For the tower of the windmill we chose
four long sticks. They must have measured about 16 feet in length, and
were from 4 to 6 inches in diameter. With them we made two frames of the
form given in Fig. 283, using slabs to brace them apart. These frames were
now set in position, with their lower ends firmly planted in holes in the
ground, and the tower was completed by nailing on a number of diagonal
braces. A couple of boards were nailed across the upper ends at opposite
sides, and holes were drilled through them to provide bearings for the
wind wheel shaft.
The Crank Shaft.
The shaft was a piece of heavy iron rod which we procured from the
blacksmith at Lumberville. Under Bill's direction the blacksmith hammered
a U-shaped bend at the center of the shaft, so as to form a crank, and
then he flattened the rod near the ends (see Fig. 284). When the shaft was
set in its place these flat spots lay just outside of the bearing boards,
and then, to keep the shaft from sliding back and forth in its bearings,
we fastened on two clamps over these flattened parts. The clamps were made
of pairs of hardwood blocks bolted together in the manner indicated in
Fig. 285.
[Illustration: Fig. 284. The Crank Shaft.
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