Rick Coopershares with us a build review of something a bit different, a 1/35th scale windmill from PlusModel made from laser cut wood.

Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Interesting windmill. It will be a dominating piece in a diorama. Appears relatively easy to assemble despite Plus Model's instruction sheet omissions. How long did it take to assemble it? Those sails must be handled with care. When you painted it, did you notice any initial warping? Good job with this, Rick.

It took about two weeks of on and off work to assemble, I'm guessing around 15 hours in total. The roof and the sails took the most time (not counting drying time!) No warping from paint, but I was already aware how glue alone could warp so I was very careful about keeping a light hand with the paint. After it was all over there was a slight bit of warping on the wall around the axle, but you would have to be looking for it to find it. One thing I failed to point out; how important it is to get the four sides square and firm because when you add the cardboard 'floors/ceiling' you can't get back inside short of tearing the whole thing apart.

Seems like a decent piece of work. But silly question time: how does a square windmill with no cap turn into the wind? I'd love to see the original ...

this cechz resin model company is 10/10.

A mill with a cap would have been a bit more common for sure. This looks like a mash up between a couple of post mills that I have found on the internet.

I was under the impression that a part of the tower could rotate through 360 deg in order for the sails to always pick up the wind. That said I do like the look of this and some sand and seal should overcome the breakage issues you suffered.

That's what you'd expect - only this one has a porch and a set of steps to get in the way! I'm normally of the looks-like-a-Fruitbat-to-me persuasion, but this is a terrible missed opportunity ...

PlusModel usually make their products based on a real life local object. I wonder what the source for inspiration would be. Is it a remodel? Location with prevailing winds? Be good to find out.

I think we are looking at a post mill. Their is no cap, the entire mill rotates, even the porch and stairs.

I think this is it, with just a bit of artistic license.

and here it is from the other side

This particular mill is in Lednogora, Poland.

Cheers,
Rick

Webpage about a post mill in England.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1981877

The "stick" attached to the back of the mill is the "handle" used to turn the mill to face the wind. The bottom of the stairs should probably be free from the ground.



See post above about the probable origin of the mill from Plus Model.

This wiki-page about windmills in Poland says that the mill in
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_windmills_in_Poland
Lednogora is a post mill. Maybe the wooden walls around
the bottom have been added later, when the mill was taken
out of operation?

/ Robin

Here's another Polish windmill picture showing the original post half-hidden behind the lower planks :



H.P.

Maybe if the lower enclosure is only attached to the upper (rotating) part of the windmill and the foundation is "circular" then maybe the "skirt" can rotate around the foundation ? Hard to tell with all the grass around the bottom of the windmill ...
/ Robin

Blimey, wish I hadn't mention it now ... !

For what it's worth, I reckon the mill in the kit is an [b]ex[b]-mill. Like the one in the lowest photo, it's been disabled and fitted with a skirt and a permanent staircase. I say this because (i) if a turning mill had stairs that reached the ground, you'd expect at least a rut, if not a properly built track; while (ii) if the stairs were cantilevered off the mill, they'd be so long that they'd bob about uncomfortably and might fall off altogether. It's more likely that the mill would be turned into the wind, braked, and then a ladder used to get in and out.

Also, the stairs in the kit have a load-bearing member below the banister, so they must rest on the ground.

It's still a nice accessory, though.

http://www.let.rug.nl/polders/boekje/types.htm

;-)


more advanced version with wind powered turning apparatus