Diary Update June 2007 to October 2007 

June
Plumpton College made us a chain, in fact a series of linked rods, to go from tailpole to mill body. This is to transfer some of the weight of the steps when they are lifted by the Talthur.

We lifted the steps and tried turning the mill on the post. Bit stiff to start with, but grease between post and wear plate and oil on the pintle bearing between post and crown tree soon got it going easily.

One strong person or two lesser mortals required.

We were told that the miller used a horse. That would be a good idea if it was trained to keep mill head to wind, and would save us having to turn out in the middle of the night whenever Michael Fish says "no, there isn't a hurricane on the way" !

July
First pair of sweeps ready to be hung, shutters fitted, pivots greased and spring control mechanism assembled. Started work on fitting out the second pair of sweeps.

There are two large oak trees on the site which cause wind buffeting and endanger the mill in storm conditions, they also obstruct the sweeps and we found that the roots were causing subsidence to the foundations. So, reluctantly, they have to go. The conservation officer said that the mill was there long before the trees and there are plenty of other oaks nearby, no problem. We will plant three new oaks in the Spring, but away from the mill. Plumpton College cut down one tree as a training exercise for students doing a tree surgeon course. Tim Daniel felled the other one.

Sunday 8th July was an Open Day. Sunny but with a cool breeze. Very good turnout of visitors came to see our progress.

August
Red letter day. Tuesday 7th August.
Tony Hole, the millwright, came with a crane and hung sweeps 1 & 3. He and his men made it all seem very easy.

Meridian TV made a film of the event and used some of Gordon King's video. They showed this in various news programmes during the day and, from the number of comments we received, it was very good publicity.

    David fitting bolts to first sweep

Two sweeps fitted (Photo Gordon King)

Philip Hicks giving it a check (Photo Gordon King)

Michael Peat and Danny started fitting the teeth to the brakewheel.

A slow job.

Plumpton College left their cherry picker with us after the sweep hanging, as they did not need it over the holidays and we used it to inspect and wash down the roof and mill body.

There was quite a build up of green mould since the cladding went on between Summer 2001 and Summer 2003.

September
Plumpton College collected their cherry picker, many thanks.

One of our new trustees, Roger Broadbent from Ditchling, has one which he uses for maintenance on his house and he has loaned it to us until he next needs it. Many thanks Roger, it is a boon.

We have a problem, well we often do. The pair of sweeps that we have fitted are the one farthest out from the mill body. Careful measurement suggests that the second pair, being closer to the mill body by the thickness of a stock, 13 inches, will foul the peak of the roof in the 12 o'clock position. We hope the solution is moving the rear stock as far forward as it will go in the canister, one inch, and making the pads between the stock and whip an inch thicker. Fingers crossed.

Sweeps 2 and 4 being fitted out with shutters and spring controls.

Sunday 23rd of September was our last open day of the year.

Like last time it was sunny but with a cool breeze. Minibus was kept busy all day ferrying people from the car park at the Thatched Inn, thanks again for the use of it.

Many visitors and generous donations made it the best day so far. Many thanks to you all.

I had a long chat with John Annett who was in charge of construction from 1976 to 2000. He was pleased to see how well we have built on his foundations.

A date has been set for 18th October to hang the other two sweeps. Nearly all done but we are dependent on the weather.

On the left, John Annett talking to Don

John Peters showing his stationary engines on the Open Day

October
Michael and Danny have half of the teeth fitted to the brakewheel. The portacabin is being cleaned out prior to being moved by the crane to the back of the site on the 18th. Hope the bottom does not fall out.

Simon prepared the ground for planting the new hedge in the Spring.

Tim Daniel ground out the stump of one of the oak trees as it was right in the line of the hedge.

October 18th. 0800 start, frost overnight but cloudless sky and no wind . . . perfect.

Tony Hole and his crew of son Jeremy, Scott and John at work fitting the spacer to move the stock forward in the canister. Soon done and the crane arrives. As before they made hanging the last two sweeps look easy.

Tony Hole bolting sweep 4 to stock

Sweep No4 on, now for sweep No2

Last sweep, No2, being hoisted

Then came the critical point, would they clear the roof?

All of us staring at the sweep as it approached 12 o'clock.

Fred hanging out of the hatch to get a closer look.

Sweep 4 cleared the roof but only by the proverbial fag paper.

Now for number 2. IT TOUCHES THE ROOF. There was sufficient flexing in the sweep for Fred to get it past with just one hand pressure. What to do?

Muttering in the background "we will have to cut out two bays of shutters".

Further thought and close inspection suggests that all that will be needed is to cut a diagonal slice, about 2 inches by 6 inches off the back of six shutters. Plenty of clearance when the sweeps are turning under wind power as the shutters will be in the closed position.

Whilst we had the crane on site we moved the portacabin, whose bottom did not fall out.

