My Huge Heavy Mast is Up
Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 4:17 am
The mast consists of two 6 meter 100mm channels that are welded together (boxed) that can swing at 3m high between two 150mm diameter machined wooden poles on a 24mm diameter steel shaft. The box is extended by a 2.5 meter 60mm diameter steel pipe at the top end. The turbine has it's own 1.5 meter 40mm diameter pipe attached to the 60mm pipe. Overall height is 9.6 meters. The turbine will be raised and lowered by a simple winch that I bought at a boat shop for R250.
It's erected and should soon be working. The problems associated with the project were the erection of the two 6 meter 150mm diameter wooden poles and then the erection of the boxed channel between them suspended in the middle on the 24mm diameter steel shaft. I had no access to hydraulic lifts or lots of labour and had to rely on my own ingenuity. I built a supporting structure to jack up the two 150mm poles and grout them in and then use those poles (stayed) together with the structure to winch the boxed channel into place. It all worked !!!
I'll post a photo but I just can't figure how to attach the photo right now.
I bought six 3.6 meter wooden poles and four 6 meter 125mm diameter machined wooden poles. The six machined poles cost me R2000 and the six ordinary poles R650. The two steel channels had cost R500 each (used). The cost of the big items were R3900 (including the winch) which I felt was reasonable considering I had quotes for R10 000 for the mast alone and some R25 000 for a turbine. That's why I came to this site to buy the turbine and decided to erect my own mast. I'm hoping to come out between a third and a half of the original quoted price from the other manufacturer or somewhere between twelve and eighteen thousand rand. I'm aiming for as close to twelve as possible.
So far it's been great fun and I'm hoping to have endless hours enjoying the turbine when it's up and working.
It's erected and should soon be working. The problems associated with the project were the erection of the two 6 meter 150mm diameter wooden poles and then the erection of the boxed channel between them suspended in the middle on the 24mm diameter steel shaft. I had no access to hydraulic lifts or lots of labour and had to rely on my own ingenuity. I built a supporting structure to jack up the two 150mm poles and grout them in and then use those poles (stayed) together with the structure to winch the boxed channel into place. It all worked !!!
I'll post a photo but I just can't figure how to attach the photo right now.
I bought six 3.6 meter wooden poles and four 6 meter 125mm diameter machined wooden poles. The six machined poles cost me R2000 and the six ordinary poles R650. The two steel channels had cost R500 each (used). The cost of the big items were R3900 (including the winch) which I felt was reasonable considering I had quotes for R10 000 for the mast alone and some R25 000 for a turbine. That's why I came to this site to buy the turbine and decided to erect my own mast. I'm hoping to come out between a third and a half of the original quoted price from the other manufacturer or somewhere between twelve and eighteen thousand rand. I'm aiming for as close to twelve as possible.
So far it's been great fun and I'm hoping to have endless hours enjoying the turbine when it's up and working.