20' open gear Samson question

[kozzy]

We finally got the main head on the stub tower--will be doing some more restoration on things and get the rest of it together. This is going to be a static museum display so we are beefing up certain areas so that it can take the wind in the position it sits.

A question that will probably be hard to answer though: I want to put back the pull-out chain (for show only) and I have no clue as to what style or size something this big would have originally used. The pulleys and pull-out crank look like they'd fit a standard 1/4" chain...but I'd like to be as accurate as possible. It's completely missing so any "educated" guesses would help.

Here's the head on the tower. Tower is 12' and constructed from 6 x 6 x 3/8 angle. Concrete is 3' deep reinforced. Blades will span from about the top of the building to about 3' above the concrete. Tower alone weighs about 1600 lbs. The full head with blades and tail is said in the book to weigh about 4200 pounds. It's bigger than the photo makes it seem.

[CTXmiller]

Impressive

[Mister Ed]

Very nice! That thing looks big, then figuring the angle is 6x6 ... holy cow.

[windybob]

Don't know about the chain, but that's a good question. I think just because the mill is 20 ft, that doesn't mean the chain has 2 inch links. A chain has a lot of pulling power, but 1/4 " seems too small. You might see what size chain would run in the pulleys comfortably. I have found that usually that's a decent indication of chain size. Wow that head looks great. I like the detail. Hope the tower is not spread too far at the bottom. would really stink if the wheel hits it.

[Ron Stauffer]

Here are some pics of a 16' Samson outside of Rexburg ID. It appears to be twisted link and visually scaling from this and your pulley makes sense. Pay no attention to that other chain.

If you need raw pics to photoshop to make then more usable, PM me with a personal email address to send them to. That is the only 3 pics I took

WA & ID windmills 058.JPG

WA & ID windmills 059.JPG

WA & ID windmills 060.JPG

Ron Stauffer
Montrose CO

[Wayne]

Kozzy, Where are you at in Eastern Washington. I'm coming up that way next year and would like to stop by the Museum. I wonder the same thing as Windy. I made that mistake once.

[kozzy]

Pomeroy WA. Eastern Washington Agricultural Museum. https://co.garfield.wa.us/museum

We quadruple-checked the leg splay and in theory (ahem) we have a couple of inches of clearance. Because the mill will be static and not running or rotating, we can fudge a bit more by extending the 3" dia main shaft out a hair from it's original position--the "fan" will be parallel to the front legs so we don't have to clear the corners.

Well, I feel like an idiot now. The crank was stored and I remembered it wrong---it still has some chain on it to go by. It's a 5/0 twist link chain rated at 880 lbs (lower than I would have expected). That's what happens when you trust your old-man Swiss-cheese of a brain instead of actually checking.

Haven't figured out how to include the crank at this point but it was important to the donor of the mill so we'll find some way to mount it. It showed up only recently as it was lost in the farm scrap at the original owner's and "discovered" later.

Here is one of the pulleys and the pull-out crank just for a size reference (ruler = 18"). Neither fixed yet.

[PaulV]

Impressive

Yes, very impressive. Can't wait to see it all together. I love those big mills. Not many open gear that size around any more.

[Ron Stauffer]

Dont beat up yourself too badly as there is wire between the pullout crank chain and the chain that is up on the mill. The likelihood of the chains being different sizes is likely as a lot of twisted chain on pullout cranks is "flatter" twisted for lack of a better description.

I was just up that way last month with 2 loads, one to Spokane area and one nw of Boise. Farthest one up from Boise was in the area of Lake Cascade. There is a lot of water there compared to the dryland wheat country I headed thru coming out from Spokane. There is more bigger stuff up there as I had a 14 and two 12s on the loads with some 8s.

Maybe next time I am up that way you will have the mill done and I will have time to look.

Ron

[Wayne]

Thanks for the info. I'm taking a riverboat ride up the Columbia and Snake river will end up in Clarkston. Want to rent a car and explore Eastern Washington and see as many Museum's as possible as i drive over to my daughters at La Pine Oregon. I have been to Walla Walla and will stop there but if you know of any others in the area let me know. Are you open every day or is it limited.?