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Post Mill - An Antique Version.
A Post Mill refers to a mill where generally the upper superstructure of the mill rotates. The upper part generally (but not always) contains all the milling mechanisms.
Post Mills Post mills are the earliest type of European Windmills – dating back to the 1100’s. Logically it is quite a weird design in terms of both functionality, complexity and durability – due the large above ground surface area and the fact they were mounted on a single post early Post Mill were prone to blowing over in high winds! As the design developed however, they must have been fairly functional as their design and use persisted into the 18-19th centuries. Post Mills went through various stages of development - they started when the mill was mounted on a trestle, so it could be rotated into the wind. Rotation was usually carried out via a post that stuck out at the back. The next development stage was when the trestles were buried for greater stability. As mills next grew larger, instead of burying the trestles, the area around the trestles was built in – this provided useful storage space. Up to this stage all the mechanisms were housed in the upper or rotating portion. Finally a lot of post mills were placed on a short axle. Hollow Post Mills With the lower part of the mills now enclosed, one of the next developments was to bore out the main post to take a drive shaft, which then enabled the milling machinery to be housed in the base. Cavier Mills are similar to Hollow Post Mills. Paltrok Mills These mills were used specifically to saw wood. The design differs from the Post Mill in that the WHOLE mill building rotates – there is a short axle or centre post, but Paltrok Mills in addition also rest on a solid brick base, on which there are sets of rollers to assist with rotation. These rotating structures include now not only the Mill itself and mechanisms, but also the actual saw mill workshop and wood stock as well - so the weight is considerable. These mills are confined to the Netherland and Germany and visually they look like a mill on a rectangular building. Visually it is not apparent that the whole structure is capable of rotating. Composite Mills Lastly these mills look like Post Mills, but the body does not turn or revolve. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- So what type of mill is the model? Quite honestly I do not know! It lacks the post used to turn it, but this may just be an error. The base certainly looks like the filled in trestle shape used by Post Mills though. Or it may just be representative of a Composite Mill. But of course there is also then artistic licence - either way it is a nice little model. The Model I became aware of this model after reading a post here by John Wagenseil. Check out the link above for details of the models John found. A Small Collection of Antique French Models Doug (SCEtoAUX) also made this model full size (about the same time I did) and it turned out really nicely! Have a look here at Doug’s model – same thread as above, but here’s the link direct to Doug’s post. http://www.papermodelers.com/forum/566258-post6.html It appealed to me as a relatively quick build, so I downloaded it and then adjusted it a bit..............
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Making The Model
Making The Model
Firstly I wanted to reduce it – I am not sure what scale the original was, but I just did a print and then reduced it, eye balling it, until I got it down to around 1/160. I then put it through a photo editor and photo shopped out some of the numbers on the main building (indicating where tabs would go) and clarified and sharpened it a bit. I also touched up some “blobby” bits. Picture 1 – This shows the two copies I printed (just to get a second set of sails – so I could make these double sided) on 120 grm paper. Picture 2 – This just shows the end result after the photo editor. The colour in the photo is not accurate – I took the picture at night with my phone. Picture 3 – A quick spray of varnish and I had all the pieces cut out and trimmed in under an hour. Only 5 pieces! The sails have little nubs where the battens stick out – on his model Doug cut these out, but in the reduced scale model I was building it was not really possible (and nor would the nubs have been noticeable at a scale of 1/160)! Assembly was straightforward – and the fit of the parts was excellent. There are only a few parts, but they lined up perfectly – not what I was expecting I must confess! Picture 4 – One issue I had, was that after assembly I found that a base was required for stability – the sides were flexing due to the thinness of the paper. My fault! So as an interim measure I glued the base to a piece of 120 grm off-cut from the parts. This was sufficient to stabilise it nicely. Picture 5 – The parts ready for assembly (sail not in the picture). Pictures 6 and 7 – The finished model. Picture 8 – A picture of me holding it, to give you an idea of scale. And that’s it – a great little model that went together well and was a quick build!
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Turned out good.
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~Doug~ AC010505 EAMUS CATULI! Audere est Facere THFC 19**-20** R.I.P. it up, Tear it up, Have a Ball |
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Nice little model, Kevin, and GREAT info on post mills and European windmills generally.
Don |
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This forum provides more informative and interesting mechanical engineering history lectures than I ever got at the Naval Academy. That is great mini-model!
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This was such a nice little thread to read, and an ideal example of what the forum is about
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Doug, Don, Missileer, Hely - thanks for your comments.
About to start another windmill - choice between that or a railway engine. Former won out!
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While not the same as a wind mill, here are still a few surviving water powered mills in Ohio, and a couple of them are still functional and can be visited.
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John - mills are still pretty much the same mechanically (aside from the fact some use millstones and others "rollers" for the actual milling). You are lucky to have these to visit, as nowadays few survive, and those that do often fall into disrepair! Go and take lots of pictures!
I am interested in mills generally, watermills most of all. I think maybe because they are the most picturesque! If you are interested and haven't seen it, I just did a build (with a bit of history) of a Boat Mill here...... Water Mill - A Boat Mill Variant!
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