On Saturday night I painted the mast black, and got eaten alive by mosquitoes too!
Todays blazing weather drudgery made yesterday look easy!
But here are the results for SUNDAY!Because we were looking at another 100+ degree 90% humidity day,
I once again woke up at 4AM and hit the back yard by 5am.
yes,
I skipped Church...
but that would not have happened had the weather not been so threatening and the Task so daunting!
I strapped the mast to 2 moving dollys and started to work on the HBird
while I waited for my good and faithful father in law to arrive.
I clamped some thin boards to either side of the bent turbine hub to use as a lever.
and tugged this way and that until I got things straightened out.
when the father in law (FIL) showed up, we installed the winch.
We had to drive all the way to Lowes to get the bolts and waste 1 hour, but it is done.
By the time we made it back, the sun was blasting at 95 degrees. at 9AM..
so, we started to moved the mast into place with a dolly strapped to each end
and managed to Semi-Truck park it at the new Hinge, which I also painted black earlier that morning.
we were so wiped out and embarrassed by the raw jerry-rigging of it all, that we did not get any pictures of that exhausting fiasco.
once I hooked up the block and tackle to the winch and almost passed out (seriously) in the sun doing it
we took a long gator-aid and water break, and began the first test lift.
You will notice the LBird snuck onto the mast to function as a "fancy wind sock".
Because the new winch was laughing at the weight, we stopped at this point
to repaint the mast where the dollys tore up my awesome paint job.
For you Safety nuts: once we resumed. my FIL used a tree for tension on the guy cable on one side,
and my handy neighbor did the same on the other side,(both wore Gloves) while i cranked the winch FOREVER.
no one was within 15 feet of being under the mast as it went up.
The winch stand didnt even shutter once! The winch mocked this tiny challenge to its SHEER POWER.
The two Snatchblocks worked flawlessly. The foundation was silent strong and solid.
These two photos are of the guys anchored 6ft up a tree and clearing the sheds roof.
Did I mention that the normally exasperating chore of adjusting guys is a total pain in the butt in 100+ weather
when you just want to quit and go inside. and get the burning sweat out of your eyes.
no??
well... it IS!
And two more goovy pictures of the mast in test raise mode.
Next week end, perhaps on the 4th of July,we will finish repairing the HBird and get it FLYING!
Flying a wind turbine for the first time! What a great way to celebrate our Glorious country's Independence Day!
"who needs fireworks!? Just look at that Turbine spin!"
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