He Restores "Wooden Blade" Windmills
Ralph Wiebusch enjoys poring over a photo album containing photos of several wooden blade windmills that he has restored over the years. But it's even more of a thrill for the Zumbro Falls, Minn., resident to look out-side in his yard and see 12 restored wind-mills turning in the wind.
Some of the windmills have white wooden blades with colorful red tips. The wheels on all the various models range from 12 to 20 ft. in diameter. The largest windmill, a Fairbanks-Morse Eclipse, is also his favorite. At one time it was used to pump water to fill a railroad water tank at Edgewater, Wis.
"It was still standing but the wood blades were all gone when I picked it up," he says. "I had to almost completely rebuild it."
To rebuild the windmills he uses Cyprus wood which he gets from Florida because it's lightweight and weather resistant. "I could use something else like redwood, but it's softer and won't stand up in a severe storm," he says.
After restoring the windmills, he anchors them to cement pads, much the same as they were originally anchored. He has restored a few metal wheeled windmills but prefers the wooden-blade ones. When he needs parts he has them made at a foundry.
Wiebusch estimates that in the 1800s there were more than 500 windmill manufacturers. He has more than 20 different windmills on his place ready to be worked on. Restoring five per year is a realistic goal, he says. Last winter he restored a 12-ft. Monitor and a metal wheeled Imperial which he says is quite rare. The Imperial was probably manufactured in the early 1900's.
He says his Halladay model, manufactured by U.S. Wind Engineering and Pump Co., Batavia, Ill., is not only rare but one of the oldest windmills in his collection. John Halladay built the first self-regulating wind-mills in the 1850's. There were many sold in the 1900's but only a few still exist.
He owns a Hummer made from the early 1900's to the 1930's. His three Clemens windmills are also rare finds. They were made by P. Clemens at his small shop near Dane, Wis. When Wiebusch found the windmills, the second generation of Clemens had a sale and a relative bought all the patterns. After the sale, there was a shed fire and all the in-formation about the Clemens model was destroyed.
He's hoping to add a Power windmill to his collection. It was used to grind feed and run machinery. Unfortunately most were destroyed during World War I and II because of the need for scrap metal.
Besides restoring his own windmills, Wiebusch will also work on windmills for others. For example, he recently sold a 10-ft. wide Raymond model, which he picked up in South Dakota, to someone in Texas where it will be used to pump water.
Whenever Wiebusch requires more information on windmills, he consults "A Field Guide To American Windmills" by T. Lind-say Baker, Texas. The book lists the model, manufacturer, and approximate dates and gives a description of the windmill.
Trade shows are another way to get and share information and patterns. Wiebusch belongs to the International Windmillers Association which holds a convention each year in June. He also knows of a man who can provide patterns. "He won't part with his iron, but I have the foundry source and I can get a part made," he said. "It works good for both of us."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ralph Wiebusch, Rt. 1, Box 214, Zumbro Falls, Minn. 55991 (ph 507 753-2415).
Click here to download page story appeared in.
Click here to read entire issue
He Restores "Wooden Blade" Windmills AG WORLD Ag World 22-4-24 Ralph Wiebusch enjoys poring over a photo album containing photos of several wooden blade windmills that he has restored over the years. But it's even more of a thrill for the Zumbro Falls, Minn., resident to look out-side in his yard and see 12 restored wind-mills turning in the wind.
Some of the windmills have white wooden blades with colorful red tips. The wheels on all the various models range from 12 to 20 ft. in diameter. The largest windmill, a Fairbanks-Morse Eclipse, is also his favorite. At one time it was used to pump water to fill a railroad water tank at Edgewater, Wis.
"It was still standing but the wood blades were all gone when I picked it up," he says. "I had to almost completely rebuild it."
To rebuild the windmills he uses Cyprus wood which he gets from Florida because it's lightweight and weather resistant. "I could use something else like redwood, but it's softer and won't stand up in a severe storm," he says.
After restoring the windmills, he anchors them to cement pads, much the same as they were originally anchored. He has restored a few metal wheeled windmills but prefers the wooden-blade ones. When he needs parts he has them made at a foundry.
Wiebusch estimates that in the 1800s there were more than 500 windmill manufacturers. He has more than 20 different windmills on his place ready to be worked on. Restoring five per year is a realistic goal, he says. Last winter he restored a 12-ft. Monitor and a metal wheeled Imperial which he says is quite rare. The Imperial was probably manufactured in the early 1900's.
He says his Halladay model, manufactured by U.S. Wind Engineering and Pump Co., Batavia, Ill., is not only rare but one of the oldest windmills in his collection. John Halladay built the first self-regulating wind-mills in the 1850's. There were many sold in the 1900's but only a few still exist.
He owns a Hummer made from the early 1900's to the 1930's. His three Clemens windmills are also rare finds. They were made by P. Clemens at his small shop near Dane, Wis. When Wiebusch found the windmills, the second generation of Clemens had a sale and a relative bought all the patterns. After the sale, there was a shed fire and all the in-formation about the Clemens model was destroyed.
He's hoping to add a Power windmill to his collection. It was used to grind feed and run machinery. Unfortunately most were destroyed during World War I and II because of the need for scrap metal.
Besides restoring his own windmills, Wiebusch will also work on windmills for others. For example, he recently sold a 10-ft. wide Raymond model, which he picked up in South Dakota, to someone in Texas where it will be used to pump water.
Whenever Wiebusch requires more information on windmills, he consults "A Field Guide To American Windmills" by T. Lind-say Baker, Texas. The book lists the model, manufacturer, and approximate dates and gives a description of the windmill.
Trade shows are another way to get and share information and patterns. Wiebusch belongs to the International Windmillers Association which holds a convention each year in June. He also knows of a man who can provide patterns. "He won't part with his iron, but I have the foundry source and I can get a part made," he said. "It works good for both of us."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ralph Wiebusch, Rt. 1, Box 214, Zumbro Falls, Minn. 55991 (ph 507 753-2415).
To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click
here to register with your account number.