We also hoisted three of the millstones on to the Spout (bottom) floor as we wanted to get more weight in the back of the mill to counterbalance the sweeps.

This worked very well as with just two people turning the mill on the post it had sufficient momentum to freewheel for about a foot when they stopped pushing.

Now back to work. Cut the tips off those shutters, make and fit the back braces which support the sweeps to the stock and then for the magic moment when we use the wind to turn the sweeps.

A momentous day. We have a number of skilled craftsmen amongst our crew but none of us are millwrights. Our many thanks to Danny Jarmann who supervised the making of the sweeps and brakewheel and for Philip Hicks for providing the engineering drawings.

Diary Update June 2007  

December 2006 to June 2007

In December one team was fitting the machined levers and pivots to the shutters followed by another coat of paint.

John Renwick machined the castings for the double eccentric pulleys that transfer the spring tension to the shutters.

James Price , Blacksmith of Hurst

We had at least one of the other original metal fittings for the sweeps. Southern Steels and blacksmith James Price copied these and we did the machining.

January
Peter and Don finished painting all the shutters. New hand rails being fitted to stairs from Bin floor to Stone floor. The original mill only had a single hand rail on one side, but we have fitted extra rails bearing in mind the safety of visitors and, especially, children.

A metal bracket has been made so that the wear block that supports the mill frame against the post can be adjusted both for wear and to keep the body upright. This design was copied from one that had been made for Jill Windmill.

February
The hedge on the road side of the site suffered badly from winter gales and from lorries cutting the corner. It was decided to put up a temporary wire and post fence whilst a replanted hedge is growing.

Plumpton College delivered the four millstones to the Barn, having fitted new iron bands in their blacksmith's shop.

Re-banded millstones being delivered to the Barn by Plumpton College.

Plumpton College then used the same transport to deliver the two stocks and the other two sweeps to the Mill.

All hands were then required to fit a pair of sweeps to each stock, on the ground, measure up and drill holes for the bolts that join sweeps to stocks. The sweeps were then returned to the trestles.

Monday 26th February
A hire crane arrived and Plumpton College brought their cherry-picker. Tony Hole, Millwright, supervised fitting the stocks to the windshaft and it all went smoothly. At last we look more like a working windmill.
Great Day.

Tony Hole, Millwright

First stock being lowered into position

First stock being guided into windshaft canister

Cherry-picker being used to tighten fixing bolts

That looks more like a Windmill

March
A bit of an anti-climax. Stocks up, sweeps at mill ready to fit shutters, brakewheel finished. Now what?

Big pause to take our breath and work out what needs to be done before we can put the sweeps up.

THAT MUCH ! ! !

Well probably more when we come to it. Assemble the brakewheel round the windshaft, true it up, fit brake shoe, make and fit operating linkage for brake. We have to be able to turn the mill out of the wind as the brake may not work well until it has bedded in, so we have to make and fit the step lifting gear. Fit all shutters and shutter control levers and springs. Dare we think September for the first two sweeps up?

Michael Peat has joined our volunteers. He and Danny, with help from Philip, dressed the front pair of Derbyshire stones. They turned out to be in quite good condition and the job was done by 8th March. The iron bridge-tree was centred and molten lead was poured to hold it in position.

Michael dressing a millstone with hammer and chisel

Michael dressing millstone with traditional Thrift and Millbill

Dressing complete

Danny and Michael melting lead to hold bridge-tree in position.

Peter and Don painted weather boards in the Barn ready for when we fit the skirt to the mill body. Colin, Mick, Roy and Danny assembled the brakewheel to the windshaft. It did not go quite as easily as I wrote that sentence! It ended up turning completely concentric and with only a very little out of a flat plane. Well done everyone.

Clasp arms being fitted to windshaft

Brakewheel assembled on to windshaft

Gerry, David and Keith started fitting shutters and control rods to the first sweep.

Gerry and Keith fitting shutters

April
First sweep completed. The spring seems much too strong compared with similar system at Outwood Mill. The brake shoe is fitted and also the brake lever.

Brake shoe and lever in position

It was thought that the main steps, being all oak, are too heavy so the handrails were replaced in pine and also some of the back braces. The bottom step was reduced in size.

Peter and Simon using crosscut saw to cut down bottom step

May 13th was our first Open Day of the year. It rained on and off most of the day but not windy and we had a steady stream of visitors all day. We had sponsors for half of the brakewheel teeth at £10 per tooth. Would you like your name on one? If so please email me.

June
Started on fitting shutters to the second sweep. Fitted the lever which lifts the steps, a Talthur, and with a prop under the tailpole, we tried it out. Much to my surprise it works a treat and the steps can be lifted by one man. Next job is to fit the chain from the tailpole to the mill body and see how easy it is to rotate the mill.

Tailpole and talthur

D.A.F. 16/6/2007.