Vintage Windmill and Wind Generator Forum

Looking for an easier way to bend back girts and braces while on the tower. Any tricks or suggestions that may help. I have attached pics of me using a heavy piece of angle iron behind the bent girt and using a C clamp to press back into shape. I found some inside and outside corner washers from the Woodmanse tower to assist with the job.

If the angle irons are still on an upright tower, I have a length of 2" x 2" square steel that I clamp into the fold as best as possible. Then I start hammering the bends and folds until I get it pretty darn straight. Usually takes a few times to remount the forming bar (Which BTW, has rounded corners to fit into some of the old-school angle iron).

I don't recommend softening the angle steel with heat (acetylene or propane weed burner) because I have found that even with slow cooling, the old steel gets brittle and can/will fracture easily.

I've also resorted to 'patching' a bent leg with an overlay piece of 2" angle if I didn't want to break a leg (including mine). I hit one with the end comb of my hay mower once and that made me swing wide on all my towers from then on.