Vintage Windmill and Wind Generator Forum

I was hoping someone could help with information regarding a missing casting from our 20' open gear Samson. I know that size isn't in everyone's backyard so had hopes that someone might have similar on a smaller sized unit.

We appear to be missing the casting shown in the red circle. It connects the vertical brace to the upper tailbone. When I did some tail disassembly, there was a piece of bailing wire where this casting should go...but no one who hauled the thing remembers whether they took a casting off and shoved a wire in for some stability or whether it never existed. I have a vague memory of seeing something that might have been it but I laid out all the castings for sandblasting and nothing like that is in there. I might just be remembering the underside of the buffer casting and be mistaken.

So...if anyone has a better image or photo that might help us duplicate what was originally there, it would be greatly appreciated! *Anything* is more information than I have at this point.

Note: The image is of a slightly newer unit. Images in other Samson literature I have found are also as lacking in detail.

If I can remember, I can go up to the boneyard and see what's on my 14 footer. That's where the tailbone is, the head's at the shop, but no bracket.

kozzy, is this the casting? This is on the 20' I looked at this past weekend.

Paul, you ARE the man!

Thanks---that helps explain something. The casting is actually part of the tail swivel and when the crew disconnected the tail, they had to pull that apart so wired things on the tail in place just for transport. That really solves my dilemma! I was all twisted up that someone lost a casting but there really is no such separate casting involved.

Thanks!

I owe you a case of whatever your beverage of preference is!

Glad I could finally help someone.

Oh Paul. You help folks all the time by having the site. You're a gold-star kinda guy.

I went out to the parts and checked why something so obvious had thrown me off kilter. When the crew disassembled the tail from the head castings, they bolted the vertical brace to the angle brace and tightened it up all the way--so it looked like that's the way it came off the machine. Those braces actually get bolted in 2 separate holes in the upper casting.

One of those "Uh, duh!" things as soon as you see it's proper location. A "what the hell were the Samson engineers thinking?" as it arrived on our site.

Photos photos photos before disassembly, folks. You won't regret it