Posted By The Miller on May 24, 2010
I’m sure the dam will hold ….. but, you never know. All went well and a few trees went over the dam. Two got stuck on my deflector log. I plan to improve the deflector log. More and more of the tail race is washing out. All is good.
Posted By The Miller on May 21, 2010
The old furrows (Grooves from center to outer edge) were getting too wide due to years of dressing (Sharpening). So, I had to remove about 1/4 in. from the face of each stone. Then, cut new furrows. I used diamond blades and it took 3 weeks (It is fresh water quartz – harder than glass).
Course I have customers … etc. So, I didn’t work on them constantly. I laid out the same pattern of furrows that were in the stone originally. The red color on the stone is red chalk. I rubbed a straight edge over the stone and this marked the high spots for me to grind off. Once it was perfectly flat I gave both stones a slight taper to the edge and made sure the edge of the furrows were sharp. I managed to cut my hand once so I know they are sharp.
I am now making the best flour and cornmeal I have ever made. Theoretically I won’t have to do this again for another 50 years.
Posted By The Miller on May 10, 2010
Rob Jones sponsored his 2nd annual wood carving camp in Bridgeton. This is a special computerized (CNC) machine and they all learn and share info. Here they are eating at the Bridgeton Mill Snack Shop.
Posted By The Miller on May 7, 2010
Leo from the Country Store in Bridgeton has volunteered to do the landscaping around the covered bridge. The association only pays the wholesale cost for the flowers and other ……. stuff. Here he is watering. He has to go down to the creek and fill the sprinkling cans. The place looks like a state park thanks to Leo.
Posted By The Miller on February 22, 2010
I have tried to get Purple Corn several times in the past. Finally, I found a supplier that handled it. It is so dark it looks like coffee beans. Why is corn different colors? The more vitamins in a grain the darker and more colorful it becomes. This is the richest tasting cornmeal I have ever had. Wonderful! ! The first order – 150lbs sold pretty fast at the Winter Farmer’s Market in Indy. So, I have ordered more for the Maple Syrup Fest. Hopefully, I can get it ground, mixed and bagged before Sat. And, it is sitting on the living room floor right now ….. so I need to get it moved to the mill. I’m lucky to have an understanding wife that puts up with me.
Posted By The Miller on February 22, 2010
Time to dig out the Ole Mill Truck. Maple Syrup Fest. is coming. Feb. 27 – 28 and March 6 – 7. I like to deliver the mill products to the festival with the mill truck. Ethan (age 10 – grandson) is sick and spending the day with me at home. Hopefully, tomorrow he will be better and I can head out to the mill and get prepared for the festival. The mill might not be OPEN for the Fest. I will be in Rockville at the Pancake Breakfast. If Nate (Youngest son – 29) isn’t working he will OPEN up the mill. We usually do very well here cause a lot of folks are running out of our products.
Posted By The Miller on February 1, 2010
When I first built the big gate … I bought a 2 ton hoist to operate it. The gate only weighs around 550 #s. However, when the head race is full of water there is a lot of hydraulic pressure on the gate. So, I used the big hoist and an old metal axle I found in the mill. I built the frame with 2 X 8 in. oak and drilled holes for the iron bar to slide into. As you can see in the photo the iron bar (solid) bent. It also cracked the oak frame slightly. Jay Scrivhor designed and built the new piece in the photo. When it warmes up I will install it. It should support the oak and not bend like the metal bar did.
Thanks Jay
Mike Roe
Posted By The Miller on December 28, 2009
The mill is closed for the winter … we still do mail order. And, we are doing a farmer’s market in Indianapolis on Saturdays. Yes, it is indoors. Today, Sunday – 27th of Dec…… We went sledding with the grand kids. On this run I told Karen I was going to get to the bottom of the hill before her. The sled turned around and she got to the bottom first ! ? ! ? !
Posted By The Miller on December 14, 2009
Here is Chris (Our oldest son) helping me with the work. I am pushing the broken concrete and rocks away from the fallen wall. I’m also trying to direct the water away from the work area.
The water came back up the next day so we had to stop. We got a little less than 1/4 of the wall broke up. I did manage to pick up 2 nails with the tractor tires. One flattened a front tire. The other one went into the knob of the rear tire so it didn’t cause a flat. I believe this makes 8 flat tires from driving in the creek.
Posted By The Miller on December 14, 2009
Here I am with the jack hammer again. Maybe I should have bought one years ago. The water in the creek went down so I diverted it away from the concrete wall I found lying in the creek and started hammering on it.