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A well on the site is a practical and convenient option for arranging drinking water access to the house and garden. With proper execution and imagination of the master, a well-equipped ground part of the well becomes a decoration of the landscape. There are many ways of external construction, which not only perform a practical function, but also become a landmark of the site, as can be seen in the photo of the crane well.
What is a crane well
Of the variety of methods for arranging the external part of the water intake on the site, the crane well is perhaps the most romantic and at the same time functional tool for facilitating the rise of groundwater. It differs from all other structures only in the lifting mechanism, which looks like a crane because of the long movable well lever. It is fixed on a base fixed in the ground. A bucket is fixed to one side of the rocker, and a heavy counterweight to the other, which allows you to lift a container of water with a slight movement of your hand. Before making a choice in favor of this device, you should familiarize yourself with its features.
Advantages of a well-crane
The main advantage of the design is ease of use. A bucket of water can be lifted with little to no physical force, unlike a standard well gate, which involves rotating a drum with a heavy bucket suspended. Due to this factor, the time of water extraction is significantly reduced. In addition to the simple practical application, the crane well makes the design of the entire site completely different. The unique spirit of antiquity in the form of a well-crane will naturally fit into any landscape.
Disadvantages of a well with a crane
For those who need to get water from the deepest layers of the soil, such a device will not work. The optimal water intake is considered to be a crane at a depth of 4-5 m. When increasing the length of a well well, the crane boom will also lengthen, and this entails an increase in the free area for the lever to move on the site, which is not always justified. Also, the forced increase in strength due to the lengthening of the rocker arm will give the whole structure a bulky character.
Another significant drawback, many users consider the impossibility of tightness of the head with the design of the crane. Due to the vertical movement of the pole with a bucket, there is no way to make a house over the mine. The need for such access to the well makes it necessary to cover the water with a removable cover or leave it open at all. Often this leads to contamination of the fluid with small debris, leaves or sediment.
Despite some features of the crane well, a person of any age and build can use it due to the simplicity of the design. Its attractiveness is not only in the ease of extracting water, but also in the pleasant emotions that the crane well causes in people, as in this video.
Crane well device
The device of the crane well is simple and consists of several parts.
Each part of the structure performs a specific function:
- The vertical base is a thick support post fixed in the ground. This is the most durable part of the crane well, it is tightly fixed into the ground at a distance from the head according to calculations.
- The counterweight support is a kind of travel limiter, in most models it is optional to install.
- Short arm with a counterweight – a heavy load attached to the short side of the boom. It performs the function of a ballast to balance human forces and the weight of a bucket of water when lifting.
- Rocker (arrow) – a lever that is attached to the base with the help of hinges or corners. Usually it is made from a single, not thick log, pipe or strong pole.
- The chain is the fastening part of the arrow and the pole, usually galvanized links are used.
- The pole is attached to the long part of the arrow with a chain and corresponds to the depth of the well.
- Container for a set of water – a bucket or a tub.
- The head of the well-crane is the outer ground part of the well of a rounded or square shape. It protects water from pollution and freezing. It is usually made of stone, concrete ring, brick, boards or beams.
The mine itself – the underground part of the well, which is filled with water, is formed at the place where groundwater occurs. As a rule, inside it is lined with concrete rings or lumber.
Previously, in the villages, a fork of a thick tree was chosen as a support, on which a lever with a bucket was attached. If there was no suitable tree near the well, it was dug out of the forest and planted next to the well shaft as the basis for the yoke. Now there is a large amount of solid material for the construction of the base and convenient fasteners for fixing. This allows, without problems, in the presence of a functioning mine and a head, to make a well crane on the site with your own hands.
How to make a crane for a well with your own hands
The construction of a crane for a well includes several stages of work. Competent calculation, compliance with all technological processes and step-by-step implementation of the plan will allow a well with a crane to become not only a place for collecting water, but also a pleasant addition to the landscape.
Material preparation
To make a crane with your own hands, you need to prepare the necessary materials:
- wooden blocks with sections of 5 * 10 and 5 * 5 cm;
- pipes for support;
- thin duralumin pipe;
- self-tapping screws;
- chain;
- corners;
- mounting studs M 10 and M 8;
- load for a bucket;
- concrete solution;
- two metal bars.
When forming the structure, the following devices and tools will be needed:
- garden drill;
- sandpaper;
- wrench;
- screwdriver;
- shovel.
