tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70520236109751433822024-03-14T03:29:50.334+00:00Acorn Bank Watermill BlogAcorn Bank Garden and Watermill is located at Temple Sowerby, around six miles east of the town of Penrith.
The garden and watermill are owned by the National Trust. The watermill is now leased from the National Trust and is operated by the former volunteers, who have formed Acorn Bank Watermill Trust, registered charity no 1193320
Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.comBlogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-88375535642618100332024-01-19T17:12:00.000+00:002024-01-19T17:12:12.777+00:00<p> <span face="Calibri, sans-serif">The Second Wheel Project</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">Acorn bank watermill originally had two waterwheels (actually there are three positions where wheels may have been, but there is some doubt whether there were ever more than two at a time). The first wheel, a pitchback, was restored with the mill in 1990 and is the one we use to drive the stones. The second, overshot, one had been taken out of milling service in the early 1900’s and used to provide power to a nearby gypsum mine. It was not restored with the mill and half the shrouds were missing or too badly damaged to reuse.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">In early 2020 it was agreed with the National Trust that we might try to restore it, but lockdown meant that came to nothing. We have recently resurrected the project. As the mill is a grade 2* listed building, we needed listed building consent from the local authority and Historic England (HE). HE were enthusiastic about our proposal and consent was granted in January 2023. Work has now started.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW3nP0-cUrUe_xNkEGGRfNciS7b_qgDpQt3hxmEXqphLloO6jG_tD_ptCx4AmwM6Hw48gYq2zpQ4LKpODJTuNsm7_CL4ol8hldVCIXRVp9iE0e8Kr946Qj4giE91LsE978Nkpd0_1FVcC1YLkqo6Hl13X163UhhUn7VOmpfh3ZnVs5IkrbE9z4XeCSQzr-/s1474/SWP%20-%201.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1474" data-original-width="1230" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW3nP0-cUrUe_xNkEGGRfNciS7b_qgDpQt3hxmEXqphLloO6jG_tD_ptCx4AmwM6Hw48gYq2zpQ4LKpODJTuNsm7_CL4ol8hldVCIXRVp9iE0e8Kr946Qj4giE91LsE978Nkpd0_1FVcC1YLkqo6Hl13X163UhhUn7VOmpfh3ZnVs5IkrbE9z4XeCSQzr-/w167-h200/SWP%20-%201.jpeg" width="167" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 3-d printed pattern</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDfjZBIY_hJE9ocZGeCgG0aMSCQnHx6Zl_61MMKhp4PRF9LRaqWuldA4jTHuTea_9qDa7sPqQYu3d6g0ZtWGS5M-h30M7BefRiaEOzOGBF03jyWM3Ea-4SDM5F6CWPNldckwao-2ff3gxRASmu2gMMZNGjKUFHl6b7RxN7J8qD_qn3_CdIYv5rRnqMj6n/s1882/Screenshot%202023-12-26%20at%2016.15.39.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="882" data-original-width="1882" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDfjZBIY_hJE9ocZGeCgG0aMSCQnHx6Zl_61MMKhp4PRF9LRaqWuldA4jTHuTea_9qDa7sPqQYu3d6g0ZtWGS5M-h30M7BefRiaEOzOGBF03jyWM3Ea-4SDM5F6CWPNldckwao-2ff3gxRASmu2gMMZNGjKUFHl6b7RxN7J8qD_qn3_CdIYv5rRnqMj6n/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-26%20at%2016.15.39.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new shrouds</td></tr></tbody></table> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>A fortuitous visit by a member of Lancaster University’s Engineering Department gave us a good start. They had the idea that using modern technology to produce a casting pattern for new shrouds would make a good project. They duly took away a good shroud, scanned it, tidied up the scan and 3-d printed a pattern for us. We took the pattern to a foundry and 6 new shrouds have been cast and now just need drilling.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">At the end of the milling season we had scaffolding erected in the wheel pit so we could make progress with the modification of the water feed to drive the second wheel. The old deflector on the end of the launder, that ensures the momentum of the flowing water doesn’t act against the wheel’s motion, has been removed. Various beams have had to be reduced so the new water channel runs level and a start has been made on building it.<o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgKJGAeULImWt27AkfsKBukzhZP2Dkd57h_uKn-uKUUKgEmT4p_CnfFKjBoNQ5EB-kpVVOb1Mr4eDW2ciybUimN_AVZqr_LpFYIqd5vwP6R_OTeF3GUiGvM-qVUMvJM021tokNS47_iuO6rKsr0d0y7l-aN-S_OUjwOR7dPdo56OUv74TlSm0f5IfGf62/s1552/Screenshot%202023-12-26%20at%2016.20.41.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1248" data-original-width="1552" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgKJGAeULImWt27AkfsKBukzhZP2Dkd57h_uKn-uKUUKgEmT4p_CnfFKjBoNQ5EB-kpVVOb1Mr4eDW2ciybUimN_AVZqr_LpFYIqd5vwP6R_OTeF3GUiGvM-qVUMvJM021tokNS47_iuO6rKsr0d0y7l-aN-S_OUjwOR7dPdo56OUv74TlSm0f5IfGf62/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-26%20at%2016.20.41.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reducing the depth of a supporting beam</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7bQk44U9prI-yP_yVqve-RitS3vbJCrqeqqYc4siQ-btkcD6wPe2zF-Bl0Cv9EyrcuuBCV_8SzGY-rDAoek_zgtHSfQYv_dNrEjqzyvrteCD9a5yDkrN9tIqNvpzFFXFYG_X96vfrTq6rsOlkxLvH51mHCZAzOrNpY9nNRFstsSLfwNDZLc3UC7UjA6aD/s1452/Screenshot%202023-12-26%20at%2016.21.12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1370" data-original-width="1452" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7bQk44U9prI-yP_yVqve-RitS3vbJCrqeqqYc4siQ-btkcD6wPe2zF-Bl0Cv9EyrcuuBCV_8SzGY-rDAoek_zgtHSfQYv_dNrEjqzyvrteCD9a5yDkrN9tIqNvpzFFXFYG_X96vfrTq6rsOlkxLvH51mHCZAzOrNpY9nNRFstsSLfwNDZLc3UC7UjA6aD/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-26%20at%2016.21.12.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fitting the first board of the new channel</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p>Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-89445561621591349332022-01-20T20:03:00.001+00:002022-01-20T20:04:35.279+00:00Modifying the grain chest<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuXakvXjHxwEKsPUvcuhTGJlgzM6hpmL1dOUGRA1RFuAW_s3eXPu-CEy2FInydGQVYYDyEM7S2Bk28cQeya5h-MgtDuS0RPlIjbN2nIPcTdHKKJ8Y7dZOKF_bOJbn4iincnRInWX-97zCB5kbN3rO8gx_IMYCkZLJgOmB0eKf4mcUzxD5SylVISKpWGg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuXakvXjHxwEKsPUvcuhTGJlgzM6hpmL1dOUGRA1RFuAW_s3eXPu-CEy2FInydGQVYYDyEM7S2Bk28cQeya5h-MgtDuS0RPlIjbN2nIPcTdHKKJ8Y7dZOKF_bOJbn4iincnRInWX-97zCB5kbN3rO8gx_IMYCkZLJgOmB0eKf4mcUzxD5SylVISKpWGg=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Houghton Mill grain chest</td></tr></tbody></table></p><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">When we started milling back in 2011, we pinched the idea for a grain storage chest from this picture I took at Houghton Mill in Cambridgeshire.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVa87-Ff8jewMvelvOdo2fm_UAsw0BFsdVu_nFvp2Cl6Gn95rOox8WHeZafzs9nEUelnNungf-6hetNZ3Wigcok_pAvf_4jof2FYxXVTamb2wfLAeSTJ8fjIC_l0sbG4MQQ8rRcOjkrwvB4PygeMKbq5ugwhwJdxvVp4o1aJQoOBWjPOeh3eNuTbJYtw=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVa87-Ff8jewMvelvOdo2fm_UAsw0BFsdVu_nFvp2Cl6Gn95rOox8WHeZafzs9nEUelnNungf-6hetNZ3Wigcok_pAvf_4jof2FYxXVTamb2wfLAeSTJ8fjIC_l0sbG4MQQ8rRcOjkrwvB4PygeMKbq5ugwhwJdxvVp4o1aJQoOBWjPOeh3eNuTbJYtw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our grain chest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Note that it is aluminium lined to deter rodents, as is ours. We built ours out of plywood with substantial angle iron corners and internal timbers.