Information AboutMillstone |
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Mill stones are used in Windmill s and Watermill s for grinding Wheat or other grains. In Britain there are two types of mill stone:
The surface of a millstone is divided by deep grooves called ''furrows'' into separate flat areas called ''lands''. Spreading away from the furrows are smaller grooves called ''feathering'' or "cracking". The furrows and lands are arranged in repeating patterns called harps. A typical millstone will have six, eight or ten harps. The grooves provide a cutting edge and help to channel the ground flour out from the stones. When in regular use stones need to be ''dressed'' periodically, that is, re-cut to keep the cutting surfaces sharp. As a millstone dresser worked, small shards or flakes of metal from his tools would become embedded in his hands and forearms. Before hiring him, a miller might ask a dresser to "show his metal" as a way of judging his relative experience. Millstones come in pairs. The base or Bedstone is stationary, it does not move. Above the bedstone is the turning Runner Stone which actually does the grinding. The runner stone is supported by a cross-shaped metal mill Rynd fixed to a "mace head" topping the main shaft or spindle leading to the driving mechanism of the mill (either water or wind powered). The pattern of harps is repeated on the face of each stone, when they are laid face to face the patterns mesh in a kind of "scissoring" motion creating the cutting or grinding function of the stones. Millstones need to be evenly balanced, and achieving the correct separation of the stones is crucial to producing good quality flour. The experienced miller will be able to adjust their separation very accurately. SEE ALSO |
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