the Otherpower.com Discussion Board || Tower Fun

Front Page - [Homebrewed Electricity-- (wind) (solar) (hydro) (steam) (controls) (storage) (mechanical)] - Classifieds - Site News
Everything - Newbies - [Remote Living-- (housing) (heat) (light) (water)] - Rants & Opinion - Diaries - Our Products

Tower Fun
By Old F, Section Homebrewed Electricity Posted on Tue Dec 23rd, 2003 at 04:48:12 PM MST
.

Tower fun
Have the first ten foot section done.
For a 30 foot guyed tower its based on the Wind Works plans for a free standing 30 foot octahedron module tower.
That came out back in the 70s.
Many thanks to Don G for tracking down and getting permission to reprint them they helped a lot.
The vertical struts are 3/4 inch emt conduit and the horizontal triangles are 1 an ½ inch angle iron 1/8 inch thick. The sides of the triangles are 1 and a1/2 foot.
I went with angle iron so I would have a flats to bolt the sections together.
I put together a press using a 2 ton bottle jack to flatted the ends of the conduit
When I get the next section built is where the fun starts
I want to do some destructive testing .I know from my small models that these things can take one heck of a compression load.
I want to find out what kind of load it will take to buckle it in the middle with a force applied to the side should be fun.
I have no doubts that it will meet my goal. And that is to have a structure ridged enough to support its own weight and 200 pounds of machinery on top during raising or lowering.
Then the guy wires will handle the bulk of the wind load.

Here is an end view

Old F
Haveing so much fun it should be legal and banned in 49 of the 50 states : )

Tower Fun | 13 comments (13 topical, 0 editorial)

Re: Tower Fun (none / 0) (#1)
by cevonk (cevonk(atsignhere)aol.com) on Tue Dec 23rd, 2003 at 05:08:42 PM MST
(User Info)

Way, cool! I've been a fan of Bucky Fuller for a long time. It's nice to see his work in a practical application (outside of domes.) I wonder what the difference would be with, say, 3/4" black pipe versus EMT? Certainly a weight penalty.

Do you think you need the guys? How was the free-standing version mounted?

Re: Tower Fun (none / 0) (#3)
by Old F on Tue Dec 23rd, 2003 at 07:56:18 PM MST
(User Info) http://www.oldf.homestead.com

The base on Wind Works free standing tower is 6 foot on a side .

3/4 inch water pipe would make for a lot stronger tower but even then and with a full yard of concert for a foundation.

I wouldn't want to fly any thing over 5 or 6 foot dia. blade set if that.
With my version as a free stander

At this time I don't know just what kind of load it will carry. And that's why I am plan to some
destructive testing . That and every so often I like to tear the hell out of things : )

Old F

[ Parent ]

Re: Tower Fun (none / 0) (#2)
by South Dakota Farmer (ken_at_thebockgroup.com) on Tue Dec 23rd, 2003 at 07:19:37 PM MST
(User Info) http://www.thebockgroup.com

Tried to find/buy tower plans and failed. Are they still available? and where? Thanks...
One thing we have in South Dakota is wind...

Re: Tower Fun (none / 0) (#4)
by Old F on Tue Dec 23rd, 2003 at 08:19:42 PM MST
(User Info) http://www.oldf.homestead.com

I think Dons add is in the classifieds here on the
the site

Old F

[ Parent ]

Re: Tower Fun (none / 0) (#5)
by South Dakota Farmer (ken_at_thebockgroup.com) on Tue Dec 23rd, 2003 at 08:59:58 PM MST
(User Info) http://www.thebockgroup.com

Either I am Ebay challenged or they are no longer there. Found them in classifieds referring to Ebay. Searched Ebay. No results. I'm new to the board ('tell). Any other way of contacting this fellow? Thanks again...

One thing we have in South Dakota is wind...
[ Parent ]

Re: Tower Fun (none / 0) (#6)
by Old F on Wed Dec 24th, 2003 at 06:39:15 AM MST
(User Info) http://www.oldf.homestead.com

Ken I have sent you an email that mite help

Have fun
Old F

[ Parent ]

Re: Tower Fun (none / 0) (#7)
by RobC on Wed Dec 24th, 2003 at 10:13:52 AM MST
(User Info)

Looks great I like it. Definitely got to try one myself one of these days.
RobC

Re: Tower Fun (none / 0) (#8)
by Old F on Wed Dec 24th, 2003 at 11:26:53 AM MST
(User Info) http://www.oldf.homestead.com

Well Rob
If there is enough interest I try to put together a how to guide.

