The fact that the Bovenmolen G in Schermerhorn unexpectedly lost a blade on 6 July 2021 is partly due to the fact that the mill has many operating hours. This is shown today from research by the De Hollandse Molen foundation.
The foundation has conducted research into the state of mill rods in the Netherlands. The reason for this was that in recent years, rods broke unexpectedly at some traditional windmills – including Bovenmolen G.
What is a mill rod?
Mill rods are wooden or tubular steel beams in which the fence slats are fixed. The inner and outer rods are fixed in the shaft head and together with the complete rigging form the sail cross.
The general conclusion from the study is that a combination of factors – size, weight, detailing and history of use – determine the lifespan of a mill rod.
According to the report, Bovenmolen G makes about 650,000 revolutions every year: “It was this load, among other things, that could initiate a crack from an irregularly shaped stern hole”, the report reads.
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The investigation showed that the rod was ‘well maintained’ and that the penetration was ‘fine’. “From local use, most sail is carried on the outer rod, the previous outer rod of this mill was also broken. At the break, the upper shaft came out of the pin, but the whole remained hanging.”
NH Nieuws was there when Bovenmolen G are got wings back† Text continues below the video:
Schermermolen has blades back: “We hope these last a little longer” – NH Nieuws
‘Mill is running again as it should’
The stern slat holes, the grid of a wick, also appear to play a major role when it comes for the strength of a rod. At Bovenmolen G an ‘irregularly shaped stern hole’ is said to have caused the fracture. This hadn’t been seen for decades until 2020.
“We are very happy that we were able to replace the blade so quickly and that the mill has been running as it should since last Wednesday,” Ruud van Lier of the Schermer Molens foundation tells NH Nieuws.
“The tulip fields will be in bloom in the coming weeks, so you will see the classic picture of a spinning mill”
“We would also like to thank the Alkmaar Mill Foundation for this,” he continues, “because they gave us priority over the rod they ordered.” His thanks also go to the municipality, which provided the mill with an extra subsidy of 32,000 euros to restore the mill to its former glory.
Anyone who wants to see the mill running in its full glory again will be delighted in the coming weeks. Van Lier: “Then the tulip fields are in bloom, so you see the classic picture of a spinning mill.”
The total cost of the operation amounted to one hundred thousand euros. Attempts were made to raise the amount in various ways. For example, the Schermer Molens foundation participated in the mill price† “Unfortunately, we were just a few hundred votes short,” Ruud van Lier of the Schermer Molens foundation told NH Nieuws earlier.
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