Watermill Blog -  PTO Shafting
19th June 2008

This watermill blog has to record the great respect that the team has for our Chairman, Martyn.

The picture is slightly misleading though as we normally show our respect through friendly banter. In this shot the placement of the bearings for the PTO shaft are being discussed.

As well as Martyn, Dave, Colin and Jonathan today's team also included John, Headley, Dick and Richard. Most of the team concentrated on the PTO shaft, not least because any re-adjustment involved moving a lot of weight.

As you can see, our preferred method was to use rope slings to save our backs and share the load.

In this picture we are easing one of the sections through the wall of the mill towards the bearing carrier that is bolted to part of the mill hurst.

A second section of shaft runs as far as a bearing set into the stable wall and the two sections are joined by a massive universal joint.

There were bearings either side of the universal joint, probably mounted on timber, but these have suffered from the effects of neglect and weather to the point that we cannot accurately make replicas.

We are having bearing blocks made that are similar to the bearings on the line-shafting inside the hay-loft and these will be mounted on timber blocks fixed to the bottom of the pit.

Elsewhere Jonathan cleaned the windows that have already been re-glazed while Richard started work on the second double casement window from the front of the mill.

This window is in better condition than its opposite number and after a good clean up and a good soaking with Clear Cuprinol the frame was re-fitted to the aperture.

The casements where kept in the workshop for all the glazing bars to be repaired, as these have been badly damaged apparently by ivy.

John did some remedial brickwork on the front of the mill, mainly to the brick infill above the front door. In the picture above it is the area in shadow underneath the arch above the door. This will have a shaped wooden facing when we have found a suitable piece of timber.

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