<br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXsmUpnOo0xabbpgC82K8qskKiDhKvvgfM0dYXOS0xE2MJJ7rYWnHn2B38IWNNp1UbFvP1ZGXih1xYSbOgauX7BV7mOztmF7FmrngEAf6OrDAfxdpF3av__z2Ve8EK2ZmWsAC_x927L95ejskkJAyEMh5MFglJN-NRrZUivCKg-ddwsFH9YoATdideRg=s4000" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Our chest differed in one important aspect - we built it without the front </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">opening. I think this was probably for strength, but it did mean that hauling sacks of grain or boxes of milled flour out was very bad for our backs. It was made worse by the fact that the internal timbers restricted the height so that 2 stacked flour boxes wouldn't slide the length of the chest.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">So we set about improving things. We took the two internal timbers out and reduced their height to enable boxes to slide, replaced them, and cut a central door in the front. It closes against aluminium angle at the sides and slots into 2 bits of angle aluminium making a channel at the bottom. The door is then held in by 2 bolts.</span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhushDyYwuNQGMhSiebp6vNpJtUFuTh76nHOBmV7nnZb-Jy90L6mmVBhqaQ0fNJSlYHAVoWSLfPV8RLuvh7Iopfj0rFMFw-Ta0zRRC6zogk2ZO0mgqndJASQanmNfdOpNoffCsdFq4WQQ11SiPomHAslfb67BnfisORnESj262icJ3me3SM1yNXLy2xgQ=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhushDyYwuNQGMhSiebp6vNpJtUFuTh76nHOBmV7nnZb-Jy90L6mmVBhqaQ0fNJSlYHAVoWSLfPV8RLuvh7Iopfj0rFMFw-Ta0zRRC6zogk2ZO0mgqndJASQanmNfdOpNoffCsdFq4WQQ11SiPomHAslfb67BnfisORnESj262icJ3me3SM1yNXLy2xgQ=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our modified chest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">We thought it was a good days work<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><br /></div>Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-86398129602751593642021-09-20T12:09:00.002+01:002021-09-20T12:09:47.654+01:00A 10th Anniversary Party!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u8HhQMzsHbc/YUhoPaSZ3-I/AAAAAAAACOk/WrEF8LftfG46sKp6RAAjVkiLBJwpoXMzgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/IMG-20210919-WA0000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u8HhQMzsHbc/YUhoPaSZ3-I/AAAAAAAACOk/WrEF8LftfG46sKp6RAAjVkiLBJwpoXMzgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/IMG-20210919-WA0000.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> Yesterday we had a small gathering at the mill to mark the 10th anniversary of the date when we first milled flour at Acorn Bank, following its 70 years of silent deterioration.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Guests included the former manager of the Acorn Bank property and members of the present visitor reception and gardening staff, volunteers past and present and their partners, and local shopkeepers who stock our flour. That's me in the whites just left of centre.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">We had messages of support from several important and knowledgable people who couldn't be with us:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Jamie Lund, the National Trust archaeologist who has been a great friend to us sent his best wishes and commented:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><i><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I can hardly believe that it is a decade since you first ground flour at the mill. This is amazing to me in two ways, firstly that ten years have passed, and secondly, that a building that was simply a collapsed ruin back in the 1980s would have a chance at such a worthwhile second life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Martin Watts, national mill expert, said:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><i><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Hopefully your Trust will ensure the survival of Acorn Bank Mill both as a working mill and a visitor attraction. Your invitation is much appreciated and were it not for the distance I would have been pleased to attend. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p><p style="margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;">and Nick Jones sent his best wishes for the next ten years. Nick was for almost 40 years the</span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"> owner and miller at Little Salkeld Watermill just a few miles from here, former chairman of the Traditional Corn Millers Guild and the really helpful neighbour who helped us set up flour milling and gave us the basic training in milling.</span></span></span></p>Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-84481029644780487572021-04-08T17:03:00.000+01:002021-04-08T17:03:24.388+01:00Back at last<div class="separator"><p style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </p></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5AFAxoiZKjg/YG8ne3AQ9-I/AAAAAAAACII/yBUD72eWsVwX4bmdR67BvnF4OJtg1c1wACLcBGAsYHQ/s422/Screenshot%2B2021-04-08%2Bat%2B16.54.11.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="422" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5AFAxoiZKjg/YG8ne3AQ9-I/AAAAAAAACII/yBUD72eWsVwX4bmdR67BvnF4OJtg1c1wACLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h180/Screenshot%2B2021-04-08%2Bat%2B16.54.11.png" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">After a year of enforced neglect, the mill is now in action once again. <br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The financial problems the National Trust suffered as a result of the pandemic left them unable to support the reopening of the mill. The mill volunteers offered to set up an independent charitable trust to lease the mill from NT. Much to our surprise and delight they agreed and the mill is now operated by Acorn Bank Watermill Trust, registered charity no 1193320.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1LvcR78mCxA/YG8i9PyT_VI/AAAAAAAACHU/uRJSSgJPomkgUwqdVi5ey5PWM2I8-P9IgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1460/Screenshot%2B2021-04-08%2Bat%2B16.35.01.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="1460" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1LvcR78mCxA/YG8i9PyT_VI/AAAAAAAACHU/uRJSSgJPomkgUwqdVi5ey5PWM2I8-P9IgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screenshot%2B2021-04-08%2Bat%2B16.35.01.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">When we started to look at the deterioration, the cobbled mill yard was more than knee deep in weeds, mill moth had made merry wherever they could find a milligram of flour, wasps had made several nests in the roof and the place was filthy. The leat needed clearing and many of the wooden wedges in the machinery had shrunk and needed refitting, replacing or reinforcing.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H0R7p7M1xE0/YG8lukKu9iI/AAAAAAAACHc/6Q7W_GulBKA6QAWyyYDYUWbv7iOk90sGgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG-20210403-WA0000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H0R7p7M1xE0/YG8lukKu9iI/AAAAAAAACHc/6Q7W_GulBKA6QAWyyYDYUWbv7iOk90sGgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG-20210403-WA0000.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Our volunteers put in several weeks of scrubbing, disinfecting and weeding to ensure we were ready to start milling for the Easter weekend.