Inside a small Dutch windmill / Внутри маленькой голландской мельницы

Inside a Dutch windmill

I had the opportunity to look inside a windmill near my home town called the Wissinks möl:

^{Olympus Stylus 1s, 28mm, ISO100, f8, 1/250s}

Inside this mill, there are two floors; I'll start on the top floor:

^{Olympus Stylus 1s, 28mm, ISO1600, f2.8, 1/8s}

Overhead you see the huge main axle that is connected to the sails outside. Its main bearing is a cast iron extension of the wooden axle, turning in a hollowed piece of very hard and smooth rock, traditionally lubricated with pig's fat.

The main axle is connected to the main cogwheel, that drives everything that moves inside the windmill. It comes with a brake, you can see that on the top, righthand side sitting around the main cogwheel; it has the number "6" on it. You can see another part of the brake in the next picture, below the main cogwheel.

The smaller cogwheel you see spinning drives the winch used for lifting sacks of grain. It is being operated by hand in the photo, but it can be engaged to the main cogwheel for heavy loads.

The more important purpose of the main cogwheel is driving the two sets of milling stones, one on the top floor, and one on the bottom floor:

^{Olympus Stylus 1s, 50mm, ISO1600, f2.8, 1/60s}

The cogwheel that looks like a cage engages the main cogwheel and drives the milling stones on the top floor. The wooden axle you see to its right, coming from behind the main cogwheel and the brake, goes to the bottom floor:

^{Olympus Stylus 1s, 45mm, ISO1600, f4, 1/10s}

This is an enclosed set of milling stones, where the grain is milled. They are enclosed to keep visibility acceptable inside the windmill (flour tends to dust 8-) but mainly to make sure that no flour is lost.

^{Olympus Stylus 1s, 28mm, ISO800, f4, 1/40s}

Connected to the enclosure is a chute that fills the sacks with flour.

Unfortunately, there was only just enough wind to operate the winch, but not enough to drive the milling stones. Still, it was nice to see how the thing works.

Thanks for watching!