Author: Ruurd-Jakob Nauta
All the windmills in The Netherlands have a brake made out of wood or iron. My own windmill has a brake out of wood. But it keeps me wondering, if there are any mills left in North America, who have a brake which is made out of rope. I am wondering if there are still windmills who work with this construction?
In the book “The Mill” by William Fox, Bill Brooks and Janice Tyrwhitt is a topic about the brake of traditional windmills in North America (Canada and/or United States). In the text there is spoken about a brake, which works with a rope around the brake-wheel.
The text says:
When the miller wants to stop grinding, he pulls down the lever at bottom left, which tightens a rope that runs in a groove round the brake wheel, bringing it to stop and, with it, the sails.
The illustration suggests that this windmill (probably a post mill) only has a brake, which is made out of a rope. That means that there is in this situation no brake made out of wood or iron.
Maybe there is someone who has pictures or more information of it? Maybe one of the windmill friends in the U.K. know something about this interesting topic.
Kind Regards,
Ruurd-Jakob Nauta, The Netherlands
Miller at Rispens windmill