The Wheel
As shown in the drawings, the wheel has eight blades. Ordinarily the use of eight blades makes it difficult to construct a hub of sufficient strength to carry them. Where so many blades radiate from a common center it is almost impossible to provide an anchorage for each blade. To provide a maximum of strength coupled with simplicity of design, the plan of using two hubs of four arms each was adopted in the construction of this mill. The ordinary hub of four arms is simple to make and quite strong. Four pieces of straight-grained oak, each 16 in. long and 1-7/8 in. square, are used in constructing the hubs. The manner of notching each pair of pieces together is shown in Fig. 1. The slope for the blades is made to run in opposite directions on the ends of each crosspiece. The slope is formed by cutting out a triangular piece, as shown.
(Fig. 2)
The two hubs, thus formed, are mounted on the shaft, one behind the other, in such positions that the arms will be evenly divided for space in the wheel circle. These details are shown in Fig. 2. The blades, Fig. 3, are made of thin basswood or hard maple, and each is fastened in its place by means of two 3/8-in. bolts, in addition to which a few brads are driven in to prevent the thin blades from warping.
(Fig. 3)
The Gears
This windmill was designed to transmit power by means of shafts and gear wheels, rather than with cranks and reciprocating pump rods, such as are used on ordinary farm mills. To obtain this result, an old sewing machine head was used. Such a part can be obtained from a junk dealer or a sewing-machine agent. The head is stripped of its base plate with the shuttle gearing; likewise the needle rod, presser foot, etc., are taken from the front end of the head along with the faceplate. The horizontal shaft and gear wheel are taken out and the bearings reamed out for a 1/2-in. shaft, which is substituted. The shaft should be 2 ft. in length, and 8 or 10 in. of its outer end threaded for the clamping nuts which hold the two hubs in place, as shown at A and B, Fig. 2. The gear wheel is also bored out and remounted on the new shaft.