It a wide open field not much has been done with it in 30 years.
And it to good of a design to let fade away.

Old F

Have so much fun it should be illegal

[ Parent ]

Re: Tower Fun (none / 0) (#9)
by Kevin L on Wed Dec 24th, 2003 at 12:51:16 PM MST
(User Info)

Old F

A simple 3 inch diam 1/4 in wall steel pipe will handle a 200 lbs compression load. If you plan to use guy wires anyway, why go to all to constuction trouble and increased cost? Entertainment value?

[ Parent ]

Re: Tower Fun (none / 0) (#11)
by Old F on Wed Dec 24th, 2003 at 04:59:50 PM MST
(User Info) http://www.oldf.homestead.com

Kevin

Pipe towers are a low cost way to go .
But I want to get a way from having to transport 20 foot section of pipe or do any welding in
the field if I want to go higher.

I have help raise some pipe towers for antennas and if you don't dot your I and cross your Ts thing can get hairy real fast . A pipe tower is 100% dependant on the guy for holding it up and during raising and lowering . A more ridged structure makes life a lot easer. And we are talking
more than just compression loads.

That's why I am working with 10 foot sections that bolt together. I can easily transport the materials in my short bed pick up. And the finished 10 foot section weighs in at 41 pounds.

As for cost the conduit cost 14 dollars the angle iron was 5 cents a pound at the scrap yard.
Now that I am set up I can knock out a 30 or 40 tower' in a weekend or at most two.
As I work mostly by my self I want things I can easily handle. I not getting any younger : )

Old F

[ Parent ]

Re: Tower Fun (none / 0) (#10)
by DonG on Wed Dec 24th, 2003 at 03:34:15 PM MST
(User Info)

The original Windworks tower plans were built with one inch conduit and a maximum length of 10 ft for a section. You've shortened the modules so you can use the lighter 3/4" conduit and retain the strength. It should be just as strong. The strongest vector is a triangle and these are just a bunch of triangles. I'm curious what your destructive testing will find and how it matches the engineering data shown on the plans for downforce and sideforce. I'm going to add an email address to the classified ad in case anyone else is interested. I stopped running the ad in Ebay. It would probably be cheaper for someone in SD to just get an old water windmill tower from NE. They're everywhere in that state. The single legged pipe towers have very little strength when your raising or lowering the tower compared to an octahedron module. I've also heard some people complain of tower vibration too. A guyed 1" conduit octahedron module will cost about $35.00 for each 10 ft module figuring about five $7.00 ten foot conduit sticks. A ten ft piece 3" pipe will cost you about the same and not be as strong and have no entertainment value. I'm currently restoring an old wind generator out of the 1940s and should have it on top of a 52' free standing octahedron tower at my new house this spring.

Re: Tower Fun (none / 0) (#12)
by Old F on Wed Dec 24th, 2003 at 07:05:04 PM MST
(User Info) http://www.oldf.homestead.com

Hi Don

I decided to cut my teeth on a strait section guyed tower be for going for a free standing

Thank agin for come up with the plans.

Old F

[ Parent ]

Re: Tower Fun (none / 0) (#13)
by DonG on Wed Dec 24th, 2003 at 08:08:37 PM MST
(User Info)

It looks like your going to be OK with strength and your design has cut the cost even lower. I'm always amazed how much local interest you will get with this tower design when it is up. In the 70's an alternative energy business in Cambridge, MA put a twenty foot octahedron section up in front of their storefront to get more traffic through the door...it worked. I'm glad to see that your also having fun with this design. Unfortunately I lost my Jack Park 12-16 Helion plans in my many moves. You would have enjoyed his flyball governor and aluminum blade construction too.

[ Parent ]

Tower Fun | 13 comments (13 topical, 0 editorial)

Menu

� create account
� How to use the board
� FAQs
� search the board
� Google search the board
� Old Otherpower Board

Login

Make a new account

Username:

Password:

Total Views

��174 Scoop users have viewed this posting.

Related Links

� Also by Old F

You must be a registered user to post here. It's easy and free, and the link is on the upper right side of your page.
All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective companies. Postings are owned by the poster, but may be deleted or moved at the ADMIN's sole discretion. The Rest � 2003 Forcefield.
You can Email the board ADMIN here. PLEASE include the username you signed up with!