Saturday 16 February 2013

Sails-Off Photos & Video

Two days of hard work from the basket of a cherry picker resulted in the removal of the windmill’s sails on 13th February. Neil Medcalf and Steve Boulton of Traditional Millwrights Ltd laboured in cold conditions to extract the fixing bolts and wedges that held the sails in place.
More info below video box.
Click this photo to see further photos from the day
Thank you to Luke Bonwick and Peter Heath for the photos


Video - by Peter Heath
(video is available in HD if you select Full Screen - click the symbol in the bottom right of video frame)

The first task was to rotate the sails and their supporting windshaft, which had not turned for several years, through 180 degrees to bring the uppermost sail to the bottom. This one would be removed first. On the morning of 13th February, a mobile crane arrived at the site and was positioned at the head of the track from Mill Lane. Its long jib was extended high above the mill and from it the lifting hook was lowered into position for the removal of the striking rod. The rod is part of the operating gear for the sail shutters and, before the sails could be removed, it had to be slid forwards out of its working position at the centre of the cast-iron windshaft.

With the rod and four-armed ‘spider’ coupling safely at ground level, the lowest sail frame could be removed. This was a fairly straightforward procedure, achieved by extracting each of the four fixing bolts with the weight of the sail hanging from the crane hook. Once safely at ground level, the condition of the timber could be examined at close quarters. Large areas of rot could be seen at most of the major joints of the sail frame. The effects of the driving wind and rain had caused the timber to begin breaking up. Its removal was timely, as it is unlikely that the sail would have survived many more winters without totally disintegrating, and possibly ending up in a neighbour’s garden! 

The next lift was more ambitious, as the millwrights planned to remove the second sail and its supporting stock in one go. This involved positioning the crane hook above the centre point of the sails and attaching it at the correct point of balance to achieve the lift. When everything was ready, the wooden wedges that held the stock in position were knocked out. With no wedges in place, the stock should theoretically be free to move in the canister – the open-ended box casting at the front of the windshaft.

It was found that the stock had absorbed some rainwater over the years since it was fitted, and this had caused the timber to swell slightly near its centre point. With the crane jib applying tension the stock would only move upwards a few millimetres, despite strategic rocking backwards and forwards with the aid of ropes to try and release it. Its increased thickness meant that the stock could not pass through the canister until the millwrights had removed the excess timber with the aid of a power planer and an extra-long chisel. With the swollen area removed, the crane jib applied tension again. The lifting cable hauled the hook upwards until the stock and sail had been lifted clear of the mill and could be lowered to ground level. 

The final part of the operation was to load the sails onto the trailer of a waiting flatbed lorry for transportation to the millwrights’ yard in Lincolnshire. This was easily achieved with the aid of the lorry’s remote-controlled lifting arm which carefully avoided an inconveniently-placed lamp post!

The millwrights expect to complete the next stage of the project, the removal of the cap and fantail, before Easter.

Thursday 14 February 2013

Sails are off!

After the weather delayed work for a few weeks, Wednesday morning saw the mill sails being taken down. They have now been taken to the millwright's workshop in Lincolnshire for repair.
Photos and a video of the removal of the sails will be published very soon on this Blog and on our website www.burwellmuseum.org.uk .
The mill cap will be taken down on Wednesday 13th March (weather permitting!).

Tuesday 12 February 2013

The sails are coming down from Burwell Mill

The sails are coming down from Burwell Mill

9.30am WEDNESDAY 13th FEBRUARY

 
Please come along, bring your family and friends, and watch this historic event!

A mobile crane will carry out the lifting operation with its extending boom positioned high above the Mill. Removing the sails and their supporting stock – rather like de-threading an enormous needle – will take a couple of hours.

Hope to see you there on the day!

PS: The two existing sails need extensive repair before they can turn again, and project volunteers have the mammoth task of re-making and painting 192 adjustable shutters to fit into them. If you’d like to join our ‘shutter factory’ to help with this sail restoration work, please email Ann Wise, Volunteer Coordinator on  volunteers@burwellmuseum.org.uk

Tuesday 22 January 2013

CAP LIFT OFF DAY ON 29 JANUARY – CANCELLED!


Due to the adverse weather conditions, we’ve had to cancel Burwell Mill’s Cap Lift Off Day, scheduled for Tuesday 29th January. 

We’re currently monitoring the weather forecasts and will let you know a new date as soon as we can.

Watch this space for updates and further news!

www.burwellmuseum.org.uk

Wednesday 9 January 2013

MILL WORKS BEGIN

Huge excitement this Tuesday when millwright Neil Medcalf signed up for the restoration work on Stevens’ Mill. Heras fencing has already been erected around the site, and Neil starts work on Monday 21st January. 
Millwright Neil Medcalf signs his contract with (from left) Philip Orchard, construction manager; Luke Bonwick, millwright consultant; John Waller, trustee; Jane Phillimore, project manager; Peter Irons, trustee; and Paul Hawes, chair of trustees
Neil Medcalf clambers around at high altitude on the fantail, doing some pre-lift measurements 
CAP LIFT OFF DAY
The cap and sails are being lifted off on Tuesday 29th January – do come along on the day from 10am, bring your family and friends, and see this historic event as it happens. Refreshments will be provided and press and TV will be turning up to record the event. 

We’re aiming to keep inconvenience to a minimum. A crane lorry will be situated on the site, the sails and cap will be lifted off and lowered on to the grassed area beside the Mill. A temporary roof will then be erected over the Mill.

If the weather is unfavourable, cap lift off will be rescheduled for Tuesday 5th February 2013. Watch this space! 
Photos & videos of the cap lift off will be posted to this Blog.

Friday 14 December 2012

Mill Cap Lift-Off Date

The cap will be lifted off Stevens' Mill on Tuesday 29th  January 2013 by a mobile crane. This process is entirely at the mercy of the weather and may be postponed to the following day or even the following week.  Members of the public, press and media will be welcome to attend. More details will be made available nearer the time.

Friday 16 November 2012

Work to Start on Mill in January

Restoration work on Stevens' Mill is now due to start early in the new year. The first job is for the cap and sails to be removed and lowered to the ground. This should take place sometime in January. The actual date is yet to be decided but will be widely publicised and local press & media will be invited.