<br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We had a new delivery of a tonne of Paragon wheat from a new supplier safely stored in the grain bin.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We also had new flour bags featuring a lovely line drawing of the mill by Victoria Mandale.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The pandemic has meant that people were much more likely to want to use contactless payment methods so we also acquired a card reader.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In spite of not being allowed to have visitors in the mill due to social distancing rules we got off to a flying start selling a number of bags of flour each day of the Easter weekend.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">We have also managed to place stocks with local shops and hope we can increase the local public's knowledge of the mill's existence as well as the Trust's income. We are looking for more volunteers and aim to operate on more days to show the mill to more visitors.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">These are exciting times!</span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6f-RpXZSz8U/YG8mxFs1tCI/AAAAAAAACH4/NgOTazgcbxweWtnwMKnnyM03PDcTnp5TQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG-20210331-WA0000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6f-RpXZSz8U/YG8mxFs1tCI/AAAAAAAACH4/NgOTazgcbxweWtnwMKnnyM03PDcTnp5TQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG-20210331-WA0000.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><br /></span><p></p>Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-7324625961691974572020-03-17T14:31:00.000+00:002020-03-17T14:31:32.903+00:00Mothballing the mill for the pandemic<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We hoped it wouldn't come to it, but we have been told that all volunteering activity is suspended until further notice. A number of us had turned out for a meeting with the manager, so we spent a couple of hours cleaning out the tun, hoovering the stones and putting it all back together in a hopefully rodent-proof state.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5gzgS-JvoPY/XnDeqa2eLaI/AAAAAAAAB6g/GL74N_HlM7ETwCg7fHa0CVxl8u5kbnbnQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200317_101407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5gzgS-JvoPY/XnDeqa2eLaI/AAAAAAAAB6g/GL74N_HlM7ETwCg7fHa0CVxl8u5kbnbnQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200317_101407.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ibsUyrmzOmw/XnDeqlCo-mI/AAAAAAAAB6o/4naNEzqCFy8ghrgtAI4Q4O-cQgjj7Pb8ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200317_102146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ibsUyrmzOmw/XnDeqlCo-mI/AAAAAAAAB6o/4naNEzqCFy8ghrgtAI4Q4O-cQgjj7Pb8ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200317_102146.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Cleaning the stones and filling the groove<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Because our stones are on a mezzanine floor, and the French burrs extend under the upper floor, we had to build the tun so that it separates around its middle - otherwise we could never lift it clear of the stones. We built it from tongue and groove boards and never thought to fill the remaining groove at the bottom of the top half. It proved an excellent hidey hole for mill moth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So, while we had it apart, we took the opportunity to put some wood filler in in the groove.</span>Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-22844419560361664072020-02-05T12:08:00.000+00:002020-02-05T12:08:11.037+00:00Improving the mesh of the gears<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ezdBBM2yRnM/Xjqv5pfkCSI/AAAAAAAAB5I/J9sWGFhLyz8b_nkAwrJx4UcSACMjjaXiwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/wallower.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="370" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ezdBBM2yRnM/Xjqv5pfkCSI/AAAAAAAAB5I/J9sWGFhLyz8b_nkAwrJx4UcSACMjjaXiwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/wallower.png" width="246" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Recently, when milling, we had noticed that the machine tended to slow down once per revolution of the waterwheel and pit wheel. Initial investigation showed that this was because the pit wheel was moving into closer contact with the wallower, to the extent that the beam carrying the top end of the upright shaft was moving.</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A millwright we spoke to suggested that the pit wheel, which is cast in 2 halves, might be oval due to casting shrinkage. If so, it will always have been like that, so something else must have changed. Once we shut down for the winter, we carried out some detailed measurements. These showed that, while there was some movement, it was nowhere more than 15mm - really no more than you can expect from these castings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We tried a range of possible solutions to improve the mesh. Re-centring the pit wheel on the main shaft proved to be very difficult - the wedges that hold it in place were put in dry and had since swollen and were very tight. Readjusting them would be a huge job, and removing and refitting the pit wheel was ruled out for the same reason.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We then tried to tilt the pit wheel slightly on the shaft. Our measurements had shown that there was a slight tilt as well as eccentricity. Again the tight fit made this very difficult.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Eventually we decided that the simplest solution would be to raise the wallower by a few millimetres. We achieved this by lifting the whole upright shaft out of its bearing and inserting a steel plate under the bearing before reassembly. A trial running (but not milling) under water power suggested that there had been con</span>siderable improvement.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Time will tell!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ygwBq2crr0U/XjqvAzvem5I/AAAAAAAAB48/W6GBRM0b79gb4G8RU7edzT6ASA4ZiPwzACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200204_122634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ygwBq2crr0U/XjqvAzvem5I/AAAAAAAAB48/W6GBRM0b79gb4G8RU7edzT6ASA4ZiPwzACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200204_122634.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill and Neil working on the wallower</td></tr>
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Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-68531752545919949732019-12-19T13:25:00.001+00:002019-12-19T13:25:34.941+00:00Our value as Millwrights<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Back in 2011, when we had first got the mill to produce flour again, we submitted an application for the Marsh Heritage Award. History (including this blog) shows that we actually won the award.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Part of our successful submission was the statement "By their efforts they have re-established a tradition of milling and millwrighting at Acorn Bank." Since then we have continued to develop our skills and increase our experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was therefore very interested recently to discover the Heritage Crafts Association (President HRH The Prince of Wales) which publishes lists of endangered crafts. Millwrighting is listed as Critically Endangered (see <a href="https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/millwrighting/">https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/millwrighting/</a>) as there are so few practitioners.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That means, as far as I can see, that we old volunteer millwrights are ourselves suitable subjects for preservation by the National Trust!</span><br />
