Fixed-area city apartments rarely stimulate residents to exquisite decorations. A strict set of furniture and household appliances for the most necessary needs - this is the usual interior of the Russians. The taste characteristics, the nature of the character and the level of income, as a rule, are expressed in smaller details of the situation - paintings, plants, trinkets and other trifles.
The only mass exception is the New Year tree for a month and a half with the subsequent disposal of the dried tree. The modest size of the premises does not allow anything else.
Rural plot
The situation is different in rural areas. The rural infield is a different picture for the total area. Even the Soviet "summer cottages" (6 hundred parts) represent a sufficient size for the imagination of the owners, and the sections of the post-Soviet time, formed without special state control, could be significant.
It only remained to pay attention to the owners of the plots. And, given that Russia is filled with nuggets and skilled craftsmen, it is not difficult to understand how serious the subjects of such unique crafts and structures are for these people. Now there is a place, money, materials. The state is indifferent to various structures on a private site, so long as they do not affect some taboos (ecology, fire safety, ethics, the rights of owners of neighboring sites, etc.). A wooden windmill has become one of such popular buildings. Why?
Decorative mill
Decorative mills on a rural landscape are not of practical importance. Such structures are reduced copies of their prototypes. Their main role is to symbolize beauty. For many modern people, the mill on the site is very stylish. This is a natural harmony inspired by associative natural images. And although a large modern mill these days can still be used as a kind of energy generator, in most cases, nevertheless, it is created as a beautiful place on the site - whether it's just a tree decoration or a small house for the younger generation in the playground. Based on this, it is necessary to begin construction, starting with building material and tools. But how to make a mill with your own hands?
Preparatory stage. Materials for construction
Stylish and eco-friendly decoration - this is a DIY mill for the garden. Step-by-step instructions begin with a search for material. The material can be chosen according to the taste of the owner. It does not have to be especially strong - the scale of construction does not require this. Rather, it is about aesthetic interests. Whether the building will be made of natural (from ordinary wood and plywood) or artificial materials, from beautiful plastic or durable metal - depends only on the decision of the owner. It is best to stop at the most popular option - a wooden mill. Therefore, it is necessary to find a bar for walls, boards for floor and ceiling, plywood, polyethylene and roofing material for decoration and roof. For processing, wood varnish is suitable. For a possible foundation, bricks and stones are needed. For all needs, cement, gravel and other materials will be needed to the taste of the builders.
Instruments
How to make a do-it-yourself mill for the garden? Step-by-step instructions must be stopped on the characterization of suitable tools. For the average Russian, a good artisan, but not a professional, the tools should be quite simple, but solid. To prepare the foundation, at least a bayonet shovel is needed, for wood processing - axes, a planer, a drill, a small hand saw in wood, a hammer. Painting will require a brush, bucket, grinder.
Of course, this is only a primitive basic level. If you are skilled in carpentry, you will need other, more professional tools.
Place to build
The site for a decorative mill for the garden must be picked up even. The building should not be warped so that it does not look like the hut of Baba Yaga. Of course, such a structure will be colorful, but with a somewhat negative connotation.
When choosing a site, pay attention to the elevation, even a small one. Indeed, despite the fact that a decorative, theoretically not working, wooden mill is being built, this does not mean at all that its blades will not rotate. Therefore, a place for construction must be planned away from other houses, shrubs and trees.
The selected area must be cleaned of debris, branches, tall grass. We must proceed from the fact that for construction it will take several cleared square meters of land so that no obstacles interfere with the creation of the building.
Foundation of the building
Needs it (at least decorative) a do-it-yourself mill for the garden. Step-by-step instructions offer two basic options. The first option, more complex, laborious and expensive, is to build a powerful strong foundation. First, you need to dig a pit, create a brick base in it, fill the earth pit with filler and concrete. A brick is usually planted on a brick. Such a building will be strong and durable.
However, if you really build only a decorative mill, that is, a light and not necessarily solid building, for simplicity and speed of construction, the lower beam can simply be put on the ground. Of course, a tree, subject to all the hardships of the elements of nature, will begin to rot quickly, but it will survive for several years. And if the building becomes really expensive for you, the base of the mill can be treated with a special liquid. You can use glue for wood. Which is better to choose? What to choose? Any glue for wood that is found on the farm is suitable.
Frame
The next moment. Since the wooden mill will be quite simple in design, it is advisable to simultaneously lay its frame. To do this, take into account the scale of the product, install the most massive beam. If there is a pine among the prepared stack of logs, it is best to use it. Pine is not so afraid of water.
We proceed to the installation of the frame from a reliable wooden beam. Actually, we have two crowns: the lower one is the base of the body; and the upper, lighter and reduced size - the basis of the roof. The ideal ratio of the scale of the lower and upper rims is 1: 1.5, that is, the lower rim is one and a half times higher than the upper. Such dimensions are needed to create a trapezoid - a classic form of a medieval windmill.
