally.. It is best to install as once was as they conform

You just go around the ring putting on sections until you get to the one you started with. Take the starting point off the two spokes and put your sixth section on first. All your overlaps will look the same. To get your starting point back on the outside, quite often you have to use a rachet strap to pull it in place. Maybe that will make the understanding of a wheel under tension more clear

I


Ron

Maybe its just hard to see in the pictures, but that's exactly how I have them installed. The outside spokes go to the outside holes on every other panel. The inside spokes go to the outside holes on the other 3 panels, which is the inside holes of the other 3 panels. And ya, that last panel was a pain the butt to get on. I used a ratchet strap to pull down to get the spoke in the hole and then up to the hub to get the nuts on.

As for the tail bone, I looked up an aftermarket one and your right. They are just fitted with a piece of flat bar. My buffer should be here tomorrow so I'll just wait and see what I need to do to fit it up.

So for the furl here's how it looks. All the way open it comes down pretty close to the top of the stub tower. Now when full brake is applied it's an inch from the bottom of the gearbox. You can here a slight drag, but doesnt stop it a all. Looks like an adjustment nut on the brake band, but its maxed out. I put a shim between the two flat round pieces that slide together so it pushed it up higher and it did stop the fan. Maybe need a new brake band? Or maybe I just need to mount the angle iron slightly higher than the mast mount holes.

Look again at the left wheel in the Aermotor manual. That is how your's should look. The right is how it looks when you get to the last section before you flip. Yes, I can see your's fine. Both sides of your sections are either both in or both out which is wrong. They should be one end under and the other end over as the left wheel pic.

You really wont know on the furl lever until you have all the parts and assembled and can check it out on the stand.

The mast is weldable to your stub angles

Ron you are 100% correct. I see it now. I was focused on spoke hole placement and didnt notice how the panels lapped each other. I assumed one inside and one outside. I see now they all overlap each other. That's probably why I fought it so hard at the last panel.

It is a less than comforting feeling that I was the only one seeing it was together wrong "seeing" as my eyesight has deteriorated enough to warrant cataract surgery....

I should have looked at your location sooner.as I have put up a 10 x 33 South of you at Ridgefield. I don't have as many at your end of the state, more in Spokane area
I want to come up North of you for the West Coast trail some time.

I hope you have a real tail pin coming with your parts. That will go a long way in making things function.

Ron .