Where do I begin? (Newbie)

[squeakymill]

Greetings from the Squeaky Mill!

We bought this farm 2 years ago, it is only 30 years old so everything is less than 30 years old.

I've attached a picture of our Squeaky Mill. I'm hoping to restore it's functionality and either use it to pump a well that may be below it or use it to generate some useful power.

I didn't know about this forum when I was taking pictures and now everything is under snow so you'll have to bear with me for now but let me give you a description of what I (think) I have.

I have a tower approximately 40 feet tall (could be more or less, hard to estimate, in the picture the lowest cross member is about 12ft up. the vanes up top all appear to be intact and fixed in place. The windmill spins freely in the breeze and squeaks quite noticably, the rudder? Is always directed to one side, I don't know if a spring snapped or if it's been parked to keep it from spinning excessively.

The tower has a mound of earth underneath it along with an old hand/windmill pump style leading into the ground which looks to be the top of a 55 gallon barrel (although could be a 24" plastic well casing, what do I know?) in the bottom of the muddy pit (about 3ft down) there is what looks like a 2" PVC pipe on its side, could be connected to something but now that I'm thinking of it it's probably a pipe leading to the bottom of the adjacent decorative pond that the well pumps into via waterfall.

I've contacted drilling companies about putting a well on my property elsewhere and they didn't have any record of any other well being drilled nearby, apparently these are public record? I think the whole thing was put here decoratively and then neglected for 10-20 years but now I want to restore it to useful status.

Since I don't need this pumping water in a loop uselessly I'd like to connect the gearbox to an alternator or some other generator to harness this power and charge batteries I can use to power equipment or fences.

What is my first step? It has a ladder that goes up the side, I've climbed to the top but the little platform up there doesn't have an access hatch so to get on top of it I have to lean back a couple feet and pull myself up and over the lip which I wasn't doing without climbing gear on.

I haven't been able to find any companies that service these professionally and the feet are cemented into pylons so I can't tip it over to work on it without cutting it off at the base. I've looked into renting a manlift/cherry picker and that's going to run me $500/day.

So what's my first step? Climb back up there with a harness on and get some close up pictures?

[Windcatcher530 Dan]

Welcome to the forum Darian. What you have is aermoter windmill it is missing the governing spring you need that it goes between the hook on the mill to one of the holes on the tailbone. Besides that the mill looks in good condition. That mill won't produce electricity but will pump water.

[Windcatcher530 Dan]

I forgot to mention the squeaking you hear is probably the brake band rubbing on the hub.

[mtblah]

Probably would not hurt to change / add some 10 wt oil , 2 quarts Darrin .
And the tail spring , you can order from Aermotor in San Angelo TX or e-bay . $25.+ shipping

[Peter vk]

The tower is a Goold Shapley & Muir

[Mister Ed]

Interesting ... I wonder who painted it?

Windy, you ever been to Canada?

[windybob]

I need a laugh Ed thanks. Been sick for 2 weeks, now, all 3 of my vehicles are broke down in the middle of a winter blast. At least you offered a temporary pick me up. lol

[Windcatcher530 Dan]

Mister Ed i studied that picture it's not windybobs work his has much more rainbow in it. It must be an imposter.

[Wayne]

Windy, I guess you are left singing the song from Hew-Haw "Gloom agony despair, if it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all"

[windybob]

You guys are too funny. lol