12-B 17-Inch Windmill Kit

Very nice windmill but we were missing one crossbeam when we received the product. Also, the assembly would have been much easier Had the tiny screws been Philip Head screws instead of Flathead with a crown in the center. Nothing more frustrating than maneuvering your hands in weird angles to hold the parts, screws, a bolt, and a screw driver, only to have everything slide apart due to the flat head screws. Would love it if I could get a replacement part for the missing crossbeam or another windmill set. Fun to put together otherwise just missing that part!

I've always liked windmills. There's just something very serene and picturesque about a windmill turning gently in a soft breeze. I have two on my property, an 8-ft. model in the front and a 12-ft. model in the back yard. But I thought it would be cool to have a smaller model I could keep inside. This windmill is stainless steel and quite solid when assembled. But a word (or two) for the wise: This Aero comes as a kit which you have to assemble and is NOT for those short of time or patience. The tiny screws measure about 1/4", and the nuts are equally small. There are 24 diagonal crossbars and 16 horizontal crossbars. The problem is that many of them are similar in length. Fortunately, there's a fold-out diagram that is drawn exactly to scale. If you get lost or confused about which crossbar goes where (as I most certainly did), you can simply match the part to the drawing. Ron, who heads up the company that sells these, was nice enough to respond to my emails about constructing this windmill. But I found that my best friend throughout this project was copious amounts of alcohol. You'll need a calm demeanor and steady hands to work with the almost microscopic nuts and screws. The crowning glory of the windmill is the rotor and tail vane. I was amazed at how easily the rotor spins, even in the slightest breeze. The Aero 12B is well made and should last for years if cared for properly. But this thing is a can of worms and a major pain to assemble. The end product is well worth the effort, but someone would have to pay me to do another....

The outcome of this windmill is beautiful. The "putting it together" is very difficult. The nuts and screws are sooo tiny that even with a magnetic flat head made it almost impossible. I worked on it for 1-2 hours a day until I finally finished it. Plus, where you put the cross bars onto the legs, there isn't enough room to put the nuts once you get the screw through the holes. I finally figured out to put the screw in from the back and leave the nut on the outside. The very top is most difficult because it is soo small.

It took several hours to assemble because the hardware is so tiny. A tiny dab of poster-mounting putty on a fingertip makes aligning the nuts possible. It operates very realistically, with a fan blowing on it. When you place the fan backward, it spins backward and then slowly turns itself back into the wind and reverses. This is not my first: that one stayed outdoors continuously for several years before the wind finally won out and several vanes broke off.

Plus: Quality of USA made steel frame, miniature screws, bolts /nuts, oiled brass bearings and main components is excellent. Beautiful when completed. Minus: Assembly should be done by a person with skills and proper tools. I recommend that a 3/16 inch ignition wrench with closed end and a sturdy narrow flat blade screwdriver at least 6 inches log be used. Additionally, I assembled with the bolt heads inside, the nuts outside. The assembly diagram shows the bolt heads outside.

It’s a 17” windmill made out of galvanized metal, yes screws are small. I used a pair of tweezers and a strong small magnet to hold the nuts. The flat heads were a non issue. I have arthritis in my hands but like anything else out there we find away to get it done. I also improvised on the build as well. Leaving the top mount off till the end helped to reach the nuts better in the top. And not tightening down the screws till the one next to it was in helped a lot

Its cute, but putting it together is a challenge. Just when you think you have it all together the lil bolts come loose? We used some peices of wire in places to hold it together?

The end result looked very nice but the bits and bolts are a problem they are hard to install and they fall out even after it’s put together.

I had to make up a crossbar 4. One short in the package. On first opening box, I had a very small nut fall out. Packing is a problem.... I paid a lot of money for this. .. many others would not be able to make a replacement, this is tin, nit galvanised, so will rust. This is for outside... Not impressed...