Crane calculation
The parameters of the lever, as well as the installation location of the supporting part, depend on the depth of the well. Approximate dimensions can be seen in the table.
When calculating all the parameters of a well crane, simple formulas are used. For ease of understanding, each indicator is labeled with letters:
- H is the depth of the mine;
- L – pole with chain;
- h1 – rack height;
- l1 is the length of the large arm of the lever;
- l2 is the length of the small arm;
- h2 is the distance from the main rack to the center of the well.
To determine the main indicators, the following formulas are used:
- h2 = H — 0,7 m;
- h1 = H/2 + 2,4 m;
- L=H + 150 cm;
- l1 = H — 0,2 m;
- l2 u0,8d H – XNUMX m.
When measuring the depth of the well, it is necessary to take into account the fact that when taking water, the bucket should not fall closer than 30 cm to the bottom of the mine. With an average well depth of 5 m and a water tub volume of 8-10 liters, you need to count on a counterweight on the short side of the sleeve weighing at least 15 kg. A more accurate weight of the load is determined empirically during the installation of the well crane.
Crane support installation
Before installing the base at the distance from the well chosen according to the formula, it is necessary to isolate it from contact with the ground. To do this, pipes are attached to the main beam with mounting studs, which will become a continuation of the base in the ground. After that, they dig or drill a hole 1 m deep with a garden drill. The width should be such that after installing the pipes between them and the ground there is a distance of 20-25 cm. A support is installed in this pit so that about 15-20 cm remains from the wooden base to the soil. The pipes are leveled, the hole is concreted.
Montage balancer
The installation of the crane balancer for the well can only be started after the solution has completely solidified. A bar 50 * 50 cm, which goes to the arrow, is strengthened at the point of fixation to the support with an overlay made of a bar of wood of the same thickness. By means of a pair of steel corners and an M10 mounting stud, the arrow is fixed to the support. The corners are attached to the rack with M8 studs.
Hanging a pole with a bucket
One of the best options for a pole that holds a bucket is an duralumin pipe measuring 2,2 m. It is pasted over with a moisture-resistant film to prevent corrosion.
To the long end of the balancer, the tube is attached with a meter chain.
A 0,5 m chain with a bucket is fixed to the other side of the pole.
A load is fitted on the top of the bucket, which will force the container to turn over and go to the bottom when it comes into contact with water.
Installing the counterweight
The counterweight is attached to the crane last on the short side of the balancer. Two iron beams, giving a total weight of 15-18 kg, are attached to the boom with mounting studs. After the complete assembly of the structure, the exact weight of the balancer is determined by checking the lifting of the bucket of water.
Crane design
Decorative well crane in the country, made by hand, will become a full-fledged design element of the landscape of the site. For a beautiful design, you need to take into account other buildings and components of the local area.
For plant decoration of the supporting part of the crane, a flower bed is dug around it. Fertilize it with humus and plant climbing plants. For example, simple beans will decorate the crane’s support with beautiful flowers, wrapping around the base.
The design of the ground part in the form of a crane is a popular option for this type of well.
In addition to the famous bird, to match the name of the well, it is often decorated in the form of other living creatures: a giraffe, a fox, a baby elephant, a stork.
Children will love the performance of the crane well in the form of fairy-tale characters or cartoon characters.
Tips and Tricks
When building a well crane with your own hands, experienced craftsmen recommend carefully observing the safety rules:
- All materials used in the construction must be checked for integrity and suitability for long-term use. Reject elements with cracks, signs of deformation and other damage.
- The lever itself is checked before installation as follows: it is installed at a low height and a load is hung on the long edge. With a weight equal to the sum of a bucket of water, a pole and chains, the deformation of the lever should not exceed 5% of its length.
- Chains and poles are separately checked for strength. To do this, hang a load twice the weight of the water container.
- Near the well, a crane removes all objects and plantings that interfere with the free movement and movement of the rocker.
Photo of crane wells
As a rule, do-it-yourself crane wells naturally fit into the natural landscape of the site.
There are ready-made models that can be purchased at carpentry workshops and installed in the country.
Sometimes the simplest decor turns a composition into an original design project.
The very idea of a crane well can be implemented on the site in the form of a landscape decoration without the functionality of water collection.
Conclusion
A photo of a crane well will help to realize the idea of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe old way of collecting water in the country. Compliance with the principles of the device, the correct calculation and fantasy of the master allows you to competently equip the landscape of the site with the help of a well crane.