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Forum Index : Windmills : Early Christmas Present
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JimBo911 Senior Member  Joined: 26/03/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 262 |
My Christmas present came early this year!! This is what I get for not using a solid mast or and not welding the coupling to he pipes. If I am not mistaken looks like the coupling is cracked. I am Dam lucky she's still on top of the mast and not on the ground. 
Jim |
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Greenbelt Guru  Joined: 11/01/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 566 |
JimBo911; What Next ????. Wishing You and Every Member on this Forum a pleasant Holiday season. 
Time has proven that I am blind to the Obvious, some of the above may be True? |
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| JimBo911 Senior Member Joined: 26/03/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 262 |
After shooting more pictures I was able to see that the coupling is NOT cracked. It's just a matter of lowering it down and reinforcing the mast which should be relatively easy. I did want to do this early thinking that this was a weak point that needed to be taken care of but of course I diden't jump on it so here we are. Hopefully the mast will hold while lowering, I think it will. Merry Christmas to all. Jim |
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MacGyver Guru Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329 |
JimBo911 A couple quick suggestions: If you are concerned that the thing might topple while you're lowering it, if it were mine, I'd make a sheath out of ABS sewer pipe by slitting it lengthwise and forcing it over the lower part of the mast. Next, I'd shove it up and hold it in place somehow (by magic?). This will prevent that top portion from bending past its critical point and falling to the ground amidst blue words! Also, I'm a plumbing contractor, so you know I'm not making this up: Threaded couplings come in two forms. One is a straight thread and one is tapered. When you buy steel pipe, it comes "threaded and coupled". The threads on this type of pipe are straight and won't tighten. They are there only to protect one end of the pipe. Steel plumbing couplings (called 'malleable') are tapered; the more you twist them, the tighter they get. If I were going to use a coupling to attach the uppermost section of my mast, I'd use a tapered one and I'd for sure pin it in place just for good measure. Here's hoping everything turns out well. Nothing difficult is ever easy! Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman, "Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!" Copeville, Texas |
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fillm Guru Joined: 10/02/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 730 |
Hi Jim , It looks like a sleigh might have colided with the blade , there wasn't a reindeer laying at the bottom of the mast because you will be pretty unpopular guy world wide if there was  .
Anyway doesn't look good , I'm sure you will get it sorted soon . It's all a learning curve and I'm sure it will be rebuilt soon stronger and better . Is that ice all the way through the blade ? PhillM ...Oz Wind Engineering..Wind Turbine Kits 500W - 5000W ~ F&P Dual Kits ~ GOE222Blades- Voltage Control Parts ------- Tower kits |
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| KarlJ Guru Joined: 19/05/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1178 |
FARQ..... ICE is fantastic for breaking things, causes massive imbalances etc. I recall flying to Coffs Harbour from Tamworth one night in a twin commanche (one of my all time favourites) 7000' Lowest safe altitude if I recall. the ice was coming in thick and fast, aeroplane gets heavy fast, slows down then picks up ice faster as Angle of Attack needs to go up to maintain height. Then the fear of God as inexplicable smashing sounds on the fuselage every minute or so, I thought it was one of those monsters taking apart an engine from the twilight zone movie.... Got on the ground to find dents all over the fuse adjacent to the props, it was the ice getting thrown off in chunks and hitting us. I would be Very weary of running a mill in icing conditions as otherwise flexible materials become cold and brittle. I now understand why you went to all that trouble on the tower footings... My Christmas was interesting, great Grandma at 87 years old had a small series of heart attacks and was sent off to hospital, funny thing was every drug they asked if she was taking she said yes to.... must be 10 pills a day, morphine patches for arthritis, blood pressure, iron supplements, epilepsy, diabetes... and she's still kicking! Luck favours the well prepared |
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| isaiah Guru Joined: 25/12/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 303 |
Hi Jim If you are using 1 1/4 tapered well pipe for your mast. I would use what is call a drive coupling. These are more expensive than the regular couplings but they are designed for driving the pipe by hand and are threaded deeper ( more threads) than a standard coupling.You may have to find a plumbing supply house rather than a chain store to find them . But it would be worth the trouble. Most of the pipe fittings these days here in the U.S. are made in China and we have seen a lot of them split or open up in the seem. How hi is the head on the mill? if possible get a weight and throw a rope over and tie it off to support it while you let it down. My sons mill lost a aluminum blade in a bad wind storm and was vibrating bad so I threw a weight over and tied it off until better weather. ya my arm was sore before I got it where I wanted the rope to be. The electric line crews use to have a throwing weight about 2 lbs rubber coated should work nice for that. hope this helps URL=http://www.motherearthnews.com/Renewable-Energy/1973-11- 01/The-Plowboy-Interview.aspx>The Plowboy Interview[/URL> |
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| JimBo911 Senior Member Joined: 26/03/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 262 |
Thanks guys for your ideas and concerns. The type of pipe threads are tapered. NPT Truth be told I am afraid to lower it down cause it might break away from the mast then I am totally screwed. I will get my neiober to bring his crane over and do the repairs in the air. By women says we doesnt want to hear my bitchen if I lose the mill. (smile) Just have to wait till he has some free time. The thing that really sucks is I knew that this was a weak point and that it needed to be addressed but I waited. Jim |
