Building a Windmill Tower and Digging a Water Well

[AxelGrease]

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.
Many thanks
Ed

 

[BHD]

there has been a number of threads on water well drilling on this board do a search,

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/search.php?searchid=1402741

 

[zzvyb6]

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, including eBay. Then all you need is the pump rod sections to connect up the motro 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. (But, I put the towers up first because I know there is water at 10 - 25').

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.

 

[AxelGrease]

Thanks Guys - that's quite helpful.
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'. (If there is such a word).
I hasten to add, however, that although I have seen this done (a long time ago), I do not claim any expertise (apart from a lifetime of DIY experience) - this was why I was humbly seeking any advice that might be offered.
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? (I seem to recall that the pumped water was recirculated by means of a trough, with a large upstand pipe, which the drilling pipes might've gone right through. And the volume of water suddenly increased when groundwater was 'struck'.)
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.
Thanks again.
Ed

 

[MtnViewRanch]

zzvyb6, does the windmill in the first picture work ok? I thought that windmills were suppose to be several hundred feet from anything tall like all those trees.

Just curious.

 

[Egon]

Look up < Baptist Well Drilling Method >.

It's pretty simple. Works well. I have seen many wells drilled this way.:thumbsup:

Also look up < Aero Motor Windmills > for a site that has all the ancillary equipment you will need to put the well into service.:thumbsup:

Also look up < Cable Tool Drilling > as the term pounders has a fewer different meanings to different people.:thumbsup:

 

[zzvyb6]

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).

 

[MtnViewRanch]

zzvyb6, what size are your mills and how tall are the towers? We have 2 -12 footers and 1 - 16 footer. Only have 1 - 12 up and working and it is on a 27' tower. The other 12' goes on a 40' tower and the 16' goes on a 50' tower. Need to get them up and running, but we have been saying that for the last 12 years. :ashamed:

 

[BHD]

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,

 

[AxelGrease]

BHD -
Thanks for the information - it's greatly appreciated.
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.
Ed