How Can I Repurpose a broken metal farm style windmill?

Brenda Lyons
by Brenda Lyons
I have an old metal farm style windmill that has rusted and the blade part has fallen off. I hate to throw it away, any ideas on what I can do with it?
  4 answers
  • Anna Erishkigal Anna Erishkigal on May 30, 2014
    Is this an industrial-size windmill which was used to pump water? Or a small decorative one? If the former, you might want to take what you have and bring it to a metal-worker to form new blades and then put it back to work watering your garden. A pre-existing windmill is usually exempt from zoning restrictions, so simply 'fixing' it won't require a costly trip through your local building board. If the latter, I suggest painting it to slow the rust-decay and using it as the support for pole beans or clementis.
  • Carole Carole on May 31, 2014
    If it is a smallish decorative one - say waist of shoulder height, you could abandon the blades and use it to grow a climbing plant on such as a clematis or jasmine plant.
  • KathrynElizabeth Etier KathrynElizabeth Etier on Jun 02, 2014
    I see it as a base for morning glories. They grow rapidly.
  • Deb K Deb K on Sep 04, 2022

    Hi Brenda, you could make wooden blades to put on it. Hope this helps you out.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMLBhmD-0b4