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Perry Senior Member Joined: 19/11/2009 Location: Posts: 190 |
I thought you were NEVER supposed to use those threaded couplings. At least that's what I read in Hugh's and the Dan's books. Add to that, it is placed in just about the worse position for a bending moment. They're usually weak Chinese steel and the tapping of the pipe reduces its area (strength) by about 50 percent. You were right to question this area. I would use a length of pipe that slips over your pole to make the union. I would think just replacing the coupling is a non-starter. Perry |
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| JimBo911 Senior Member Joined: 26/03/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 262 |
Yeah well here I am, the winds a blowen and I am not making any watts. I am feeling the pain believe me. Ever hear of Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda. I should have but didn't. I could have but didn't do that either. If I would have I wouldn't be sitting writing this post would I? I did go out and started hooking up the gin pole to let her down but the miss's see's me, comes out lickedy split and say's (Hey Robinson (my last name)what the hell you doen if you break that mill I will have to listen to your bitch-en you know better than that)so I says I should have, I could have, but I didn't' your right honey.  Jim |
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| KarlJ Guru Joined: 19/05/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1178 |
Ahh marriage. I think it was Phill who told me Karl "wife is complaining about how much time I'm spending stuffing about with rubbish washing machine motors" Phill "give it a few more years and she'll be saying, havent you got some windmills to play with- ie go away!" I think you should climb the mast with the welding leads in-hand to brace it before you bring it down 
Really are kinda stuck anyway, if it breaks whilst being lowered then short of something to catch it, big pile of snow perhaps whatever will be will be. Luck favours the well prepared |
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| neil0mac Senior Member Joined: 26/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 210 |
Difficult and leads would be too short? Why nor support it by sticking another bit of pipe a few feet each way past the damage and use some (quite a few!) strong hose clamps. (Actually, I'd use my old faithful - a long strip of car/truck tube 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide, stretched and wrapped tight all the way with the end tucked under. It holds a lot and has thousands of one-man problem solving applications!) |
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| KarlJ Guru Joined: 19/05/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1178 |
I was joking, chances of climbing 14m tower to do anything, NONE. not worth risking life or limb. Pile of slow in the "landing zone" would be my best idea if its 1m or so deep you could almost drop it and if it didnt land on one blade would probably survive, Luck favours the well prepared |
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| Jarbar Senior Member Joined: 03/02/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 225 |
Hi Jim,in a recent posting by RossW under the heading of Fatigue he related how he saved his tower when a guy rope fixture broke off. http://www.thebackshed.com/windmill/forum1/forum_posts.asp?T ID=2213&KW=rossw Something akin to what he did might be to lasso the two guy wires on the side the mill is leaning towards and slide a lasso up guy wires.Once it arrives at the top you could then create a crude net by criss crossing the guy wires with loose remaining rope. In the event of mill falling before you get to it might only get as far as tangling in the net. Looking at your construction photo's the tail is only held by gravity to its pivot and if it fell off once inverted would reduce some of it's weight. Between the power cable inside the mast and the above mentioned net might keep mill captive enough whilst lowering mast assembly. The photos of the ice on blades was most enlightening as to the weather you get.Hope the above helps. Anthony. "Creativity is detirmined by the way you hold your tounge".My Father "Your generation will have to correct the problems made by mine".My Grandfather. |
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| JimBo911 Senior Member Joined: 26/03/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 262 |
Anthony Thanks for your ideas. Yeah the weather here can be lots of fun. I didn't have any problems till the mill got iced up. Thanks again Jim |
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kenputer Newbie  Joined: 02/05/2006 Location: CanadaPosts: 30 |
Steel plumbing couplings (called 'malleable') are tapered; the more you twist them, the tighter they get. The couplings that I use are called merchant couplings and are weldable also I would have a set of guy wires just above the joint. Ken As good as you are and as bad as I am,I'm as good as you are as bad as I am! |
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Downwind Guru Joined: 09/09/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2333 |
Considering when you cut a thread you remove 50% of the wall thickness it is not suprising it failed at this point. Think a pipe sleave over the outside and no threads would be a wiser choice. Pete. Sometimes it just works |
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| JimBo911 Senior Member Joined: 26/03/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 262 |
!!!Up and running!!! For now this will have to do! Something fast and simple. Not the best but looking but it will do the job for now. 
Jim |
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| KarlJ Guru Joined: 19/05/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1178 |
Jimbo, no one can argue you dont Farq around, I'd be umming and arring justifying that crane! I like the panels too, must keep you busy cleaning snow off them. is that 2KW I see? good on you! Luck favours the well prepared |
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| JimBo911 Senior Member Joined: 26/03/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 262 |
Karl That is a 1kw pv setup. We've only had ony 1 sunny day in the last 2 weeks so the PVs this time of year dont produce that much hence the wind mill project. The crane belongs to a friend of mine he doesn't charge me. I help him and he helps me so it works out pretty well. Feels good to be up and running again. Jim |
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