New steel vs old steel

[Mike Hage]

I am the only one fixing windmills around here. I am very lonesome. Its nice to have found some like minded folk in the forum. I'm also one of the few who isn't scared to climb up a rusty old tower. So some of the neighbors have called on me to look at there mills. A nieghbor has a Dempster, 45 foot tower, all the blades are there, complete mill, beautiful! Im going to work on it for him. The tower platform is not safe so I take it down. He is going to make a new one. He wants to get all new bolts. Why, says I? They came apart so nicely just with flat wrenches. Been up there in the weather for 100 yrs and they are perfect. The steel you get now around here is all made from melted down recycled junk. I took seven towers down last winter and I was just amazed how nicely for the most part they came apart. I replaced angle iron on one of my towers and it bent when I climbed up on it. I will be putting the original square nuts and hardware back on my windmills.

[wind fab]

Mike

always amazes me how most of the old bolts come apart!!!! Hope you are using a safety belt when you climb!
im not much on climbing although i have. keep on saving the mills

Paul in Ontario Canada

ur neighbour to the east

[billcobb]

I no longer climb.

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Made a jib arm to raise up the mills intact and drop them on the turntable using the ground controls. I remove the man basket and clip on the jib arm. (There is a safe way to do this in the JLG design). Then I put the basket back on and head on up to sew up the patient.

[Mike Hage]

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I've used one of those as well slick as heck. I've also done some really dangerous stupid things up there I shouldn't be alive really. Most times I use a harness now I've had a few close calls. I have a linemans belt and strap that I really like for that.

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I dont use the spurs just the belt and lanyard. Its nice to have a little cloth bag on the belt too to hold parts

[windybob]

Bag on a safety belt? Check.
Safety always a priority? Check.
Taking your time, not in a hurry? Check.
No one under when a person is on the tower? Check.

Only windmill man around = a monopoly = Cha Ching?. Check.

Original bolts, are galvanized, and grade 2 mostly. Square head can be a curse or blessing, depending on where they are located on the tower. Slotted screws on old Aermotors, are worthless in my view. Good slingshot ammo though.
Taking down a tower is a breeze with original bolts around the base. A single sided ax takes care of those in 5 minutes, and that's counting with a water break.