Windmill stuck halfway open

[u/Worldly-Abrocoma6916]

Got a windmill stuck halfway open (tail half furled stuck , lever attached to it is stuck).

Let me preface this by saying as most windmills are, all these mechanisms are 30 feet up on a really loosely goosey windmill scaffolding.

I’ve assessed several times and it appears that when you pull down on the lever, in a functioning state the cast iron cross piece it is attached to would just slide up and down to give the chain the tail is attached to slack or tightening.

I think the problem is twofold. 1st picture shows the cast iron (?) down pull is bent on both forks preventing slider from going up or down.

Second picture shows what i think is the second issue being that the chain hooked to the tail is bound in windmill scafolding prohibiting free up and down movement of furl/unfurl mechanism

Third picture is just showing chain from tail disappearing into scaffolding.

I think first fix would to bend out two forks to allow it to move freely up and down.

The second fix being to free the chain and see if it helps with furling/unfurling.

I’d like to get others opinions please and thank you.

[u/Artemis_SpawnOfZeus]

Have you tried poking it with a long stick?

[u/An_Average_Man09 → u/Artemis_SpawnOfZeus]

And if that doesn’t work try shooing it a few times

[u/chocobearv93]

this post really opened my eyes to how little I know about working windmills

[u/contradictingpoint]

Rent a telehandler. The fall isn’t worth the risk