My 14' Power Aermotor

Share and discuss your windmill related projects.
hwy8
Posts: 217
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2019 7:49 am
Location: Stillwater, MN

My 14' Power Aermotor

Post by hwy8 »

I did some welding on my work stand and drove it up to the pattern shop to start work on replacement gears. As you can see, the original gears are pretty chewed up and since I'm determined to make this thing do some work (at least make ice cream), I want things done as close to factory as I can. At first, I thought something had jammed in the machinery to "pop" the gear teeth off like that, but I was told how a power mill can get ahead of itself and the mill can spin around the shaft (as if I had grabbed the power shaft with a pipe wrench and held it still). I've seen some water pumpers do some pretty weird things when the wind comes in powerful bursts from every which-way, so I believe it. In the old Aermotor sales manuals they talk about how power mills are designed to avoid this by designing/adjusting the speed of the down shaft: I'm sure it is taken into account but take a look at how well that worked on my gear teeth! Another thing to consider is that I don't think they were using ductile yet.

I asked my pattern-guy to make 3D printer gears before the patterns are made so we could see how well they work. The one we made worked great! (The shafts are just "sitting" so don't worry about alignment---yet) Once we "print" them all, we'll assemble everything and check them out, then they'll make the real patterns for me.
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Last edited by hwy8 on Wed Dec 28, 2022 2:17 am, edited 3 times in total.
hwy8
Posts: 217
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2019 7:49 am
Location: Stillwater, MN

Re: My !4' Power Aermotor

Post by hwy8 »

A couple more:
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mtblah
Posts: 1624
Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2020 12:09 pm
Location: new braunfels TX

Re: My !4' Power Aermotor

Post by mtblah »

Burt , it is good to know people with skills ! Very good start to a rebuild , i'm sure it will be an outstanding power mill when completed .
hwy8
Posts: 217
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2019 7:49 am
Location: Stillwater, MN

Re: My !4' Power Aermotor

Post by hwy8 »

You're right about knowing skilled people: It's an absolute joy to watch someone that really knows what they are doing! I'm guessing my "talent" is more in the area of being able to recognize potential, and then pretty quickly doing a pile of research, which includes finding people with the skills needed. I can envision what the end product will look like when it's done but most of the time, I really don't have the specialized tools or expertise that is needed. There's been plenty of times that I've taken on a job and then made things much worse before I struggle through the learning process to make it better. Things eventually get finished, but it sure can take forever! That's when my thick skull and outright stubbornness come in handy.

Another thing about knowing skilled people is that a new challenge is fun to them. My gear job is unusual for this shop and the crew are like kids at the playground as they figure things out!

By the way, I've learned a few things about a Power Aermotor now that I own one. Even though it was made in 1900 (or so), it has the very neat feature of being able to bring the "gearbox" down to the ground to work on it. Just three bolts and that entire top-assembly comes off so it can be carried down. The wheel, tail assembly, main shaft/gear all stay in place. Another surprise to me was that the main shaft has easily replaced babbitt bearings.
Wayne
Posts: 2115
Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2018 10:03 am
Location: Corsicana Tx.

Re: My 14' Power Aermotor

Post by Wayne »

A real mechanical marvel. Can't imagine the excitement you will feel the first time you see that shaft spin a pulley at ground level.
CTXmiller
Posts: 928
Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2018 12:01 pm
Location: Waco, TX

Re: My 14' Power Aermotor

Post by CTXmiller »

Looking good.

I’ve never seen a power mill in Texas. I’m sure there were many sold in Texas, but seeing one in person out in the wild, hasn’t ever happened.
Windcatcher530 Dan
Posts: 1900
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2021 4:06 pm
Location: Alcove N.Y.i buy and restore

Re: My 14' Power Aermotor

Post by Windcatcher530 Dan »

Burt from what I remember that mill was produced from 1903 to 1905.
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windybob
Posts: 3503
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:59 pm
Location: Ames Oklahoma

Re: My 14' Power Aermotor

Post by windybob »

This is very interesting. Really cool mill.
Call Dan Benjamin for parts. P M me for the phone number.
63markB
Posts: 352
Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2021 11:51 am
Location: Delta county Texas

Re: My 14' Power Aermotor

Post by 63markB »

Man that is awesome. Can’t wait to see the progress.
mtblah
Posts: 1624
Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2020 12:09 pm
Location: new braunfels TX

Re: My 14' Power Aermotor

Post by mtblah »

Burt , i know what you mean when you say kids in a playground . I have a machine shop around the corner from me who will do the really odd jobs I ask them to undertake .
The 1st time was when I brought in a engine starting crank from a 1907 REO , it also belongs to the same musuem as the Ideal Steel I rebuilt . After 100 years of hand cranking the socket end that fits over the end on the crankshaft for starting was excessivly work , ( imagime that ) Since then they just laugh when I bring in the next project to reproduce minus the 100 years of wear . They did the brass bushing in my Aermotor tail pin .
My professional welder is the same , these guys usually do production runs of many many pieces so a one off is a good diverson
They love an interesting challange .
Thank you Windy for getting me involved in windmills .
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