horizontal sludge pump

Building a Windmill Tower and Digging a Water Well

Digging a Water Well

Does anyone out there have any expertise or knowledge pertaining to the digging of (or probably, more accurately, boring) a water well? I have a restored vintage farm windmill, minus the tower, which I want to erect and have pumping water through my farm pond. I think I want to bore the well using the 'percussion' method - because this is something that I have a smattering of knowledge about and think I could rig up myself. I don't want to get into rotary turntables, etc. My plan would be to build a steel tower for the windmill on the site of the intended well and use this tower with a pulley to suspend a rope or cable holding the drilling pipe, which moves up and down - thus the boring percussion. I believe I've seen, in the past, an arrangement made using an eccentric 'capstan' on the wheel of a stationary tractor that lifts a rope up and down, in a pile driving fashion. I'm only guessing, but I think I might need to drill to around 100 feet deep and that I would need to drive in a pipe as a well 'liner' and use a deep-well pump. So, can anyone help - firstly with plans (or where to get them) for a steel windmill tower (of about twenty feet) and, any advice, or information on how to bore a well.

Restoring Windmills

I have restored and made operational 2 vintage water pumping farm windmills at my place and now have a 3rd tower set in place ready to hoist up the motor, fan and vane when the cement is fully hardened in the base hold downs. I believe what you are describing is referred to here as 'pounding' or 'driving' a well point. I believe this method is limited to about 30 - 35 feet when done by hand. You start with a drive-point and add 5' lengths of pipe using special 'drive' couplings that can withstand the impact of the pounder. The best jobs are actually done with a heavy 'pusher' so as not to bend or break the pipe. When limited to shallow depths, the cylinder which sucks in the water and raises it with the pull rod from the windmill can be above ground. Below ground if freezing weather can be a problem. At greater depths, a larger pipe is used which has the cylinder on a drop pipe, So, there would be a 2" well casing and a 1 -1/2" cylinder and maybe 1-1/4" drop pipe. An iron pull rod connects to the cylinder piston, etc. Towers are typically 2" angle iron with 1" angle iron horizontal braces every 5'. Ther is also cross bracing which can be 1" steel bands or simply 3/8 concrete type reinforcing rod. Wooden towers can also be made up from 4" x 4" lumber for the 3 or 4 legs and 2 x 4 or 2 x 6" cross pieces. Since you already have the mill parts (motor, fan and vane) you need to obtain the appropriate mounting components for putting the motor casing onto the top of the tower. This includes a tower cap bearing, a truing spider (inboard lower bearing, and a mast cap (to keep it all from flying off the tower in a heavy wind). These parts are available from several sources. Then all you need is the pump rod sections to connect up the motor with the pump. Generally one gets a well done first because you never can be sure there will be water underneath a new tower placement. You can also locate the well next to the tower and use a double walking beam connection to operate the pump action from a distance (4 - 10'). You need a double because most windmill motors only like to pull up. They don't push down very hard. If you have a fence post pounder already, it could be very easy to get to the depths you are trying for. As for using the windmill tower for the pounder gantry, I did it once that way, but its awkward because of all the metal in the way of your cable. Now get this: I have a New Holland bale pickup wagon that uses a rope and capstan to pull the pickup chute off the ground for traveling to and from the fields. This makes a great well pounder lift mechanism. Whn you pull on the rope, it tightens the windings on the capstan and it pulls up the pounder (a railroad tie). When you release the rope, it drops the pounder. You ought to have some fun getting this job done. Its quite an accomplishment.

Percussion Drilling

I fully realise that it would be a whole lot easier just to pay a commercial driller to do it all for me. However, in my locale there is only one operator and he charges like a wounded bull. I'm pretty sure that what you call 'pounding' we here (in NZ) call 'percussion drilling'. I also appreciate that commercial operators would use a quicker, more efficient method. I have been led to believe that, provided you're not trying to penetrate rock, considerable depths are achievable using this method - you just keep adding to the pipe that carries the pounding 'point' and driving down the outer casing, which is also added, as you go, in shortish welded sections. The only real limitation to the depth achievable is the length of pipe that can be lifted up and then dropped, 'percussively'. One of the number of aspects that I'm a bit stuck on is that I think I need to pump water down the bore as I drill - how do you know when you've struck groundwater? Also, I'm not absolutely hung up on this pounding method. I believe that I'm only going through clay(and possibly light gravel) so if I can do the job by 'jetting', please tell me.