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Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-65779679331618795482019-05-27T22:20:00.001+01:002019-05-27T22:20:29.962+01:00Hunting for the cause of the hunting<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xTvRnprT3s8/XOxSSMxOZDI/AAAAAAAABzE/x2WaigBmcog-viGP1VIfH0G676SEm9lSwCLcBGAs/s1600/20190430_145458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xTvRnprT3s8/XOxSSMxOZDI/AAAAAAAABzE/x2WaigBmcog-viGP1VIfH0G676SEm9lSwCLcBGAs/s320/20190430_145458.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We had been noticing that when water, and therefore power, is short the mill speed varies, slowing down once per revolution of the waterwheel.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Eventually, careful observation showed that the problem was that the angled gear teeth on the pit wheel, which shares its axle with the waterwheel (visible at the left of the upper picture and just seen over Neil's right shoulder in the lower) were not engaging at a constant height with the matching angled teeth on the wallower (showing just over the beam in the upper picture and half visible at centre right of the lower picture).</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Vp7y17kOfw/XOxSSB6lNiI/AAAAAAAABzA/ANZ0Ao7f5SgfZryRS19F_cV1opTkjXZigCLcBGAs/s1600/20190521_103018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Vp7y17kOfw/XOxSSB6lNiI/AAAAAAAABzA/ANZ0Ao7f5SgfZryRS19F_cV1opTkjXZigCLcBGAs/s320/20190521_103018.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With the wallower higher, the coupling is slack. When the wallower meets the pinwheel lower, there is considerable pressure exerted due to the angled gear faces. The top of the wallower appears to move from 1cm below the top of the pinwheel to 2cm above.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Clearly something has run a bit out of alignment. We made an attempt to help matters by twisting the pinwheel slightly on its axle and repacking the wedges.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This weekend there has still been some hunting, but we've had a bit more water so it has been less of a problem, so not sure if we have really improved it.</span><br />
Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-71164925286331610292019-05-27T22:07:00.001+01:002019-05-27T22:07:28.595+01:00Work on the third pair of stones<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-egNR9Kggp-k/XOxPo4E4TkI/AAAAAAAAByo/bhm-5bzuFX06YZI329WvDQQI5SrelC7_gCLcBGAs/s1600/20190430_115746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-egNR9Kggp-k/XOxPo4E4TkI/AAAAAAAAByo/bhm-5bzuFX06YZI329WvDQQI5SrelC7_gCLcBGAs/s320/20190430_115746.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The third runner stone lifted</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> While we are waiting for the go-ahead to restore the second waterwheel, we decided to overhaul the moving parts of the drive for the third pair of stones (out of 4).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This involved the usual process of lifting and supporting the runner and removing the bearing (strips of wood) from the cast iron fitment in the bedstone.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NLZbEkRsJZs/XOxPo18izmI/AAAAAAAABys/n_U9WiWBnnsG_jUeQG1d886NLvLiel5LwCLcBGAs/s1600/20190507_101547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NLZbEkRsJZs/XOxPo18izmI/AAAAAAAABys/n_U9WiWBnnsG_jUeQG1d886NLvLiel5LwCLcBGAs/s320/20190507_101547.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This time we go on from there and remove the drive shaft, take the bottom bearing out and take out the wooden tentering beam. This is mounted in a cast iron box set into the wall, and that was in a scruffy condition, so that had to come out too. Here is Dave Freak cleaning it up with a wire brush prior to giving it a coating of Waxoyl.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The box was then fixed back in the wall with lime mortar, and the beam re-inserted and hung from the tentering bar. The final picture shows Richard and Peter fixing the box.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MdaKblweT8A/XOxPoS2KJiI/AAAAAAAAByk/RYFgvZY9oD0XnuArBr48Y7zi9ep19YokwCLcBGAs/s1600/20190514_103208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MdaKblweT8A/XOxPoS2KJiI/AAAAAAAAByk/RYFgvZY9oD0XnuArBr48Y7zi9ep19YokwCLcBGAs/s320/20190514_103208.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-12998646796494125112019-04-04T12:44:00.000+01:002019-04-04T12:44:19.678+01:00Continuing work on the second waterwheel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kuwsNS1gGCk/XKXrb4HotwI/AAAAAAAABxE/o19gjc3AmbwKRAL4RsDVLP92UT2PS0-jACLcBGAs/s1600/wheel2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="407" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kuwsNS1gGCk/XKXrb4HotwI/AAAAAAAABxE/o19gjc3AmbwKRAL4RsDVLP92UT2PS0-jACLcBGAs/s320/wheel2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The second wheel in 1981</td></tr>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FUotJFpNl9M/XKXi2EnUvPI/AAAAAAAABw8/o6MBowHq6jQBfodOoKgCeZtT2TquSzaEQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/20190326_150550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FUotJFpNl9M/XKXi2EnUvPI/AAAAAAAABw8/o6MBowHq6jQBfodOoKgCeZtT2TquSzaEQCPcBGAYYCw/s320/20190326_150550.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> As can be seen from the 1981 picture, the waterwheels suffered considerable damage when the mill was neglected before that date. Some of the cast iron sections of the shrouds fractured when the spokes rotted and collapsed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When the building was restored in 1990 the first (upstream) waterwheel (seen in the background of the picture) was repaired and restored, but the shroud sections of the second wheel were removed and stored.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Since the mill was upgraded from a Grade 2 to a Grade 2* listed building last year, w</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">ork on reconstructing the second wheel has been restricted to conserving the shroud sections and ensuring they will fit together. We need Listed Building Consent to continue with the restoration.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">However, it now looks as if we may have found the means to begin the application for permission, under the auspices of a historic building consultant, Paul Lewis.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I2K_ik2YQWs/XKXi2GP5MCI/AAAAAAAABw4/b74UfUKTorwlrMdB-TSI261UEjAVsd6TACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/20190326_150707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I2K_ik2YQWs/XKXi2GP5MCI/AAAAAAAABw4/b74UfUKTorwlrMdB-TSI261UEjAVsd6TACPcBGAYYCw/s320/20190326_150707.