# Maybe OT.... Not exactly an engine... but....



## Cedge (Apr 17, 2010)

Before there were engines, there was still motive power from a non polluting source. I'm a huge fan of old Water Wheel powered grist mills and our area is blessed to have a few of them still in operation. We even have one that is water turbine powered, but it's no longer in actual operation. 

Today we visited a small town festival in Pickens SC, where the Hagood mill was relocated and restored for regular public display. I almost left the camera in the car, having shot this mill a number of times. That idea was dead upon arrival as my wife grabbed it and the extra lense, as she exited her chariot.

The day was perfect and with a slight cloud cover, I decided to try for a classic photography trick. By forcing the camera to limit light coming in, and extending the shutter opening to a slow speed, the photos shown below were but a small part of the catch of the day.

Steve


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## Stan (Apr 17, 2010)

It looks like a giant ring gear on the inside of the wheel. What does it drive at such high speed in a grist mill? BTW Great photography.


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## hitandmissman (Apr 17, 2010)

Great pictures. Thanks for posting them.


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## zeeprogrammer (Apr 17, 2010)

I love that stuff. Lots of memories.
Anyone been to Alley Spring Missouri?


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## b.lindsey (Apr 17, 2010)

Great photos Steve. Thanks for sharing them!!

Bill


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## Cedge (Apr 17, 2010)

Thanks guys.... glad you enjoyed the photos.

Stan....
It's an illusion caused by slowing the camera way down. The wheel is probably turning at about 20 -25 RPM in real time. Slowing the camera gave the water the feataery appearance and blurred the buckets and bull gear. Just me messing around with camera settings....(grin)

Steve


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## Cedge (Apr 18, 2010)

Here are a few more....

Here is the water wheel without all the photo trickery. 





Here is where the drive enters the mill from the water wheel. Notice the idler pulley is controlled by a simple system of hemp cording and small pulleys. The whole belt and shafting system is manipulated by wooden handles near the miller's work station.






Here the incoming shaft transfers power to the upper floor where the miller is grinding corn





Another shot of the vertical transfer belt and shafting





The mill has a collection of various types of milling devices ranging from this small grinder to a full set of large stone grinders. They change from one to another from time to time. This small grinder was the choice for this weekend's showing.





Steve


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## Brian Rupnow (Apr 18, 2010)

Cedge---Thats a beauty. How many working mills do you know of in your area? Kathy and I were going to fly out to Colorado this summer, rent a car, and drive to Vancouver to see the American north west, turn in the car at Vancouver and then fly home. I have since found out that Avis wants $4000 to rent me a car for 3 weeks, and that I would have to turn the car in at Seattle and take a bus to Vancouver. This does NOT fit in with the Rupnow vacation spending habits. Maybe We'll drive to South Carolina in our own car and see some of those mills instead.----Brian


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## Cedge (Apr 18, 2010)

Brian
There are still a few in the state that are operational but they are, for the most part, spread across a wide area. Others are in surrounding states such as western North Carolina and northern Georgia as well. 

We have 3 locally, with another in Helen Georgia that still "operate". Some of the sites have been mothballed or converted into restaurants or tourist craft shops. There are also numerous "ruins" that are quite photo friendly but are often is sad shape.


Here are the other two locals....

Golden Mill was originally established by first generation freed slaves, but burned down at some point in it's history and was rebuilt on the opposite side of the river. It is said that the local community was very protective of the operation's early owners and stood against local vigilantes who were out to destroy it. While fully capable of operation, it is now privately owned and apparently used as personal office space, rather than production. I'll have to drop in and meet the new owner and see if it can still be visited.






Suber Mill, located within a couple of miles of my home has been in continuous commercial operation since 1908. Its stone ground grits and cornmeal are highly prized by top chefs in the area, who almost have to compete for the limited weekly production this small mill can produce. The owners are great about letting the curious wander around, within limits. 






I'll be happy to make a few inquiries and see just how many operational mills are within a comfortable "day trip" radius, if you like. I know there are several more in the tri-state area, but I'd need to gather a bit of info to say just how many.

Steve


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## GWRdriver (Apr 18, 2010)

They are perhaps as many as a dozen working mills in Tennessee and maybe another dozen more existing intact but not currently operated and several of those are now residences.


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## Brian Rupnow (Apr 18, 2010)

Cedge---I just checked on mapquest, and its 980 miles from Barrie, Ont. to Myrtle Beach (Which is the only place I could think of off the top of my head in S.C.) My wife says she would rather go to S.C. than Denver anyways, so yes, if you could check out working mills in your part of the world and let me know, I'd appreciate it.---Brian


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## tel (Apr 18, 2010)

Very interesting pics Steve - feel free to give us more any ol' time! Thm: Thm:



> I have since found out that Avis wants $4000 to rent me a car for 3 weeks,



Bloody 'ell - I thought Jesse James was supposed to be dead?


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## rake60 (Apr 19, 2010)

That is great stuff Steve! Thm:

My wife keeps the books for a feed mill company that is celebrating it's 100th year.
The mill is now a diesel powered hammer mill in the original building.
The water trough still runs under the building, but I don't know if the wheel is still 
intact. 

I've been spending a good bit of time hanging around there lately.
Maybe I can talk the owner into a tour of the boarded up areas of that old building.
If I can, I will take a camera!

Rick


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## Cedge (Apr 19, 2010)

I got hooked on shooting these old mills about 7 years or so back, when I finally bought a decent camera. After a while I could almost smell one hiding in the local terrain. Now I can't pass one up without exploring a bit.

I've got shots of quite a few, but I don't want to burn everyone out. Some are ruins but picturesque, none the less. More if you want them....

Steve


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## joe d (Apr 19, 2010)

Steve

Here's a vote for More, Please.... I love looking at these things. There is a functioning water-powered saw mill running during tourist season an hour and a half from here that I can spend hours in. Now I'll have to go back again to get some photo's...oh darn!

Cheers, Joe


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## Cedge (Apr 19, 2010)

Sorting through some more of them as I write this. Will try to post some tomorrow evening. Seems Her Indoors, aka: Queen of Everything, saw the mill photos on screen and just now let me know we're going mill hopping tomorrow,while she's off work. She likes to shoot them too, so it's now two cameras.

Steve 
aka: King of Whatever is Left.


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## SBWHART (Apr 21, 2010)

About 20 miles from me, there's an early (about 1785) cotton mill. Here's a pc:

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-quarrybankmillandstyalestate 

In their heyday, those buildings were full of spinning mules, jennies and looms, powered by a single waterwheel which was later assisted by a couple of steam engines. The original wheel is no longer there, but during restoration was replaced with another antique one of similarly heroic proportions - 32 feet in diameter and 21 feet wide - which is the largest working one in the UK. It looks positively majestic as it revolves. 

My pictures I'm afraid are not too clear the mill wheel is under a 8 story spinning mill and you can't get clear shots of it so this is the best I could do.

This is the broken cast iron mill wheel axle shaft that had to be replaced so it gives you some scale of the thing.






The top of the wheel






The inside of the wheel its a fabricated cast iron structure with spokes.






This is the sluce gates that can be controlled from inside the mill, not sure how they controlled the speed, for spinning I guess a steady speed would be important, the water would flow at a steady rate, but the power demand would change as machines were stopped and started.






The drive went through a couple of huge gear wheel to step up the speed, sorry no pics they were down in the bowels and you could only view them through glass so couldn't get a good shot. 

This is the bevel gear the vertical shaft went to the top of the building and provided power for all eight floors driving spinning muels.


















Enjoy

Stew


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