Baptist Well Drilling Method

Look up . It's pretty simple. Works well. I have seen many wells drilled this way. Also look up for a site that has all the ancillary equipment you will need to put the well into service. Also look up as the term pounders has a fewer different meanings to different people. My windmills are placed in tree 'allys' that channel the air pretty well in an east/west direction. I'm not that 'thirsty', so a short dry spell for an hour or two is not a problem. And, mnay windmills had regulators on them to shut them down because of overfill conditions, especially for filling in-house tanks with a so-called 'suburban water system' (in house plumbing). What's interesting to all of us and visitors is how the air can be quiet at the house and 100 yards away, the fan is on full governor (speed limited). And the other way around. Sometimes when you ae standing in a place that you can observe both mills, one is maxed out and the other is completely stopped. They are 200 yards apart ! This 3rd one I have ready to raise is in the middle of an unused horse riding ring surounded by high trees near the barn. But you can feel the wind rush when standing on the platform. Its more for decoration than water supply. I have a hit-miss engine and a pump jack I want to hook up and demonstrate (without all the mess, so to speak).

Windmill Sizes

I have two mills Aermotors, one a 10 foot and a 12 foot, 265 foot to water and 280 feet to water, one tower is 60 feet and one is 40 foot (no trees around it) both on steel factory towers, I have seen towers made out of old drill pipe and other below are a few wood tower plans and some pictures of raising the 12 foot mill up I braced the lower section of the tower and used tower hinges, a picture of them as well I have a few other views of them if needed, (made them my self, the allow the tower to lap correctly, as it goes up.

Booth Windmill

That 'mill that you show being raised must be quite an impressive thing to behold whenever the wind blows. My windmill is an 8 foot 'Booth' - which, I imagine, is a name unheard of anywhere in the world outside New Zealand. As a matter of interest I have seen claims made for the Booth as being the world's first 'oilbath' self-oiler. Personally, I doubt that the claim's legitimate.

Booth-MacDonald & Co Ltd

Formerly George Booth & Sons. Operated the Carlyle Implement & Iron Works, also known as the Carlyle Implement Works. Operational from 1882 - c1955. The address in 1885 is shown as 218 Tuam Street, Christchurch. In 1900 this company were supplying the American made FLINT & WALLING STEEL STAR windmills. One of the earliest oil bath windmills anywhere. The design was patented in 1911 by Charles WHITAKER, an engineer employed by BOOTH - McDONALD. It was single geared and operated the pump rod by linkages. A small open type direct acting windmill. Some of the fans were as small as 4 foot. It employed a counterweight. Invented and patented by Mr H. Grieg, a travelling representative for Booth & McDonald & Co. It was a light running, self regulating and inexpensive windmill. I really could find very little on the booth windmills, (about what year is your manufacture date, are parts available for it).

Vintage Models

I am familiar with the information that you have posted. But thankyou. You are quite correct - there doesn't seem to be a lot of information to be had regarding Booth-MacDonald windmills. Having said that, however, there are still quite a number of them in existence (in NZ) - for those who know what they look like. Prior to 1900, almost all mills were imported from the US. And although the great majority of these have long since disappeared, there are still quite a few vintage models available. I really cannot accurately date the Booth mill I have in my possession, other than to assume that it was manufactured some time between 1911 - when they secured the patent (and that might not have been worldwide) and the 1950's, when they ceased manufacturing them. I realise that it's only of academic interest, but I would think that the market would be too small for any likelihood of spare parts being readily available.

Prices for Used Mills

the prices for used mills range from scrap iron price to thousands, I bought the 12 foot in 2000 for $500, with tower, I bought a good Aermotor ,8 foot in good condition no tower, (tower was tore up) some bent sales, for scrap iron price, the other day, The Farbury my son found in a scrap iron pile, and gave it to me. I keep my eye open and look for them some, a lot of the value of them is what either some one wants to part with it or what some one is willing to pay to get it. even many ranchers are going to solar panels and small pumps, powered by the panels, so windmills are far and few even in the west but still used some if power is not available.