Smock Mill, Seinajoki

A wind-powered mill in Finland.

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The only complete mill seen in South Bothnia, at Törnäva.

Built in 1886 at Ilmajoki, it was moved shortly afterwards and moved again at the turn of the century; in 1937 it was sold to the local Museum Society. The tower is vertically boarded with covered joints and painted Falun red; it is fairly steeply battered and the curb is corbelled out above it. The cap is a hexagonal cone with a finial carrying a weather vane pierced with the inscription "OMV 1886". The initials stand for Östermyra Factory Co., a large explosives concern. The tower, with a cross-braced frame, is 26 ft. 6 in. high, 17 ft. across at the base and 8 ft. 6 in. diameter at the curb. (Measurements taken inside). There are twelve short shaped boarded sails with a slight weather completely unconvincing, and the braced tailpole has been removed. Inside, the clasp-arm head-wheel (with no break) drove a lantern wallower on an octagonal upright shaft 10 in. across flats, adjusted by moving the centre beam. There is a pot and pintle footstep bearing. The two pairs of granite stones with three-armed stiff rynds are mounted on a hurst 4 ft. 3 in. high; trail sticks vibrated the shoes. The clasp-arm great spur-wheel below the hurst platform has a spur ring bolted to the lower face of the arms, which at one time drove a shingle machine. The iron stone-nuts were raised out of gear and propped up. The hoppers are long and narrow and the shoes are slung from them with inverted iron bridles. In South Bothnia the leading sides of some of the sails were straight and narrow.

Full details

References

• Wailes, Rex, & Auvo Hirsjärvi, "Finnish Mills Part II: Mamsel or Smock Mills", (Transactions of the Newcomen Society, 43, 1970-1971, pp.113-128)

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