Heather Kay Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 18 minutes ago, BIG X said: where poor old windy would have to lift and move everything I think I’m right in saying the steps wouldn’t usually touch the ground at all. That way the mill can turn with the wind like a weather vane. I guess there would be some kind of chocking system to stop the thing swivelling like a roundabout! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted July 23, 2018 Author Share Posted July 23, 2018 36 minutes ago, Ray S said: What, no perspex? Crumbs, no warping at all by the looks of it! If, as you suggested, you use an mp3 for the sound effects, don't forget to scale the sound down to HO/OO! I built the thatched cottage way back in my 'yoof', and if I put all three of them on here (sadly I still have them!), you STILL would not see a decent version! Looking forward to seeing this progress, all the best, Ray Hey Ray - no warping at all - for once - re the mp3 - if I couldn't scale down the sound effects to HO/OO I could always have some music... C'mon folks - sing along... A mouse lived in a windmill in old Amsterdam A windmill with a mouse in and he wasn't grousin' He sang every morning, "How lucky I am Living in a windmill in old Amsterdam!" I saw a mouse! (Where?) There on the stair! (Where on the stair?) Right there! A little mouse with clogs on Well I declare! Going clip-clippety-clop on the stair Oh yeah! This mouse he got lonesome, he took him a wife A windmill with mice in, it's hardly surprisin' She sang every morning, "How lucky I am Living in a windmill in old Amsterdam!" I saw a mouse! (Where?) There on the stair! (Where on the stair?) Right there! A little mouse with clogs on Well I declare! Going clip-clippety-clop on the stair Oh yeah! First they had triplets and then they had quins A windmill with quins in, and triplets and twins in They sang every morning: "How lucky we are Living in a windmill in Amsterdam, ya!" I saw a mouse! (Where?) There on the stair! (Where on the stair?) Right there! A little mouse with clogs on Well I declare! Going clip-clippety-clop on the stair Oh yeah! The daughters got married and so did the sons The windmill had Christ'nin's when no one was list'nin' They all sang in chorus: "How lucky we am Living in a windmill in Amsterdam!" I saw a mouse! (Where?) There on the stair! (Where on the stair?) Right there! A little mouse with clogs on Well I declare! Going clip-clippety-clop on the stair Oh yeah! A mouse lived in a windmill, so snug and so nice There's nobody there now but a whole lot of mice ...takes you back eh and perfect for a vintage 1960's model 1 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted July 23, 2018 Author Share Posted July 23, 2018 45 minutes ago, Heather Kay said: I think I’m right in saying the steps wouldn’t usually touch the ground at all. That way the mill can turn with the wind like a weather vane. I guess there would be some kind of chocking system to stop the thing swivelling like a roundabout! Morning Heather - your nearly right... For a windmill to actually orientate 'itself' into the wind it needs a 'fantail' - making it look like a 'chopper'... A fantail is a small windmill mounted at right angles to the sails, at the rear of the windmill, and which turns the mill automatically to bring it into the wind. The fantail was patented in 1745 by Edmund Lee, a blacksmith working at Brockmill Forge near Wigan, England, and perfected on mills around Leeds and Hull towards the end of the 18th century. Fantails are found on all types of traditional windmills and are especially useful where changes in wind direction are frequent. They are more common in England, Denmark and Germany than in other parts of Europe, and are little-known on windmills elsewhere except where English millwrighting traditions were in evidence. The rotating fantail turns the windmill via a system of gearing to a toothed rack around the top of the mill tower, or to wheels running on the ground in the case of a post mill. It does so until the fantail sails are orientated parallel to the wind, whereby the wind can no longer move them. When the fantail is orientated parallel to the wind, the main sails are in the optimal perpendicular orientation and produce maximum power. It's amazing what you learn when you start building a model - and no... ...I'm not scratch building a fantail 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 You could have someone's eye out with that! I've not seen that before, but I've seen them up on the 'roof' which I'd have thought better than the vagaries of micro-climate down at hedge level. And of course you're not scratch-building one. Nobody is even suggesting that you scratch build one, there are no voices whispering in your head that you'd love to scratch build one!!! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 The mill at Avondale has no fantail. There is a lever that raises the bottom few steps off the ground, they act as the brake. The lever for pushing it round has a cartwheel attached, which is also chocked. They don't all have wheels. Fantails on the 'roof' are not post mills, they are for brick built mills where the cap revolves. Buttram's Mill in Woodbridge. about 12 miles from me. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Kay Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 Every day is a school day round here! 👍 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted July 23, 2018 Author Share Posted July 23, 2018 9 minutes ago, Heather Kay said: Every day is a school day round here! 👍 What did I do with that 'can of worms' emoji - oh there it is... I know what you mean Heather - the amount of totally useless information I discover when trying something new is mind blowing. I'm guessing you have built a few of these in your time - being 'common fodder' for railways fans I guess. Thanks for the input it most appreciated. Steve 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventora3300 Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 28 minutes ago, BIG X said: ...I'm not scratch building a fantail What??? and this from the man who put stained glass and lights into his Church! You've already done the research so another visit to Hobbycraft? This is turning out to be another fantastic build - loving it! 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 32 minutes ago, Heather Kay said: Every day is a school day round here! 👍 I just gave that a like and then thought, 'hang on! It's nothing like a school day- I've learnt way more in a few months on here than I ever did in years at school!!' (And I suspect I'm not alone) 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Kay Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 1 hour ago, BIG X said: I'm guessing you have built a few of these in your time Surprisingly I haven’t. I’ve had experience of other Airfix/Dapol kits af varying shapes and sizes, mostly bashed about into things almost unrecognisable! