Vintage Windmill and Wind Generator Forum

There is an online auction coming up in April. They list a pipe Raymond complete with tower.
I looked up the photos associated with the mill. Every thing looks to be there. To me it looks
exactly like a Monitor L. Maybe they misidentified. is there a difference?
Joe

I have not seen the photos you referred to, but . . .

If the photos show the counterbalance weight, then its easy. Most Monitor Ls' have a spherical ellipsoid shaped counterbalance (referred to by some as a "football"). Some of the early Model Ls' had a cast iron weight that looked something like a discus. All pipe Raymonds have a large "W" (for Waupun, Wisconsin) shaped counterbalance weight. If the photos show a counterbalance as described above for the Model L, then, yes, they misidentified.

The pipe Raymond could be considered a very "conventional" vaneless design typical of the period in which it was made; using a weighted lever as a source of resistance to the tendency of the wheel sections to turn out of the wind. The Monitor was different, and used a pair of springs as a source of resistance.

One final possibility is that this windmill is a mishmash of parts of both a Monitor and a Raymond. But you said "it looks exactly like a Monitor L." I say they misidentified.

Challenge 27

I revisited the auction site and there were 23 photos taken of the mill that I did not see at first.. It looks 100% like my Monitor L.
Pat D Jan 1918. I noticed they have installed fittings on the grease cup covers to make it easy to refill with a gun.
The tower is not perfect, looks like they bent a few parts when taking down. Will need new sails. Other then that every thing looks OK.

I will be bidding on it. It is a three hour drive from me but I had put up a Monitor L for a customer about 40 mikes from this site
a couple of years ago. I phoned him and he said he wanted a 2nd mill. Will see what happens.

Joe

good luck!