MYSTERY OBJECTS

[chinatyke]

The cage looks to have a lifting beam inside it. Are they going to install that on top of the vertical column? Then it could form part of a platform for a roundhouse that could be rotated. Just waffling on as usual.

[Big Kev]

Your waffling makes sense.

[Stanley]

It does, better then a beacon.

[chinatyke]

Your waffling makes sense.

Then, continuing along those lines: some windmills were round i.e.. the whole mill building turned to keep the sails into the wind. Were they all like this?

[Stanley]

China is right and is even more plausible. The 'cage' is the basic framework of the mill that will be built around it. They were called Post Mills for obvious reasons.

[Tizer]

China and Stanley are right, it's the cage of a post mill being craned into position. Any idea where and why it's being done?

[Stanley]

No.

[Tizer]

This doesn't seem to be attracting any more posts so I'll end it. It's the body, or `buck', of Danzey Green post mill being lifted into position at the Avoncroft Museum of Buildings near Bromsgrove. It came from Tamworth-in-Arden. Avoncroft and more here: LINK

[Stanley]

Nice post mill.....

[Stanley]

What is it?

[Tizer]

Are the yellow blocks fire bricks?

[Stanley]

No Peter, they are a hard local rock. Is it Chert?
We've had this before so China will be going into overdrive. It's my image so I doubt if Google will help.

[chinatyke]

No Peter, they are a hard local rock. Is it Chert?
We've had this before so China will be going into overdrive. It's my image so I doubt if Google will help.

I think I remember so I'll keep quiet.

[Stanley]

I thought you might remember China. From the look of it you might have to come clean, nobody else is trying....

[Bodger]

Donkey Stones ?

[Stanley]

No Bodge, a bit more heavy duty than that. Clue, the 'paddle' was driven by a steam engine.

[Gloria]

Is it for deburring metal components?

[Stanley]

No Gloria, much more aggressive than that. Imagine what that loose block of stone is doing (and they were usually much bigger than that.) when the paddles are turning.

[Gloria]

Grinding something, or pummelling wool to make a felt?

[Tizer]

Following on from Gloria's suggestion of grinding - is it grinding a softer rock?

[Stanley]

Good, you're both getting there. Grinding something softer than the rocks in the pan.
The key is what it's grinding and in this case it's not rock however, it could be, but not softer rock, again it's more complicated than that. Sorry, I know that's confusing.....

[Gloria]

Corn? Turnips?

[chinatyke]

You've got me scratching my head. This is what I thought:

► Show Spoiler

grinding bone for bone china.

[Gloria]

Ooo that’s a good one chinatyke, methinks you may be right.

[Stanley]

I told you he'd remember it. Well done China, dead right. Shirley's Bone Mill at Etruria. (LINK)
The bit about the flints.... they ground them as well and of course the flint is harder than the stones in the pans but they calcined them first in a furnace like the bones. Ground with water until fine the end product was a slurry that could be piped and pumped to wherever it was needed.



The base of the calcining furnace at the mill.
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