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted July 23, 2018 Author Share Posted July 23, 2018 In between catching up on everyone's builds and singing silly sixties songs to myself - I have actually got some work done this morning. I got the 'porch roof' on - but I had to cut an angle on the ends of the supports... the plastic is very thin on one joining point and actually a 'hole' on the other. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted July 23, 2018 Author Share Posted July 23, 2018 I've realised the battery holder for the motor needs to be in the base - as the main body will be sealed when the steps and the pushing arm are put in place I'm not going to attempt to remove the very fragile soldering on the motor... So I've had to bite the bullet and cut the wires down at the battery box end... I knew this was going too smoothly - and I still need to get them through the central spindle - beggar... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted July 23, 2018 Author Share Posted July 23, 2018 OK - after a quick trip round to the garage - where I keep all those things that 'will come in useful one day' I found a pair of connector blocks - now securely glued to the battery holder... ...but I still need to thread the wires from the motor through the rotating spindle pole on the base of the main body. So I also picked up a 5mm drill bit and a drill. I'm off to do some 'real man's work' - with a 'power tool'. No wine this time though - it's a tad too early - even for me - back very shortly... 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawzer Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 49 minutes ago, BIG X said: ...but I still need to thread the wires from the motor through the rotating spindle pole on the base of the main body. So I also picked up a 5mm drill bit and a drill. I'm off to do some 'real man's work' - with a 'power tool'. No wine this time though - it's a tad too early - even for me - back very shortly... Nonsense - it's 5pm somewhere!!!!! 😁 Moving along nicely I must say! 👍 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted July 23, 2018 Author Share Posted July 23, 2018 8 minutes ago, Lawzer said: Nonsense - it's 5pm somewhere!!!!! 😁 Moving along nicely I must say! 👍 OK 'Operation Drill Bit' is successfully completed Ian - looks like wine o'clock may be closer than I thought - I'm on holiday after all. I had a piece of 5mm styrene 'tube' with a 3.5mm inside diameter - more than enough to accommodate the wiring. so I lopped off the original spindle / drilled through / had to increase the size of the hole in the roof too and hey presto - it has worked - the top still spins and the wiring will pass through easily... OK - what's next... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted July 23, 2018 Author Share Posted July 23, 2018 It's time to permanently glue the top of the mill to the main body. I have added a styrene shim to the flat of the motor spindle - for a tighter fit to the sails and something for the glue to grab hold of... There is plenty of wire in there for threading - I mustn't forget to glue the windows on the inside before I 'zip her up'. I drilled right through the sail post - so the cyano can go in from that end and not risk it fowling the motor... Right - it's time to prime the base and the body - grey for the base and white primer for the body - as it is going to be 'whiteish'. It's a bit warm - so hopefully the primers will go off pretty quickly. Catch you later and thanks for stopping by - Steve 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted July 23, 2018 Author Share Posted July 23, 2018 Well the BBC says it's the hottest day of the year so far. I'm wishing I put that bigger motor in now - for a bit of cool air Anyway - here's a quick update - body now white and base in primer grey.... ...it's beginning to look a bit like a windmill... I've just tried the steps too - to get a feel for the 'full size'... I'm currently working on painting the base - I'll update after tea. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawzer Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 This is starting to get the X factor about it (sorry i've holding onto that one for ages now - i'll get me coat on the way out.......😁) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted July 23, 2018 Author Share Posted July 23, 2018 3 minutes ago, Lawzer said: This is starting to get the X factor about it (sorry i've holding onto that one for ages now - i'll get me coat on the way out.......😁) One for the X files when it's finished... I'll get my coat too - don't leave without me - I know a pub down the road... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawzer Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 8 minutes ago, BIG X said: One for the X files when it's finished... I'll get my coat too - don't leave without me - I know a pub down the road... And it's CERTAINLY 5pm somewhere now 😆 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted July 23, 2018 Author Share Posted July 23, 2018 2 minutes ago, Lawzer said: And it's CERTAINLY 5pm somewhere now 😆 I've been too busy for that - well maybe I've had one or two - but nothing too excessive... Honestly... 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted July 23, 2018 Author Share Posted July 23, 2018 Windy and I have been working on the brickwork. A coat of dark earth for starters... ...followed by highlights and lowlights with rust and wood... ...and finally I picked out a random selection of bricks in various earthy tones... taxing on the eyes - especially after a couple of glasses of the old vino blanc - hic... 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antb Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 9 hours ago, BIG X said: ...I'm not scratch building a fantail Boo hiss booooooo 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zebra Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 This is starting to look awesome but thanks (not) for the 'mouse lived in a windmill' earworm! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted July 23, 2018 Author Share Posted July 23, 2018 28 minutes ago, zebra said: This is starting to look awesome but thanks (not) for the 'mouse lived in a windmill' earworm! Earworm eh - I know what you mean - I've been humming it all day... ...SORRY FOLKS 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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