Desperate for help with tm12 winch conversion kit!!!

[Carol H]

Please help. I put on the winch and cable but every time I try to raise it or lower it the side that is not screwed down comes out of the slot and wraps around the pole. Please help. I've got 3 here and I cannot get the house to go up or down. DESPERATE!

[Louise Chambers]

You might call the mfg on Monday for help. Hopefully someone here can help you tomorrow, though.

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

Why did you not screw both sides down? I really do not have any idea just what your problem is but....the winch must be fastened tightly so that it will not move, then when its secure, then you can consider raising the house. If you could show a photo, that would help a considerable amount, photos are worth a 1000 words.

[Carol H]

Thanks Louise. I thought of that but don't want to wait until Monday if someone can help tomorrow. I have 3 tired birds that want their same place as last year and of course it is the one I can't get up. Google news is I got it half way up and they went in .

[Carol H]

Emil, the bottom plate on the house has two slots, one on each side. One side of the cable has a uhf clip on it that you loop over the screw on the plate. The
Other comes through the plate and goes down to the winch. It is hanging up here and coming out of groove and wrapping aound the pole. I do not know how to send pictures but if you look up Wck Winch conversion kit on the Internet you can see instruction. I know I did something wrong because nature house instructions are usually right on.

[apundt-TX]

OK. I found the instructions online.

Probably something around that second B step below.

A.P.

[apundt-TX]

Directions to convert Nature House rope lanyard
systems to winch and cable.
A.
Use original pole and retain all original hardware except
the rope cleat. Remove cleat and re
-
insert both screws
back into the pole.
B.
Remove Roof from house. Remove top formed plate and
replace with the new formed plate included in the kit.
C.
Remove Lanyard Lock mechanism from the bottom of
the house and install the flat plate with one screw and
nut.
B.
Insert straight end of cable up through bottom of house
and through one of the holes in the new top plate. Run
cable up around the pole top pulley and back down
through the second hole in the top plate. Continue to
push cable down through the house until it exits through
the bottom plate. This end of the cable will be attached to
the winch. See other side for instructions.
C.
Re
-
install the roof.
D.
When both ends of the cable are positioned through the
bottom plate as shown on the right
—
follow the six steps
outlined in the images below

1.
Insert second screw through floor and new bottom
plate. Hold screw in place with your finger .
2.
Place UHF clip over the protruding screw as shown.
3.
Place loop end of cable around the screw.
4.
Place plain washer over the loop.
5.
Place smaller lock washer over plain washer.
6.
Attach nut and tighten for secure hold

To secure cable to winch:

Mount the pre-assembled
winch to the pole
about 1” above the clamps that secure the first
and second pole sections. The winch has a 1)
wing nut 2) lock washer 3) Plain Washer and 4)
UHF clip pre
-
installed on the winch handle. Re-
move the wing nut and washers (leave the UHF
clip in place). Push the cable through the hole
as shown at right. Loop it around the threaded
fastener. Replace the plain washer, then the lock
washer and finally the wing nut, and tighten.
Note: The sequence of fasteners used to secure the
cable to the winch handle is the same as that outlined
to attach the looped cable at the bottom of the house
.
Turn he winch handle to wind the
cable around the spool.
To secure cable to winch follow
the instructions below:

[Carol H]

One side screws down but the other side just goes down to the winch through the slot. This is where it is hanging up. Slipping out of the slot and wrapping around the pole. There is no hole or guide to hold it in place. I really appreciate everyone's help. I am not good at explaining.

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

Emil, the bottom plate on the house has two slots, one on each side. One side of the cable has a uhf clip on it that you loop over the screw on the plate. The
Other comes through the plate and goes down to the winch. It is hanging up here and coming out of groove and wrapping aound the pole. I do not know how to send pictures but if you look up Wck Winch conversion kit on the Internet you can see instruction. I know I did something wrong because nature house instructions are usually right on.

Sorry, I cannot help without photos

[apundt-TX]

http://www.naturehouseinc.com/images/pd ... ctions.pdf

On the 2nd page do you have the cable attached to the handle as shown?

Push the cable through the hole
as shown at right. Loop it around the threaded
fastener. Replace the plain washer, then the lock
washer and finally the wing nut, and tighten.


The wing nut should hold that cable in place so it doesn't slide out of the slot in the handle.

[Carol H]

Yes, I think I do. The hang up seems to be at bottom of house where the plate is. It is slipping out of groove and going to other side and the house is turning.

[Matt F.]

Hi Carol,
It almost sounds like the cable is twisted on the pole, between the winch and the pulley at the top of the pole.
The easiest thing to do would be to loosen the winch, and rotate the winch so that the cable is not wrapped around the pole any longer.
Here is a crude drawing of what I'm thinking might be the problem:

This could definitely cause the cable to be pulled out of the notch on the bottom plate, as the house is being raised.

[apundt-TX]

So looking at that first picture in the instructions file above.
That plate is what the bottom looks like when the house is up in the air right?

if so:
With the winch in front of you on the pole. That grove where the cable comes out should be facing the pole in your direction.
The bolt for the UHB clip should be on the back side of the pole.


I believe this is where the twisting could be coming from. It's jumping the groove from lack of tension from the cable.

So if standing on front of pole on winch side.

Should have the cable bolted to the plate(bottom) cable runs up to the back side of the pole. up and over the pully (back to front of pole). down to inside of the groove (front of pole) then down to the winch(front of pole). then attach to that wingnut(front of pole).



A.P.

[Carol H]

Matt,
That seems like what is happening but when straightened out it still silos out.
I will look it over again tomorrow and try everyone's ideas. Thanks

[Carol H]

Apundt, I looped the cable around the nut on bottom plate ran it through the hole in the top plate, put the cable through the pulley, ran it through the hole iin the top plate down through the bottom plate to the winch. I have gone through it in my head several times and cannot see where I went wrong but I am going to check it tomorrow when the martins leave and see where I messed up. Thanks so much for the help. Carol

[apundt-TX]

Sounds like you have it correct at that spot then. What about a piece of pvc pipe or garden house in that slot to keep that cable from popping out.

[Matt F.]

Another thing to check, if the winch is not aligned correctly with the pulley at the top of the pole - even if the cable is not actually wound around the pole, that could cause the cable to want to jump out of the slot as well.
It has to be something along those lines.
If the winch is correctly aligned, and the cable is straight from the winch to the pulley, it will definitely not pop out of that slot.

[KathyF]

Matt F. and apundt - you guys rock - thanks for your efforts to help Carol!

That's just one of the many reasons I love this forum!

[Anthony Neira]

Matt F.,Apundt & Mark, are the newer cables able to be Twisted by themselves to start with ? Just a thought. Thanks

[4th Gen Martin Fan]

Matt,
I have been away and just realized the need for speedy fix.
Everyone is giving great advise on how to fix Carol's problem.
As I analyze her problem from afar, I think that your last recommendation is spot on. Carol probably does not have the winch aligned with the pulley at the top. I will suspect 90 degrees from where it should be. Your diagram shows the proper alignment between the winch and the pulley.

Carol,
Pictures would allow us to fix your problem in about 5 seconds or less. Any hope for a picture? Even if it is by an email or through your phone to Matt F. (otherwise known as Yoda).
Mark.