Amazing Eiffel Tower Replica

Amazing Eiffel Tower Replica FARM HOME Miscellaneous “Unbelievable” is what Arnie Lillo’s wife Jan said when she saw his Eiffel Tower tribute to her The powder-coated tower is 11 1/2 ft square at the base and 45 ft tall with a wind vane fitted with his wife’s family crest “I built it for her to enjoy as she battles cancer Her family background is French ” says Lillo “I had a lot of support ” His metal supplier Minnesota Iron and Metal Mankato Minn furnished more than 7 000 lbs of steel D and K Powder Coating of North Mankato Minn donated the paint job Boening Brothers Construction Mapleton Minn transported it to and from the paint shop Local farmer Doug Hager of Good Thunder Minn set it in place with his crane and equipment Lillo did all the design cutting and welding The tower consists of twenty-eight 4 by 10-ft sheets of steel cut up with the aid of Lillo’s plasma cutter a CAD program and an internet photo of the original tower Once individual struts were cut out Lillo welded them into place in five 8-ft sections and one 3 1/2-ft section He used 2 by 2-in angle iron in the corners for support legs similar to windmill designs “I made it 43 1/2 ft long because D and K Powder Coating had just installed a new 45-ft long furnace ” explains Lillo Lillo assembled the sections on the ground and welded them together avoiding the need for scaffolding The entire process took about a month and a half working time Once complete he lowered it onto a lowboy trailer and had it brought to D and K “They started in the morning and finished at 9 p m ” recalls Lillo “They washed it sprayed on powder baked it took it out recoated with a finish and baked it again ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Arnie Lillo 56634 177th Lane Good Thunder Minn 56037 ph 507 468-3748; alillo@hickorytech net

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