Graham guardian., 1896-08-28
HOMEMADE WINDMILL.
Put Up by a California Farmer at Cost
of Fifteen Dollars,

Put Up by California Farmer at Cost
of Fifteen Dollars.
We lately saw in operation on the
farm of c. p. Moore, at Geyserville, a
windmill designed and constructed by
himself whose total cost to him did not
exceed SIS. He had, however, utilizedin
its constructions shafting and other irons
taken from an old horsepower thresh-
ing machine. Mr.. Moore wished to
pump water, and his early mining ex-
perience, before the days of machine
shops or even sawmills in the mining
districts of California, had taught him
that necessity could invent and produce
most things. AS we saw the mill work
ing there was very stiff wind, and al
most anything that was loose would
have to move, so that days work was
hardly q fair test, but Mr.. Moore, in
formed us that it did its work right
along in almost any kind of breeze
and that engineers on the railroad run
ming past had always told him that his
mill was working when others along the
road were at rest. AS we saw it it was
forcing water through a three-quarter-
inch pipe for about 25O feet with two
square turns, and raising it about IS
feet into 5O0-gallon tank. Mr.. Moore
informed us that with an ordinary
breeze it usually required about two
hours to fill the tank.
We give herewith an illustration of
such mill. The dimensions and con-
struction of Mr.. Moore's mill are as fol-
lows:
A box of rough boards, without top or
bottom, feet by II feet and 0 feet high,
set level and with plates of by scant-
ling.
Across the middle of this box an inch
iron shaft from the old threshing ma
chine, the boxes fastened to the top of
the plates of the box. This shaft had
collars at both ends, with flanges from
which extended four arms to about six
or eight inches from the center of the
shaft, to which was bolted every alter
nate arm of the wheel. The collars were
fitted to the shafts with keys. AS not
every farmer has an old threshing ma
chine to pick to pieces, in most cases
~ "NuAN DS hSSCSSdEJ W utNlSe an
equivalent for its construction, which
any blacksmith can do. The collars
with fanges can be made and shrunk
on to any iron or steel shaft. One end OF
the shaft projects two inches outside
the box and is fitted with a crank to
give the length of pump stroke desired.
The pump shaft is fitted to this crank.
The arms were made by hx2 inch fir,
eight feet long and somewhat tapered
to the outer ends. There are eight such
arms at each end of the shaft, thus maxi
ing 16-foot wheel. No hub is required.
If made square and true at the butts,
the ends accurately chamfered to a
half inter running to point, and the
points cut off one-half the diameter
of the shaft, they will fit exactly around
the shaft and make all the hub required.
In setting up bolt every alternate arm
firmly to the arm of the fange prepared
to receive it. If Ifpreferred, an eight-arm
fiange may be made, and each arm
bolted. Make an octagon ring of half
inch round iron, or any other iron of
equal strength, with diameter of
about 40 inches and clamp to each arm.
Beyond that run about three braces of
No. 10 wire entirely round the wheel,
firmly fastening TO each arm. Make
the wheels at each end of the shaftex-
actly alike; fasten thin tough boards