Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

The Regular Stuff: Chat, Buy, Sell, Off Topic, etc. => General Discussion - Model & Toy Steam Engines – Stirling Cycle – Flame Lickers – Small Antique Originals => Topic started by: Jim on June 06, 2019, 07:23:23 pm

Title: Aero Windmill
Post by: Jim on June 06, 2019, 07:23:23 pm
After repeated emails to AERO MANUFACTURING asking to buy an Aero Windmill to be sent downunder went unanswered I asked Bruce if he would be so kind as to order one to his home and then send
it onto me.

THANK YOU BRUCE  !!!!!!!



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Title: Re: Aero Windmill
Post by: St Paul Steam on June 06, 2019, 07:45:54 pm
We'll alrighty then, it finally showed up, happy building mate. 😊
Title: Re: Aero Windmill
Post by: Nick on June 06, 2019, 07:53:47 pm
Have fun Jim, they are a fiddly build! :D

And Well Done Bruce!!  8)
Title: Re: Aero Windmill
Post by: Jim on June 06, 2019, 09:37:53 pm
Thanks Bruce and Nick :)

Bruce also included a Jensen logo for the windmill tail :)

Just opened it up, what a fantastic model this is for the price. I'm so glad that I have one!

Got some things to do today and looking forward to sitting down and beginning to build this later on this afternoon.
Title: Re: Aero Windmill
Post by: Nick on June 06, 2019, 09:47:26 pm
Yes they are a great value, I built one for my Grandpa this past Christmas, took nearly 2 hours!  :o
Title: Re: Aero Windmill
Post by: classixs on June 07, 2019, 01:53:17 am
Nice kit Jim, congratulations !

Will be hard tested to get a nicer accessory for the 20 bucks these sell for.

Have had one here since Rog put up the movie of his a decade or so ago, and still haven´t "found the time" to assemble it.
Guess i could keep myself occupied for years, should i some day decide to complete all my projects here (https://emoji.tapatalk-cdn.com/emoji28.png)
Title: Re: Aero Windmill
Post by: RedRyder on June 07, 2019, 10:25:43 am
Congrats, Jim!

Well done, Bruce, with the relay service and decal!
Title: Re: Aero Windmill
Post by: Jim on June 10, 2019, 05:11:55 pm
Well that certainly was no 5 minute build. I had to rope Jenny in to help me, my big fat fingers were struggling with some of the
nuts and bolts in the tight to get places. A seriously fiddly build !!!

What a great model for the price.

Now onto the conversion to get it running off a steam engine.
Title: Re: Aero Windmill
Post by: Stoker on June 11, 2019, 12:29:55 am
We want photos Jim ... maybe even a video, before, during and after build. Heck, a build thread wouldn't go amiss for that matter!
Title: Re: Aero Windmill
Post by: Jim on June 11, 2019, 12:38:28 am
We want photos Jim ... maybe even a video, before, during and after build. Heck, a build thread wouldn't go amiss for that matter!

I had planned to, but there would be way to much swearing and cussing Daniel.

These things are a test of patience putting them together :)

The frame is together now.
Made a brass mandrel to fix the position of the blades.
I have painted the tips of the blades now.
Made a pulley for the blades.
Made a wooden base for the frame.

Now I'm trying to work out how to mount the pulleys like Bruce did in a faux 'pump' with roller bearings and some more pulleys.

The major bugbear now is getting the pulleys lined up so that that the pulley cord doesn't foul the cross brasses in the three (3) places where it can.

I take my hat of to Bruce's workmanship being the frontiersman that worked out how to do this initially.

I must have increased Bruce's YT channel count in the last 48 hours repeatedly watching his videos of his Aero's :) :) :) :)

Truly TRULY a test of a mans patience these things are !!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Aero Windmill
Post by: St Paul Steam on June 11, 2019, 06:17:07 am
I had planned to, but there would be way to much swearing and cussing Daniel.

These things are a test of patience putting them together :)

The frame is together now.
Made a brass mandrel to fix the position of the blades.
I have painted the tips of the blades now.
Made a pulley for the blades.
Made a wooden base for the frame.

Now I'm trying to work out how to mount the pulleys like Bruce did in a faux 'pump' with roller bearings and some more pulleys.

The major bugbear now is getting the pulleys lined up so that that the pulley cord doesn't foul the cross brasses in the three (3) places where it can.

I take my hat of to Bruce's workmanship being the frontiersman that worked out how to do this initially.

I must have increased Bruce's YT channel count in the last 48 hours repeatedly watching his videos of his Aero's :) :) :) :)

Truly TRULY a test of a mans patience these things are !!!!!!!!!
   "Truly TRULY a test of a mans patience these things are !!!!!!!!!"
yes they are Jim, as I said in a PM to you, hemostats help a lot, & since the nuts interfere with each, other its best not to tighten them all the way until you get both on in that particular corner. the base is exactly 5" square on the bottom with a 9 degree chamfer. bend the cross member out just a bit to help with clearance. if the top pulley is to large you will have clearance issues.
Title: Re: Aero Windmill
Post by: RedRyder on June 11, 2019, 06:20:48 am
Hi Jim, Does it make any sense to make a longer pulley shaft with 2 pulleys, one in the center and one just outside the frame?


Looking forward to hearing more when the cursing subsides...... at least a little bit!


Gil
Title: Re: Aero Windmill
Post by: CBWho on June 11, 2019, 06:39:30 am
I'm surprised the package arrived as the addresses are so badly smudged! ;)
Title: Re: Aero Windmill
Post by: Jim on June 12, 2019, 01:48:20 am
Here's the photo bomb, thanks again Bruce and thanks mate for the Jensen waterslide transfer :)


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Title: Re: Aero Windmill
Post by: Jim on June 12, 2019, 01:49:54 am

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Title: Re: Aero Windmill
Post by: St Paul Steam on June 12, 2019, 06:14:56 am
looks real good Jim, fine job there.
Title: Re: Aero Windmill
Post by: Stoker on June 12, 2019, 09:12:35 am
Looks great Jim  ....  your fettling has born fruit it would seem!

Shames me in that I've had mine for at least a couple of years now, and still haven't given it a go yet.
Title: Re: Aero Windmill
Post by: IndianaRog on June 12, 2019, 09:59:55 am
Jim, you have really made that windmill shine....great finish!!!  I bet your fingers hurt after messing with the dozens of nuts that must be snugged up on the itty, bitty screws.  Been years since I built one, but I can still imagine how my finger tips felt!

Rog
Title: Re: Aero Windmill
Post by: Nick on June 12, 2019, 10:06:05 pm
Turned out very nice Jim  8)
Title: Re: Aero Windmill
Post by: txlabman on June 12, 2019, 11:12:21 pm
Excellent job Jim.

Makes me feel very grateful that Bruce built one for me. 🤠

Not nearly as easy as it looks once it is all put together!
Title: Re: Aero Windmill
Post by: Jim on June 13, 2019, 01:31:49 am
Thanks guys, for the price of these they make absolutely fantastic steam engine accessories.
Title: Re: Aero Windmill
Post by: classixs on June 13, 2019, 02:21:34 am
Looks fantastic Jim, well done !!!
Title: Re: Aero Windmill
Post by: Griffin on June 13, 2019, 05:50:52 am
Nice work Jim.  I also know how fiddely those tiny nuts and screws are, as I made one of these windmill's up about 12 years ago.
I remember trying to sqeeze that "O" ring on to the spinle boss a real pain.
Title: Re: Aero Windmill
Post by: Jim on June 13, 2019, 06:39:24 pm
Thanks Jan & Steven :)