Both frames need to be connected with strong vertical boards, playing the role of racks. Boards must be led at a specific, well-defined angle, depending on the length of the racks. They will abut against the lower frame. To strengthen, you can use nails or glue for wood. Which is better? Mixtures based on conventional PVA, for example, Titebond II, are well suited. But it’s cheaper to stay on the Moment-Stolyar glue.
The other end must be combined with the upper frame. The boards should also be reinforced with poles or a thick timber. Thus, the frame of a decorative mill will be made.
Wood cladding
Before sheathing, check the appearance of the mill. The drawing will quickly help determine the holes for the future window (one or two) and the door (large sizes). Immediately it is worth seeing how the roof and blades will look in full size. In those areas where openings will be created, reinforcement of the frame is provided. To install the blades of the mill, reinforced boards / poles or a wooden beam are needed.
Sheathing is carried out using a lighter board (you can take “thirty” or “forty”) and pieces of cooked plywood. In this way, the inner part of the mill under construction will be quite well sealed, and the outer skin will be more beautiful. The boards are fixed with nails, and plywood can be used in the upper half. In addition, the area where the mill blades will be attached.
Exterior and interior cladding and decorative wood trim - an important stage of construction. During it, you can perfectly fit the new building into the landscape of the site.
Roof
Next, you need the roof of the mill with your own hands for the garden. A step-by-step instruction defines it as an important part of any building. As important in practical terms as the foundation. It is she who protects the entire mill from the influence of rain and snow and, ultimately, from destruction. The decorative plan is also important - the general view of the structure depends on the appearance. The roof can complete the general view of a beautiful building, or it can destroy a good design.
For a decorative mill, it can be gable with original elements, classic Old Russian or simple even with a slight smooth slope. In this case, it will be easier to drain water. Since the appearance of a refined exterior for a decorative mill is of serious importance, it is necessary to spend significantly more time, but find the option that is most suitable for this building, taking into account its functionality.
The simplest version of the frame for such a structure will be a light crate, squared wooden logs, long thick slats, a high-quality ruberoid stretched, and a plywood sheet on top. Another form of the roof, stretching upwards, is also possible. As soon as the roof is built, an almost finished wooden building will appear in front of the builders, requiring minor cosmetic modifications.
Wind mill blades
In fact, they are not part of the structure itself. But it is precisely the blades that become the essential part that turns a standard building with incomprehensible functions into a mill. Thinking about the shape and size of their design is not necessary. But, if there is a desire that the decorative mill had working blades, then simply putting together a structure from light boards and hanging on the front side of the building will not be enough. It is necessary to calculate such important features as the scale and width of the blades, their specific gravity and approximate inclination from the axis of the mill. These working parameters will determine how the blades meet the wind and at what speed to spin. Spinning blades will give the mill the final look of a working structure and will cause many interesting questions for guests.
Blade Materials
Since the creation of the blades has many nuances, and any failure will lead to the disruption of the overall concept, you should separately dwell on the process of working on them.
For the formation of the blades can be used such building materials:
- A light wooden lath with a piece of plywood - they are considered very lightweight and, at the same time, useful.
- Wooden non-thick timber and dense high-quality polyethylene film.
Both options in terms of design are almost the same, but diverge in materials. And from here a difference may arise in the appearance and working functionality.
Dimensions
The scale of the blades and their approximate weight are those parameters that must be calculated without fail. The blades are not a plane, they will not take off. And they will not spin unless they comply with a number of the following conditions:
- Individual parts of these structures should not outweigh, displacing the center of gravity. They do not need to scrape the ground, meet obstacles in their path.
- The blades should not exert much pressure on the rotating axis of the mill and affect the reliability of the entire structure. As a rule, the blades “pull” a few kilograms. Their combined weight reaches 10% of the total mass of the building. Overweight will not allow the blades to spin.
- When installing, pay attention to the connection of the blades with the axis. They must be lubricated and contribute to a smooth ride.
At the last stage of construction, it is necessary to put and strengthen the metal axis and reinforced wooden beams inside the building, then pull on the axis and securely fasten the blades. The housing at the site of installation of the working blades and the roof that joined from above must be strengthened, without taking into account the dimensions of the structure as a whole.
Decorative finish
And finally. Decorating a decorative mill for a garden is usually not very complicated. First of all, it is necessary for guaranteed protection of materials from rain, snow, temperature extremes. For protection, they often take linseed oil or varnish on wood. Existing windows and doors are subject to separate processing. In the case when the mill was planned as a room for children's games, you can keep a table with several chairs in the building. And also make the floor of wooden polished flooring, thereby providing excellent protection against adverse weather conditions. It all depends on your capabilities and desires. The decorative finish allows the ordinary wood mill to look beautiful and stylish.