Tilting At Windmills; With or without the smock...

[THE DC]

OPTIONAL!

Off Instructions work:




These steps are enhancements not suggested by the kit. With a knife I cut out the windows and doors in both the cellar and body. This is a bit tricky, as the frames to the windows are thin.





I tossed the back colored window pieces, carefully not cutting out the light blue frame pieces. I also cut out the doors at both the cellar angry and the base of the upper body, but retained the doors.

I put the doors back in the places where they were drawn, but I braced them to encourage a slight indentation where the doors fit the frames. Its a very slight detail, but I think it gives the illusion that the door is operational.





Its a small detail, hard to depict in a photo but the door indentation looks good in real life.





Next we'll talk windows...

 

[THE DC]

OPTIONAL!

Off Instructions work:


The windows were provided by cutting the thin plastic packaging from a Harbor freight magnetic tool dish.


It's a small detail but I like the clear windows, which reflect the light, even if the dark interior doesn't permit seeing through.




The trick is keeping the frame pieces cut properly so that they lay over the glass. When gluing, avoid too much glue to keep from clouding the windows. Brace the plastic to hold it into frame, from inside.




The combination of braced doors and windows dress up the body and cellar and the door in the cellar has such small windows it really presses the look.

 

[THE DC]

OPTIONAL!

Off Instructions work:


I tried adding further enhanced texture by cutting out slate of the siding and gluing them over the outside of the body, but I abandoned the effort. The look wasn't convincing, largely due to the siding being hand drawn. I even tried siding over it, disregarding the siding that was sketched, but I just didn't like the amount of time required, given the result of the look. I have chosen to not invest in the effort, though it could be considered with standard white paper.


I even experimented with blistering the cellar sides to accomplish stone texture, but this was not attractive, even though very time consuming. In the end, I had chosen to accept the exterior as it was drawn, though I would expect a re-color of it would provide a stronger look.

 

[zathros]

I was hoping you would take the steps you took. It really adds so much depth to the model.

 

[THE DC]

Thanks.

I tried the siding several ways; laminating, overlaying, and inverse blistering, but honestly, it didn't look better. A different kit, not hand drawn, might have reflected better through these papering efforts.

 

[THE DC]

The directional sail portion...


Directional sails were important parts of smock mill operation. These smaller wind-catching guide sail directed the heads of the windmills so that they spun about upon a base, locating the large sail veins to turn into the most effective wind-catching direction. Windmills operated similarly to sailing vessels, in this aspect, to maximize their efficiency.

The parts of the guide-sail are separated from the pages, along with the structure supporting the directional sail.

 

[THE DC]

Optional step!





The guide sail can be detailed by cutting slits and piecing them into an angular shape.


Meanwhile, the supporting struts can be detailed by careful cutting out of the white space of the framework.

 

[THE DC]

OPTIONAL STEP --- Enhancing the frame...


A mirrored piece of the frame can then be added to reinforce the arm and cut carefully to maximize detail.


Once the extra piece is added to the frame; it looks better and is stronger.

 

[THE DC]

Now for the sail bracing...

The four sails, or veins, are joined together by a wheel brace.




A pulley is available to add detail to the kit...

 

[THE DC]

Optional steps...



Several copies of the wheel base were made.





The square center was replicated to add a laminated layer to add texture to the center.





A mirrored piece was also similarly arranged to ado the back part so that the part can be seen from both sides.



The wheel pulleys were also duplicated and laminated so that two layers were added to the front and three to the back to add depth to the piece. This added to the depth of texture and increases spacing between the wheel and the roof.

 

[zathros]

You're (and everyone else) going to have trouble uploading for a while. Just to let you know.

 

[THE DC]

The windmill head
The next part to build is the windmill head. On a smock mill, this was a rather advanced part, making there most of wind displacement. The head of a smock mill was positioned atop a series of tracks and gears that allowed the head to turn. The small positioning sail would be struck by the wind, and with these smaller wind catchers placed at an angle to the head, they helped turn the head into a position to maximize wind impact upon the larger sail blades (or veins).

