Gin Poles for Raising Motors on Top of Towers

[Smax]

Thanks for photos. Been needing to get my dempster model 10 down for a while now so I can fix the wheel and other damage. What's the recommendations on size of tubing or pipe . May try and build a gin pole . Steve

[Wayne]

My gin pole is made out of thick wall square tubing. I didn't make it. Was factory made somewhere don't know what it's capacity might be. Tubing is 2 inch.

[JBarker]

Thanks Jud great pic, that looks dangerous!!!

Jerry, glad to share. Curious why you say it looks dangerous? We use safety harnesses. The drive there and the climb up the tower is probably just as dangerous as working up there. There is risk in working on windmills no matter how you do it

Looks like a 12 foot or so Mogul Power mill to me as it appears to be a bevel gear coming off the front on the countershaft and going down the center?

Correct, a 12' Elgin Mogul. Took years to get it bought but we were able to get it purchased and within 15 mins were setting the ginpole. Thats another advantage, you have less time for people to change their minds before the crane arrives

Love that pic, got to make me a gin pole!!!

[Ken O'Brock]

I have always used a gin pole to put up 6', 8' and 10' mills. Anything bigger than 10' a crane was needed. 10' was always put up without the wheel and that was assembled up there. Just screw in the wheel arms and pull up the 6 wheel sections and attach them. I had several designs for gin poles but the one I settled on I used for about 35 years. It had enough aircraft cable for a 60' tower and always used a winch that will not free wheel. Having a free wheeling winch is a sure fire way to get hurt bad. My gin pole weighs 75 lbs. It's not too hard to pull up if you use the mast pipe like a windless. Old Navy trick. There are a couple photos of my gin pole on this link on my web site. http://obrockwindmills.com/obrockwindmi ... tos_1.html

[Mister Ed]

Good subject, as I need to build a new gin pole. My problem, on anything I design/build, is that it will be overbuilt. If I build a go-cart, I end up with mini armored vehicle.

Ken -

• On your older pipe version, did that have sched 40 or sched 80 pipe?

• On your new (40 year old) version, is the mast 2 pieces? What is the bulge on the mast at around 7' or 8'?And do you know what size materials it is made of?

[windybob]

Good subject, as I need to build a new gin pole. My problem, on anything I design/build, is that it will be overbuilt. If I build a go-cart, I end up with mini armored vehicle.

Yeah Ed, I heard the last time you built a house, you wound up with the Winchester castle. lol

[Mister Ed]

Yeah Ed, I heard the last time you built a house, you wound up with the Winchester castle. lol

LMBO, not hardly.

[LoTec]

Here are some pictures of my gin pole rig. I'm installing a 10' Aermotor B702 motor. I then use the gin pole to install the tail, then take down the gin pole and my ground crew sends up the wheel sections one at a time with a rope and pulley. I also use this gin pole to install 12' motors (350 lbs) and tails. I have once or twice used this rig to install a complete 8' mill with assembled wheel and tail, but don't like doing it that way. I have a smaller, lighter gin pole I usually use for 8' motors.

gin pole 1.jpg

gin pole 2.jpg

gin pole 3.jpg

[LoTec]

Here's the tail hanging shot that would not fit in the previous comment.

gin pole 4.jpg

[windybob]

Those are good instructional shots. Notice the safety gear. Good job.