Brief description

A mill is a mechanical device designed to crush, grind, or pulverize solid materials, mainly cereals, using motive power.

Use / Function

• Food: Transformation of grain into flour.
• Industry: Crushing minerals or pigments.
• Pressing: Extracting oils from olives or seeds.
• Pumping: Some mills are adapted to raise water.

Operating principle

It harnesses a power source (human, animal, wind, or hydraulic) to rotate a moving part (upper millstone) over a fixed part (lower millstone). The material introduced between them is crushed by friction and weight.

How to create it

1. Carving two circular stones (millstones) with grooves to facilitate product output.
2. Construction of a wooden structure to support the shaft and transmission mechanism.
3. Installation of a feeding system (hopper) for the grain.

Materials needed

• Millstones: Hard and rough stone such as granite or basalt.
• Shafts and gears: Strong wood (oak, holm oak) or metal.
• Structure: Wood for the frame and blades/wheels.

Variants and improvements

• Hand mill: Manually operated, domestic scale.
• Watermill: Uses the power of rivers (see standalone entry for details).
• Windmill: Uses wind energy.
• Electric mill: High-efficiency modern version.

Limits and risks

• Maintenance: Stones lose roughness and must be periodically “dressed” or “pecked”.
• Safety: Risk of entanglement in gears or stones.
• Dependence: Windmills or watermills depend on weather conditions.