How can I build a small functioning water mill?
We suggest you start by visiting Yahoo!’s Water Mills category. There you’ll find the Society for the Preservation of Old Mills (SPOOM). A brief perusal of SPOOM’s online bookstore yielded several promising titles, including Leffels Construction of Mill Dams and Bookwalters Millwright & Mechanic, a 1881 classic on the subject. The site also invites users to send away for a comprehensive list of water mills in their home state. The Water Mills category also led us to the Hanford Hills Museum, one of the Catskill Mountains’ oldest watermill and woodworking shops. They’ve got plenty of information on their antique watermill, plus recommended books on drafting and construction. Armed with the basic concepts of w
