Mijn Genoegen, Wind powered sawmill at Netherlands Open Air Museum, Arnhem, Netherlands
Mijn Genoegen is a sawmill with three sawing frames, two of which were later replaced with cast iron versions. The structure operates through a central rotating post mechanism that moves the entire building.
The mill was built around 1680 in Dordrecht under the name Het Spinnewiel. It moved to Numansdorp in 1854 and was relocated to its current museum location in 1928.
The mill demonstrates traditional wood processing methods that developed in the Netherlands over centuries. Visitors can observe how craftsmanship and mechanical solutions worked together to process timber efficiently.
The building sits in an open-air museum setting, so it now operates mainly with an electric motor for demonstrations. Visitors can walk inside and observe the mechanical details closely.
The mill can rotate itself using wooden rollers at its base to find the best wind position. This rotating capability was an ingenious solution to capture wind power most effectively.
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