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the interim period, one of the sections has been lost, so we have set about designing jigs and templates to allow a new one to be fabricated. The first picture shows the template for the main piece of the shroud, the others show the use of an existing section to construct a jig so that the various channels which hold the boards can be tack welded accurately in position.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LKvYiOY_kRw/XKXi12jV4sI/AAAAAAAABw0/zfQJtXVr-IcLvbZnuUtFtP9nYywiUA00QCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/20190402_102406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LKvYiOY_kRw/XKXi12jV4sI/AAAAAAAABw0/zfQJtXVr-IcLvbZnuUtFtP9nYywiUA00QCPcBGAYYCw/s320/20190402_102406.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-68885440391846325562018-08-21T20:07:00.000+01:002018-08-21T20:07:59.534+01:00The model wheel to encourage coin donations!<table><tbody>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xbQZ5b-6p0E/W3xbPVvyFKI/AAAAAAAABsY/gpiRr7qpSiA7E82TQpl8wzvoC_6JzcYzwCLcBGAs/s1600/20180821_124135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xbQZ5b-6p0E/W3xbPVvyFKI/AAAAAAAABsY/gpiRr7qpSiA7E82TQpl8wzvoC_6JzcYzwCLcBGAs/s320/20180821_124135.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<td><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Today I finally completed the model waterwheel, which is designed to encourage kids to pester their parents for coins to drop in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The wheel is very free on its bearings, and even a 5p coin will turn it. The whole is protected by a perspex cover - I had a lot of fun cementing that together. The coins fall in and strike a bell, so there is a very satisfactory series of clunks followed by a "ding"!</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LH4KWqnQatM/W3xbPCX7zTI/AAAAAAAABsU/5Zshcfgw2uommo3EmflxXvGKD4pvnBYqACLcBGAs/s1600/20180821_124208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LH4KWqnQatM/W3xbPCX7zTI/AAAAAAAABsU/5Zshcfgw2uommo3EmflxXvGKD4pvnBYqACLcBGAs/s640/20180821_124208.jpg" width="480" /></a>
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<br />Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-28121455781560176162018-07-03T18:36:00.000+01:002018-07-03T18:36:09.568+01:00Update on progress<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A while since I posted, so here is a little update.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lifting the main wheel shaft</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The volunteers were in mob-handed today. One group raised the waterwheel shaft so that the wet-side bearing could have its annual inspection and re-greasing. The previous week they had worked on the mill side of the shaft and the main vertical shaft re-packing wedges that were creaking having come loose in the dry hot weather.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TPMRBGDZwug/Wzuwxa6oKwI/AAAAAAAABq0/607p1RByVl0n7y8DOVxhnFUPKGy8DWrBQCLcBGAs/s1600/20180703_104739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TPMRBGDZwug/Wzuwxa6oKwI/AAAAAAAABq0/607p1RByVl0n7y8DOVxhnFUPKGy8DWrBQCLcBGAs/s320/20180703_104739.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Peter continues to cobble the yard, now working on the last little corner in the heat of the day! It has been exhausting and back-breaking work.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EU1DvArMY80/Wzuwu_UZC0I/AAAAAAAABqo/XQYxq4OwbYgah_3v8KFOk1bfwr3phpbcQCLcBGAs/s1600/20180703_104405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EU1DvArMY80/Wzuwu_UZC0I/AAAAAAAABqo/XQYxq4OwbYgah_3v8KFOk1bfwr3phpbcQCLcBGAs/s320/20180703_104405.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We have also had to put a board under the slates on a further section of the roof to protect the flour sieve from stuff (bat droppings, dust, dead spiders) falling in the flour. A couple of us finished fitting, varnishing and silicon sealing the boards.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Work on conserving the parts of the second wheel continues while we await the formation of a proper fully authorised Project to begin to reconstruct it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The renowned mill expert Martin Watts has carried out a second survey (the first was in 2010) and presented his conclusions in a report which will form the basis of the Mill Conservation Management Plan as it sets out our conservation philosophy (eg approach to mill-wrighting techniques) as well as commenting on the proposed programme of work.</span>Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-77663477686274040452017-10-07T15:36:00.000+01:002017-10-07T15:36:01.684+01:00Starting on the second waterwheel<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There is a main shaft in its bearings which formed part of the second waterwheel. There are also a number of pieces of the shroud (cast iron rim) of the wheel, but some are missing and several are broken. Restoring the wheel will be a challenge, but we have started by cleaning and preserving the shroud pieces, ready for trying to repair some of the broken ones. We will have to fabricate replacements for badly damaged or missing ones.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Anyway, here are some photos of the work in progress. Sorry, I can't persuade Blogger to show the third pic the right way round!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the cleaned shrouds</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David and Chris clean the rust off</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sQjf33tEcXk/Wdjj3-V1nGI/AAAAAAAABlM/PojZOXb-5BoA4oGji52mALZZkg31g9RpACLcBGAs/s1600/20170912_142340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sQjf33tEcXk/Wdjj3-V1nGI/AAAAAAAABlM/PojZOXb-5BoA4oGji52mALZZkg31g9RpACLcBGAs/s320/20170912_142340.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The makers mark on a shroud piece<br />Stalker Bros, Penrith</td></tr>
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Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-58811602542914948492017-10-07T15:14:00.002+01:002017-10-07T15:14:49.016+01:00Work continues - the jigger box<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We're having quite a busy season, milling and selling a good amount of flour.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In between we have been working on restoring a drive to the "jigger box", a mechanical sieve that was once powered by belt from the stone shaft for the third pair of stones. These were driven from the second waterwheel. Unfortunately we don't have a second waterwheel (but see the next post) but we have the stone shaft and the belt pulley. We have been able to connect up some belting from there via an intermediate shaft to a new shaft connected to the jigger box.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pulley on the stone shaft</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The jigger box and new shaft</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SKt-v4Bxev8/WdjbPZz8T6I/AAAAAAAABk0/Wr_QbLb0rnoavuNhjvO2nimnSpSaN312QCLcBGAs/s1600/20170523_143612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SKt-v4Bxev8/WdjbPZz8T6I/AAAAAAAABk0/Wr_QbLb0rnoavuNhjvO2nimnSpSaN312QCLcBGAs/s320/20170523_143612.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first struggle with belting!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We've then fixed a motor intended for an invalid carriage to the top of the stone shaft. Powered by a 12V battery it will drive the jigger box in an imitation of its original way via the belting.</span><div>
