obviously they are much smaller in length, but other dimensions are the same. same metal profile.[ Parent ]
Thurmond
Fortunately you were not injured.
Actually im curious, did you build that tower yourself? Where did you get the plans for it?[ Parent ]
Thurmond[ Parent ]
Sorry for the setback.
But don't be too sorry. If ever you would have got it up,probably it would have broken at the first wind. And you could have been on that fancy platfform at the top.Your construction sucks.
Strange,you don't seem to have any rigid parts between the four poles.Those thin roundbars (or are it cables?)only can support pulling force.So your construction will collapse at the slightest force.
It can be ok to have the crosses in thin roundbar or cable(puling forces).But at least the horizontal reinforcements have to be rigid like the four mainbars. But I think it's better to make all the reinforcement rigid like the mainbars.
cheers, stonebrain
The tower was made by me, only after lots of studying and measuring of many waterpumper towers in this area, all of which were lots bigger in height only and all using 3/32 2x2 angle for the uprights (mine using 1/8 which is 1/16 thicker roughly 50 percent stronger).
I also used stronger horizontal and cross braces than any of the other towers I have seen, most if not all of these towers are 30 to 50 years of age and still standing, some even still have their windmills on top which range in diameter from 12 to 16 feet which in my opion would have pretty high solidity in high winds (these are all abanded, not in their furl position and I have seen some still turning)
These towers were constructed in an upright position never intending to be tiltover towers (they all bolt together)
My tower is all welded, but bolts together in 2 sections so I cannot assemble it the way the old waterpumpers were.
My problem was the method of raising and I'll admit for the way I was doing it, I should have had more horizontal braces, especially towards the bottom.
Hind site is 20/20
I will redesign the lower section, with more braces, and it will be a tilt up using a gin pole and cables running from the gin pole to the top as well as mid and lower section of the tower for extra support.
I am lucky I didn't get hurt and will take more precautions next time. Nothing on the tower did break it actually moved slower than molassis and we had time to get supourts under the top section before it was totally trashed. Kinda weird sitting there watching it slowly bending around me.
Another thing you could try instead of a gin pole...
Flip the bobcat around and attach a rope/chain/cable to the bucket. Raise the bucket as high as it'll go and attach the other end of the rope/chain/cable to the tower, about 1/3 of the way down from the top. Then you can just back up slowly to raise the tower. Basically....pull, don't push.[ Parent ]
Good point. Then you get most of the forces in tension rather than compression which it seems that tower should handle better.
Cheers.
TomW
"Education consists mainly of what we have unlearned."--Mark Twain[ Parent ]
Don't know about existing waterpumper towers. I just looked at the towers for electric lines. They are a lot stronger than yours. Don't take risks and make your tower much stronger. Specialy the horizontal stiffeners
cheers, stonebrain [ Parent ]
I didn't pay for any of the steel anyhow and could have gotten anything I wanted, but according to my local studys of so many towers around here, I overbuilt mine compaired to them and I used the exact same locations for the bracing as they have, I just used a little bit bigger steel than they did (just for a little more precaution on my part, just me, I usually always tend to overbuild and my things are usually too heavy and too strong. I think some things can be built too strong and when built like that often times when they need to flex they can't and most usually break instead.)
I'm not a tower engineer and I don't know how much flex they should have or how solid they should be, thats why I tried not to stray too far from already built time tested and proven designs that I could look at with my own eyes and see, it's still standing after all this time, simply amazing.
No hard feelings stonebrain
Matthew[ Parent ]
The first time was just a bad mistake, to happen again would just be stupidity.
Matthew
Then were driving forward.
Kind of like how one might raise one end of a ladder, then walk up it until it ends up vertical.
The bend appears to be not just a weight bend (which would give a single bend in the center), but rather a compound bend, caused by the weight of the windmill PLUS the forward motion of the tractor.
You'd have probably gotten it up, if you had a better weight distribution at the point of contact of the bucket... PLUS a better sliding action along the side of the tower.
For example, running a pair of continuous (some kind of good beveled lap joint) 2x8 or similar (flat), or rig a 2x6 (perpendicular), about 2/3 the length of the tower. Maybe grease it up, and create a bigger slide on your bucket.
Of course, as mentioned, your tractor may not be real stable with the bucket extended to full height, and a lot of heavy steel overhead.
Makes alot more since now that you mention it that way. I'm not the best operator in that lil cat anyhow, kinda jerky which I'm sure didn't help matters much.
Maybe this post will help others from making similar, possibly even fatal mistakes, thats why I posted it in the first place.
I love this board it is so informative in so many ways and has lots of good people using it, Keep Up The Good Work Everyone.[ Parent ]
Well, I commend you for sharing the "mistake". I think that folks tend to be too embarrassed to share foul ups for fear of looking "dumb" or whatever.
I often feel more is actually learned from mistakes and "oopses" than success. At least a good combination of both seems to teach us a lot. Good workmanship needs to also avoid pitfalls and failure reports point those out.
Anyway, better luck next time and I always try to remember it is easier to pull a chain than push it.
...of course to prove the saying wrong he had to weld the links together but he did it well enough that it's hard to spot.[ Parent ]
I have done a lot of things with a loader as small as yours and a lot of rigging in the navy as well as on my own projects so don't get discouraged.
I can also recommend a way to put your tower up on its feet after you repair it.
First add a couple of pieces of heavier angle iron on across the joint on the legs to use as sliders for the duration of the lift. Then make a T bar like jinn poll with a roller on the end. If you have a length of cable and access to a wench it will make your job easier. Hook your cable two thirds of the way up the tower and the other end to your wench that you anchored in line with your tower at least the distance of the length of your tower. Near the base of the tower place a long bipod attached to the cable where your first horizontal brace or you could add braces the the bottom of your tower for the lift. Anchor the feet touching the ground with short lengths of cable in the opposite direction of the wench so it remains flexible but taught like a hinge. After you are set up tighten the cable then lift a little tighten cable again and lift a little more. never let your cable go slack keep tension on it.
George Energy comes from many Sources the trick is knowing how to tap into it.
exact same way around here, soo soo many built to what apears so weak and still standing for the biggest part of a century, that must say something. I know what your saying about the super thin 1X1" angle, thats how they were constructed around here also.[ Parent ]
Sorry, but that seems like an awfully involved process requiring extra equipment compared to just using an attached gin pole.
And why the height of the tower? This also seems overkill. 60 foot utility poles are tough to find now days too.
Just curious on why you think it is a good way to do it? Always interested in the how and why of different methods.
My tower raising experience is limited to 30 footers or so and a simple gin pole a bit over half the height works easy and simple and takes a few minutes to rig and no hole to dig. My next raising will probably be pulled up from a pulley on a high spot on my 60 foot water pumper tower. Mostly because it is right there.
I'd use a pole if I was trying to be professional or wanted to raise more than one tower...you could set the pole in between the tower sites and raise two or more from one pole.[ Parent ]
