Vintage Windmill and Wind Generator Forum

Hello to all. I am a new member from MO. We are in the process of restoring an old windmill that has been on our family's farm since the late 1800's. We have ID it as a Dandy irrigator, but have not been able to find much information on them. I am in need of some parts (the crankshaft is missing and the fan is junk). Are there any sources of literature, manuals, drawings, etc out there for these mills? Any help or advice is appreciated.

Welcome to the forum J.W. and glad to see your interest in restoring that dandy irrigator. I believe Steve Adams has some irrigator parts.I have some parts and a parts list also some regular dandy parts fit the one you have. Figure out what you need and Mill size and I'm sure someone can help you. Dan !!

Welcome to the forum. You came to the best windmill forum in the world. Plenty of knowledge here.

Kenneth

Welcome. Don't throw anything away, even if you think it's junk. It's surprising how much can be saved, or used for patterns. I've worked over a few Dandys, but not the irrigator style.

Is your Dandy n 8 ft or 10 ft. I have a new complete 10 ft wheel built by Dab Benjamim I'd sale. Challenge used the same head for 8 ft and 10ft, just changed the arms and wheel sections. Plus I have the big gear with shaft. You can email me at axtellstandard@gmail.com if interested.

This is an 8 foot mill. I have new gears being made out of steel instead of cast. Unfortunately the mill has been disassembled for a long time and the crankshaft just got lost. The bearing inserts appear to e been the replaceable graphite type. Are any new ones out there or would I be better off just pouring babbit? I saw an ad on this forum that said there was a roller bearing where the head pivots, but this one was just steel on steel when dasassembled. Am I missing a piece there?

I noticed that your missing the step plate on the tower that the dandy leg rests and pivots on. I believe there are two different ones I'd have to check my stock.Their were two different replaced bearings on the dandy babbit or graphite.

Welcome to the forum

I actually have the step plate, we dismantled everything off the tower as the tower is headed to the galvanizer to be hot dipped.

Yes there is a plate that bolts to the stormstay, and an insert that goes into the bottom of the neckpipe. The plate is the lower turntable race, and the insert is the upper. Round steel balls go between them for the mill to rotate on. It should not sit on the tower top. I think the last time I worked on one, the balls were small, like 3/8 or so if I remember.