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Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-14688414756518414992017-07-27T09:16:00.002+01:002017-07-27T09:16:26.632+01:00Some positive feedback<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TU_Exe4nXkc/WXmgqh5t_nI/AAAAAAAABiw/xQ3OxLEGurEnxqkbZmHekc1_poUhXtCcACLcBGAs/s1600/postcard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TU_Exe4nXkc/WXmgqh5t_nI/AAAAAAAABiw/xQ3OxLEGurEnxqkbZmHekc1_poUhXtCcACLcBGAs/s640/postcard.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I know I haven't posted much for a while, probably because there haven't been any major developments.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, we received this postcard from a satisfied visitor, and I thought we should share it.</span><br /><br /></div>
Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-51941675958968525142016-07-22T12:23:00.000+01:002016-07-22T12:23:06.206+01:00The flour sieve - final version<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, we obviously had to do a bit of work on the flour sieve. For one thing it was too fast on the drill, so Richard adapted a washing machine gearbox, taking out a stage of speed reduction. For another, it needed to be easier to use, so we built a trestle to mount it on, with a shelf underneath for a flour box.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This time it really seems to work, a bit noisy though!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-42048530180454576782016-06-21T16:26:00.000+01:002016-06-21T16:26:19.962+01:00Mechanical benchtop flour sieve<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Over the past few weeks we have been working on a machine to take some of the backbreaking effort out of hand sieving our flour. We always sieve the meal because we haven't yet managed to prevent whole grains from ricocheting across the top of the stone and ending up in the product. Up to now the flour bagger has had to shake a circular stainless steel sieve by hand, OK for small quantities but desperately hard work when there is 30kg to process.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The mechanical sieve consists of two wooden boxes, the inner one holding a sheet of perforated stainless steel mesh, agitated by a cam one side of the outer box and returned by sprung pushers the other side. We can turn it by hand, but also by using a variable speed power drill</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today it finally became possible to try it out and, while it still needs some improvement, we were very pleased with the result - cue film....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-7540169226182842602016-04-12T18:46:00.000+01:002016-04-12T18:46:36.326+01:00The kiln finished - as far as we're able to go!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first rows of tiles</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It has taken several weeks to fit the kiln tiles, with Richard doing most of the work and everyone else running errands (fetching things, drilling holes etc) for him. He has had to work on a board over the steel t-bars, the tiles themselves are not strong enough to stand on.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> To make things more difficult, some of the tiles are 12 inches square, and some are 31 cm.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished kiln floor</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In any case. we only have about 55 tiles, and we would need 144 to cover the whole area. As there isn't a complete layer, it was especially important to fix them to the bars. We made a number of clamp brackets, fixed by a bolt through the existing holes in the tiles. We decided to fit them to give a sort of cut-away view of the kiln. Here you can see the final installation. As an electrician is due to fit some additional lighting, we have put signs up to warn him about the fragility of the tiles!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Other jobs today have included tightening the wedges in the pit wheel and main shaft, carrying on cobbling the yard, painting doors and mending the plant sales wheelbarrow for the gardeners! Also a team of volunteers from Sizergh have been clearing out our headrace - thanks, all!</span>Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-88174317067493044062016-02-25T17:21:00.002+00:002016-02-25T17:21:27.397+00:00Getting ready for opening<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim hoovers the grain hopper</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brrrrrr!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's been a bit chilly lately after a relatively mild winter, as the picture of our launder and spillway shows.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Over the past 3 weeks we've been giving the stones, stone furniture and flour chutes a good spring-cleaning. We stripped the grain delivery parts, dismantled the tun and then lifted and propped the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">runner stone</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">so we could work safely between the stones. All traces of old grain and flour have been brushed and vacuum cleaned off, so we are ready for the new season.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reassembling the stone furniture</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished kiln handrail</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally we put it all back together and sealed all the openings where wildlife might get in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The tun on the shelling stones was left unfinished due to lack of time and material, but we have now completed that as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We Have our first tonne of grain on order from our usual supplier, but it will be Paragon wheat this time rather than the Mulika we have had in the past.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The kiln is now pretty much finished apart from lighting (not our job) and displaying the kiln tiles we have (nowhere near enough for a whole kiln floor). Various bits of painting, limewashing, masonry repair etc have also occupied our time.</span><br />
