NWD

[mellowinman]

New Windmill Day!

A local guy, big collector of windmills, really wanted our "motor," a turn of the century Fort Wayne:

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First, we had to trim some of the tree limbs away from that tower, which has stood there since before 1900.

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He offered to trade us a 1970's FIASA, fully restored, along with complete installation.

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Halfway up:

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Almost done:

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Fully installed, and working!

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Once the old one is restored, it's going in a museum.

 

[buldog5151bass]

How much windspeed do you need to power an SVT?

 

[BigDanT]

That's really cool. My wife is a bit of a windmill nut. Does it power anything anymore or just for curb appeal??

 

[mellowinman]

That's really cool. My wife is a bit of a windmill nut. Does it power anything anymore or just for curb appeal??

We're hoping to convert it to make electricity, but so far, we don't know how. We want to combine that, and solar panels, to get us more self-sufficient.

 

[BigDanT]

My wife really wants to get a small wind turbine to do the same thing. She's into being as "off the grid" as possible. But your windmill certainly has more character than the more modern ones she is looking at.

 

[mellowinman]

My wife really wants to get a small wind turbine to do the same thing. She's into being as "off the grid" as possible. But your windmill certainly has more character than the more modern ones she is looking at.

I'll bet its a lot easier to generate current with those modern ones.

 

[BigDanT]

I'll bet its a lot easier to generate current with those modern ones.

Probably is. They're smaller too because we don't have vast acreage to house it.

 

[devinp17]

Which windmill is best for metal?

 

[DeathFromBelow]

Which windmill is best for metal?

Oh lord... No.

 

[devinp17]

Oh lord... No.

lol

 

[sharkbait130]

Oh lord... No.

Oh yes! Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[6jase5]

Don't use flat blades, everyone knows the round wounds generate more energy.

 

[mellowinman]

Here are a couple of others he has done:

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[bmc]

What a cool story.

 

[MartinG1957]

Haven't seen anything like this in the UK or Ireland, except modern versions which are power generators, either for an individual location or powering into the grid, with relative differences in size and number. To be honest, despite their green benefits etc I find the modern ones here at least, are often ugly and a blot on the landscape - in some cases, they are the landscape.
Your original/replacement look much more homely, what was it's purpose - you seemed to be indicating that it doesn't generate power - did it at some time or did/does it have another purpose?
Thanks.

 

[basscooker]

Both my maternal and paternal grandparents had farms, and their windmills were for powering electric fences, barn lighting, or pumps for irrigation.

 

[Dug2]

thats cool, i never knew how much i enjoyed windmills till now.

 

[2.6kHz]

Probably more trouble than it's worth to convert that one to electric power. You'd have to cut all those great trees down or get the tower much higher to get any kind of real current out of it.

Do this instead, it would be awesome:

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Think about it. A jug band with a wind powered organ on your front lawn. You would be king.

 

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Multi-blade windmills are usually known as wind-wheels or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windpump.

Decent for using piston or diaphragm pumps to pump water with low efficiency on steady low winds, pretty much decoration for anything else.

If one wants a wind turbine to produce elecricity, look elsewhere.

Regards
Sam

 

[Happynoj]

I find the modern ones here at least, are often ugly and a blot on the landscape

I really like the way they look.