Windmill safety – Do Not attempt stopping a spinning windmill wheel

In an earlier post I mentioned taking the top off the windmill – (the wheel, pivot and tail) from the tower in high winds. You need to use care in doing this. Never ever try to stop the spinning windmill wheel with your bare hands, you will probably end up at your local urgent care center!!! The wheel will cut you if you try to stop it while it is turning.

Step one wear heavy gloves. Remove the cotter pin that is below the mast head (the mast head is the part that the four legs bolt to)

Step two grab the tail brace and turn the wheel away from the wind. The wheel will stop turning for a second or two and then it will begin to turn in the reverse direction. With gloves on grab the wheel when it stops turning and hold it.

Step three lift the top from the mast head and remove it -

When the winds drop down check to make certain the tower is firmly fastened, hammer in the ground stakes if the tower is not in firm contact with the ground. Check to see if the tower is level. The easiest way to do this is with a level placed on the horizontal braces closest to the ground. Slide the top wheel and tail assembly back into the mast head and replace the cotter pin into the pivot shaft that is below the mast head.

If you are going to have Gail force or hurricane force winds take the top assembly off from the windmill tower. Place the top safely inside until these conditions change. The tower with out the wheel and tail will survive some very high winds.

If you windmill is mounted in cement or firmly mounted on a cement or strong wood base you windmill should be fine and be able to survive winds 70 mph or so. (I know of one in Nebraska mounted on a cement slab that has seen over 100 mph winds more than once and they do not remove the top)

If you happen the have one of the Chinese copies you may want to remove the entire top anytime the winds are higher than 15 mph and even doing that the blades very well still can and will fail, come loose or fly off.

While these comments are mostly about the 8 foot windmill they also apply to the much smaller 4.5 foot windmill.

With the 4.5 foot windmill even though the wheel is only 12 inches, do not try to stop if with your bare hands, wear gloves, grab the tail brace and turn the wheel away from the wind. It will slow down and stop, grab the wheel when it stops turning and lift the entire top off from the mast head.

Something to be aware of with the 4.5 foot windmill is it is low enough that children can get there hands in the wheel. The spinning wheel can cut little finger offs and break bones. Do not let children play with or get close to the 4.5 foot windmill when the wheel is turning. Which is most of the time. Both the 8 foot and 4.5 foot windmill wheels will turn in the slightest breeze.

Adults also have to be careful around the 4.5 foot windmill – just be aware that you have a spinning steel wheel that has square corners.