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<br />Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-49646097905129295992016-01-20T18:47:00.001+00:002016-01-20T18:47:30.921+00:00Kiln fencing approaching completion - slowly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-28lToKeo6AE/Vp_UM4TQbeI/AAAAAAAABJI/tund8LcolkU/s1600/IMG_2374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-28lToKeo6AE/Vp_UM4TQbeI/AAAAAAAABJI/tund8LcolkU/s200/IMG_2374.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sxTNbdzZveM/Vp_UM8o4DOI/AAAAAAAABJQ/b63uu-S3MZg/s1600/IMG_2378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sxTNbdzZveM/Vp_UM8o4DOI/AAAAAAAABJQ/b63uu-S3MZg/s200/IMG_2378.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is the section of the railing that has given us most trouble so far - the short run beside the two steps linking levels within the kiln room. Got all the angles right at last at last, and we moved on to the next bit. In fact the next 4 sections are all in progress now.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4-QCK4-_1j4/Vp_UNLRr3UI/AAAAAAAABJM/NA_g1J_aU6s/s1600/IMG_2379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4-QCK4-_1j4/Vp_UNLRr3UI/AAAAAAAABJM/NA_g1J_aU6s/s200/IMG_2379.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Meanwhile the cobbling crew have completed the base for the new cob oven and this has allowed them to cobble the area round it, thus completing the whole mill yard.</span>Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-60063935106783290862015-11-01T09:54:00.003+00:002015-11-01T09:56:42.770+00:00Work continues on the kiln room<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8fes8TqciBM/VjXcTpHUIVI/AAAAAAAABIg/5Xff5OxRAmk/s1600/IMG_2334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8fes8TqciBM/VjXcTpHUIVI/AAAAAAAABIg/5Xff5OxRAmk/s200/IMG_2334.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The contractors have finished building the restored kiln, mostly to our satisfaction! Here you can see the arch which supports the centre of the drying floor being built on its former.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6SsLoWYXPlA/VjXcTe6NDSI/AAAAAAAABH4/jp9jjB7CaRo/s1600/IMG_2338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6SsLoWYXPlA/VjXcTe6NDSI/AAAAAAAABH4/jp9jjB7CaRo/s200/IMG_2338.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The big stone beams were then installed and finally the iron joists that will support the kiln tiles. Here the angle iron beams are temporarily supported on wood blocks while the cement that holds them in place dries.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ku5TmIVhQRE/VjXcTnTQq7I/AAAAAAAABIU/wBYbWMMtDAc/s1600/IMG_2340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ku5TmIVhQRE/VjXcTnTQq7I/AAAAAAAABIU/wBYbWMMtDAc/s200/IMG_2340.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally the capstones were added to the tops of the walls. These are machine cut and look rather out of place, but we are told that is how it has to be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We volunteers are going to carry out the rest of the work - floorboarding, safety fences and putting in place what kiln tiles we have.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wzMiv1E8mQY/VjXcUvdRKrI/AAAAAAAABIQ/sPtGQlzPPGg/s1600/IMG_2351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wzMiv1E8mQY/VjXcUvdRKrI/AAAAAAAABIQ/sPtGQlzPPGg/s200/IMG_2351.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It will not be possible to fully restore the kiln, as we only have about 55 of the 144 kiln tiles we would need. The proposal is, therefore, to put the ones we have in place as a kind of cut-away, so visitors can still see down to the fire box. Interestingly, some of the tiles are exactly 12 inches (30.5 cm) square, and some are 31 cm!</span><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8Pu-h0A_k0/VjXcUuo9KEI/AAAAAAAABIc/RZlkkEUhon4/s1600/IMG_2352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8Pu-h0A_k0/VjXcUuo9KEI/AAAAAAAABIc/RZlkkEUhon4/s200/IMG_2352.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The kiln tiles we have are all iron, and have corroded badly since they were last used, even to the extent of blocking many of their perforations. Donald and David are seen here wire brushing the tiles and re-opening the holes with a punch, before Ray gives them a coat of paint.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CFmOgAj2xLM/VjXcVCZzszI/AAAAAAAABIY/aYfzIpnlznw/s1600/IMG_2353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CFmOgAj2xLM/VjXcVCZzszI/AAAAAAAABIY/aYfzIpnlznw/s200/IMG_2353.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We have also started fitting the floorboards, not an easy task as the kiln as rebuilt is not exactly square, and both its sides are at an angle to the outside walls of the room. We have been instructed to use cut clasp nails. Due to their blunt ends they don't easily penetrate the boards, so we have taken to drilling 5mm pilot holes.</span>Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-72800041009240808062015-07-28T18:18:00.000+01:002015-07-28T18:18:18.740+01:00Sorry it's been so long...<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I haven't posted anything for a while, partly because there haven't been any finished projects, and partly because I've been too busy.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UUjeLqlfjWs/Vbem1TKu47I/AAAAAAAABF0/o3dxSbrRBhI/s1600/IMG_2323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UUjeLqlfjWs/Vbem1TKu47I/AAAAAAAABF0/o3dxSbrRBhI/s200/IMG_2323.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most of our engineering work has been concerned with restoring the shaft and bearings for the 4th set of stones, from which the drive to the jigger box was taken. We have also continued to try to rebuild the jigger box sieves, but are held up because we are waiting for materials.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here we see the shaft and stone nut dismantled on the bench.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dUg14x-A0vw/Vbem1Ej5PlI/AAAAAAAABFw/Cia-wfBJH7Q/s1600/IMG_2326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dUg14x-A0vw/Vbem1Ej5PlI/AAAAAAAABFw/Cia-wfBJH7Q/s200/IMG_2326.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The pulley for the original drive was mounted on wooden blocks wedged into the stone nut. We decided to fix them more firmly by injecting builders' expanding foam around them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The beam that supports the drive shaft was twisted and had a nasty shake at one end, so it was taken out and repaired.</span><br />
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<td><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While it was out, we cleaned the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">cast iron box that supports it in the back wall and </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">fixed it properly into the wall.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When we replaced the beam, we found the bearing was not directly under the centre of the stone, so we moved the stone to get it just right.</span></td>
<td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zYBaG5NWLYA/Vbem2ZIMKNI/AAAAAAAABGI/SW5hLb5kbjc/s1600/IMG_2331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zYBaG5NWLYA/Vbem2ZIMKNI/AAAAAAAABGI/SW5hLb5kbjc/s200/IMG_2331.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rB-0f3yyEBg/Vbem2bf1dGI/AAAAAAAABGA/KPZYNfYiaS8/s1600/IMG_2330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rB-0f3yyEBg/Vbem2bf1dGI/AAAAAAAABGA/KPZYNfYiaS8/s200/IMG_2330.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The shaft is now ready to be refitted. The item next to it on the Workmate is an adapter to fit to the square where the damsel originally mounted. The idea is that we will be able to turn the stone by hand and so demonstrate the drive to the jigger box.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In other news, the cobbling of the yard continues, the old chicken shed having been removed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Contractors are busy rebuilding the kiln room, and we the volunteers are contributing, </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">both by helping to interpret the plans into reality and, it is planned, by doing some of the joinery involved in installing the flooring and handrails.