Hello to you mark, and thanks for your kind words I've met many people in person and on line, and at seminars, you are one of them! One thing I really don't know how to handle, is how to ensure that things I have learned and documented are handed down and preserved for future generations.
For instance operating the Muley mill at UCV and repairing it, or re building certain aspects of its architecture from scratch, usually contain information that is not available, like the power source, the horizontal barrel wheel, and it's connecting linkages that operate the blade, and at the same time the forward motion of the log frame, carrying the log into the blade at precicsely the right time.
Many would say, oh well just a cup of tea, well understanding old technology at times comes with question marks! I know I've run up against these so called question marks, not much help out there available, you are on your own!
One aspect that I run up against that no help was available was restoring the 12" oak axle from scratch for the barrel wheel
It contained 2 cast iron Gudgeons one on each end babbited in .place, secured also with original wrought iron rings 2 on each end that were on turned surfaces helping to secure positively each of theGudgeons
alittle further up on the ends of shaft, were turned surfaces that large36" cast collars with moulded cups came to rest ,these had to come to rest approx 3 sixteenth of an inch from the side of the pressure box, this gap closed up as the box swelled, at the same time it could not be tight enough to stop rotation of the shaft!
Try to find this information in old millwrights books, good luck!
Remember you only had on kick at the can, if you messed up on any one aspect during your reconstruction, it was game over for the turned shaft! Start over!
How hot would you heat the babbit?
Was the oak log for turning be green, partly dried, or kiln dried , very Important, because of ramifications as the re construction moved along.
