Garden Railway Forum

Foiled again!
Interesting design. Are you going to paint it white?

Rik

Windmill ready for the railway’s colours.

Not completely Rik.

I did say the Naughty Elf’s did the build I was going to just have the windmill, but after doing some research on them there were quite a few with some sort of a building attached to them. So I just went for this one. I was getting a little bit short on plywood, so I had to make it a little bit wonky


Painted in the Fairywood Light Railway colours,

Just noticed something missing, so later on I will get it sorted.

Until then, here’s a video.


You can hear the flour stones grinding up the flour……..

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Not really, fitting the sails were a very tight fit, so I have probably moved the gears, not completely out of sink thank goodness, otherwise I would have had to gut the roof of and try and sort it or get another motor…..

Seeing the motor in there ready to drive the windmill blades suddenly reminded me of something I'd seen several years ago at an alternative energy trade fair... A wind turbine installer had promotional models of their modern wind turbines at their booth which were powered by a small solar panel at the base of each. It was a very effective display as it was an open-air event, and it was fun to see the models speed up and slow down as their solar panels received sun or shade.

It's like they say, wind is the "other" solar energy!

with this orientation of the blades I think the wind is coming from the rear side of the mill.

That must be the Naughty Elf side, then?


Phil.P

Scrat wrote: Thu Apr 24, 2025 1:20 pm with this orientation of the blades I think the wind is coming from the rear side of the mill.

I think it was

Phil.P wrote: Fri Apr 25, 2025 12:30 am


That must be the Naughty Elf side, then?



Phil.P

Those Naughty Elf’s

Love the sails (even if they are reverse orientation). They must have taken you ages to construct.

Rik

ge_rik wrote: Fri Apr 25, 2025 4:49 pm Love the sails (even if they are reverse orientation). They must have taken you ages to construct.

Rik

Not to bothered really about reverse orientation, didn’t really know to be honest what they should have been, I just know it works. I think should the sails be turning the other way, anti-clockwise


They really did take some time Rik, in fact the whole build did because I had cataracts which I didn’t know I had. I thought it was just an eye infection or something in my right eye, in fact I was nearly blind in it and the left one was just starting to get worse, it still is. Hopefully though I have had the right one sorted, it takes about 4 weeks for it to recover, I am going to the opticians on Tuesday to see if it is done and then it’s another 2 weeks before I get the left one done, then I will have at least a better chance of seeing properly and I can build something that resembles equal proportions……

Hope you get good news at the opticians Rod,

Phil

gilfachphil wrote: Sun Apr 27, 2025 9:46 am Hope you get good news at the opticians Rod,

Phil

Thanks Phil.

Very well done Rod, the fact that you completed this at all with one eye half closed is a tribute to your determination. Most impressive!

Definitely!
I am not getting on with my latest glasses..
Even lines I know are straight, don't look it.

I think I might have to try a different optician, and possibly get a pair of fixed-focus glasses?

Phil.P

Peter Butler wrote: Sun Apr 27, 2025 11:25 am Very well done Rod, the fact that you completed this at all with one eye half closed is a tribute to your determination. Most impressive!

Thanks Peter, it was a struggle but I wanted it to be done, even now my right eye is still sore and the build is still looking good

Phil.P wrote: Sun Apr 27, 2025 3:18 pm Definitely!
I am not getting on with my latest glasses..
Even lines I know are straight, don't look it.

I think I might have to try a different optician, and possibly get a pair of fixed-focus glasses?

Phil.P

I did have some glasses with Varifocals, but one of the lenses was not set correctly and I found myself tilting my head to try and get it see properly, trouble was I was just making it worse

I gave up with varifocals. I just couldn't get used to them. I've had bifocals for years now and find them ok, though I use reading glasses when viewing a computer screen otherwise I'd get a crick in my neck.

Rik

ge_rik wrote: Wed Apr 30, 2025 7:09 am I gave up with varifocals. I just couldn't get used to them. I've had bifocals for years now and find them ok, though I use reading glasses when viewing a computer screen otherwise I'd get a crick in my neck.

Rik