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And, of course, we are milling most weekend afternoons, and have so far sold more than 350 bags of flour at the mill, plus whatever the shop has sold.</span>Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-68462422528507936902015-04-08T09:48:00.002+01:002015-04-08T13:44:38.979+01:00WILFRED WRIGHT, Miller at Acorn Bank<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We had a visitor to the mill over Easter weekend whose sister, Jane Ottaway, had found one of our millers in her family tree research. This information is posted with the permission of her brother, Mark Godfrey:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Wilfred WRIGHT was born in 1800 in Aspatria, Cumberland and baptised on 29 March 1801. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In 1826 he is recorded as a farmer in Torpenhow, Cumberland and on 29 May 1830 he m</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">arried Mary Gram in Torpenhow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the 1841 census he is recorded as the miller at Acorn Bank Mill, Temple Sowerby, </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Westmoreland.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Wilfred was also a well-known wrestler (Cumberland & Westmoreland Rules).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Quote from ‘The History of Wrestling’</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cumberland and Westmoreland John Weightman of Hayton, Carlisle ring.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">He was opposed, from the second round, by the following wrestlers, namely Thomas Lawman, Wilfrid Wright , John Robson of Irthington Mill, Joseph Robley and George Irving. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Quote from ‘Carlisle Characters’</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On another occasion, when wrestling in Penrith fell with Wilfrid Wright, he said “Noo, Wif, I’s gaen to throw thee straight into yon furrow yonder!” and proceeded to do just that. Wright exclaimed: “Cush, man! I dudn’t think thoo cud ha’ deun’t hofe sa clean!”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Wilfred died on 18 August 1844 aged 44. He was still the miller at Acorn Bank Mill at the time. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Cause of death is described as Apoplexy and instantaneous and there was an inquest:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Carlisle Journal Saturday 24 August 1844 (p. 3 col. 2-4)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">INQUESTS </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(Before Mr. CARRICK, Coroner.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">At Penrith, on Tuesday last, on the body of Wilfrid WRIGHT, of Acorn Bank Mill, aged 44 years. The deceased came to the Griffin Inn on Saturday night last, and, after sitting in the kitchen for a short time, his left leg lost all power, so much so that he was obliged to have the assistance of the ostler in leaving his chair. At his own request he was removed to a stable, where he was provided with a sraw bed and sufficient clothing, and was waited on by the ostler at different times during the night. He rose at seven the next morning and walked down to the kitchen, having recovered the perfect use of his paralyzed limb. In a few minutes he returned to another stable, where, in the presence of the ostler, he fell forward upon the floor and died, almost instantly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Verdict – “Apoplexy.” WRIGHT was a noted wrestler in Cumberland.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Apoplexy is defined as a sudden brain haemorrhage or stroke. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It is possible that an injury sustained through wrestling may have been the root cause of his early death.</span>Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-44566050014970237312015-03-24T17:49:00.000+00:002015-03-24T17:52:01.471+00:00Thinking about sieving flour...<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are well into milling again, and the wheel is still running very smoothly and efficiently. This in spite of some of the brass screws we used to join the bucket boards together breaking under the force of the water. We normally sieve all the flour by hand, and we have been wondering whether we could reinstate the jigger box for this purpose - more interesting for the visitor and easier for us!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wrecked jigger box in the 1950s</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Over the past few weeks David has cleaned and waxoyled the metal supports of the jigger box. Today Richard, Donald and I were looking at the possible drive shafts and the arrangement of the sieves and spouts in the box. We still have the old sieves that were retrieved from the mess that was there before restoration began. On examination, it is not at all clear how they were used, in what order, or how they fitted into the box. The ones made by the restoration team (actually only wooden frames for the sieves) don't seem to be the same as the old ones, and there isn't space to slot them into the box with sieves attached.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new jigger box with<br />
sieve frames pulled out</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two of the sieves from the old jigger box</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old bottom cover and third sieve</td></tr>
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Meanwhile, the cobbling is coming on well, and I managed to get a decent picture of the mill from over the river without the summer leaves blocking the view.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7052023610975143382.post-80119045961432176382015-02-03T15:59:00.000+00:002015-02-03T16:00:22.057+00:00A rather chilly day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice in the launder and spillway</td></tr>
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Not a good day for doing what I planned to do - varnishing the inside of the flour chute - as the temperature inside the mill never got above -1 degrees. The tine of varnish says not to apply below 10 degrees - about July by my reckoning. Not good for cobbling the yard either.<br />
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Instead we did a few jobs. We moved some of the large stones for the kiln from one part of the yard to another. We mended the cement mixer by making some brackets to hold the stirring paddles, which had broken off. We repaired the plaster lining of the French burr stone which had developed serious cracks, and sanded down the flour chute. And David continued overhauling and Waxoyling the iron parts of the jigger box.<br />
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We also found the maker's plate from the French burr stone, which we had always believed to have been stolen. It shows that the stone must have been made before 1853, as the partnership was dissolved in February of that year.<br />
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<br />Bob Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15077533930363666809noreply@blogger.com0