The head was generally not manned, unlike the rest of the structure. It was possible to access the head to repair or lubricate the gearing, but it was not even used for storage. The tracks took up the floor area and the gearing for the sail attachments to the main shaft that fell to the grinding wheel, several stories below the head.

This windmill was fairly moderate in size for a smock mill; about four stories, plus the head. There was a stone base as well, often much of the foundation structures were underground, especially on Long Island. This model isn't typical of Long Island mills, and is a bit thinner and taller.

The parts of the head should be cut from the sheets and assembled. The section simply folds into a curved roof, over the spade shaped sides.

 

[THE DC]

OPTIONAL STEP --- Enhancing the facing of the windmill head...






To increase the look of the mill I cut out the white-space on the lightning rod on the mill. The effect improves the dimensionality of the model and only requires a little Exacto knife work. I then mirrored the piece and cut out its mate, gluing it to the back of the main part, providing an improved look from both sides. Its a small bit but I think helps the kit's appearance quite a bit for the little effort taken.





Cut out the rectangles on the side of the steeple, as this will permit your joining the smaller sail framing later.





To increase the look of the mill I cut out the white-space on the lightning rod on the mill. The effect improves the dimensionality of the model and only requires a little Exacto knife work. I then mirrored the piece and cut out its mate, gluing it to the back of the main part, providing an improved look from both sides. Its a small bit but I think helps the kit's appearance quite a bit for the little effort taken.




Cut out the rectangles on the side of the steeple, as this will permit your joining the smaller sail framing later.

The other aspect of the kit is that the roof folds over, making the one side look a bit off. The shingle on the folded side will just fold under the frame, losing detail. To compensate, I recommend printing another copy, on normal printer paper, then folding the veneer over the old roof and gluing it to the top, over the original printing. This will allow for your roof shingles to hang over on both sides now. Don't forget to touch up under the shingles with marker to make the effect thorough.




The other aspect of the kit is that the roof folds over, making the one side look a bit off. The shingle on the folded side will just fold under the frame, losing detail. To compensate, I recommend printing another copy, on normal printer paper, then folding the veneer over the old roof and gluing it to the top, over the original printing. This will allow for your roof shingles to hang over on both sides now. Don't forget to touch up under the shingles with marker to make the effect thorough.

 

[THE DC]

OPTIONAL STEP --- Giving the model movement...


The windmill sails should be glued to the wheel frame, all facing in the same direction, with sail down. A duplicate sail-frame should be applied to the back of the sails. The front of the wheel should have two, layered pulley shapes attached to give texture to the front go the sail wheel.




A single rolled sheet of paper, or thing wooden rod, should be glued to the pack of three pulley-shapes, which should then be glued to the back of the sail wheel.



At the same time, a rod should be extended into the head and glued to a frame piece at the base of the head, with another structural piece on the other side. I used an old straw for my rod.



The blades can spin on the rod on the head and the large rod extending out of the base of the head can permit the entire upper story with the blades; the head, to rotate now.

 

[THE DC]

If you're building as the plans provided, just assemble the cellar to the body and glue the head atop the cellar-body complex.

 

[THE DC]

OPTIONAL STEP --- Detailed body assembly...



If you've been following the optional steps, the top of the body needs to be punctured in the center to permit the main shaft to embed into the body and into a lower frame you need to cut and glue into the bottom with thicker cardboard.







The rod, which is glued to the head, should slide down into the punctures you've made at the upper body ceiling and the lower frame hole, allowing the straw to spin. This will allow you to turn the head about the body, while the sails can spin on the head rod. You now have smock mill movement!

 

[zathros]

You have really made this "your" model, with all the enhancements. Excellent job!

 

[THE DC]

Thanks much.

I'll try posting some "done pics" and final thoughts soon.

Hope it will help anyone else thinking about trying it!

 

[Cybergrinder]

Amazing @THE DC , this just shows what can be done with a few extra parts & creativity!

 

[THE DC]

Amazing @THE DC , this just shows what can be done with a few extra parts & creativity!

Thanks!