Stock mill

Built: 2019 (reconstruction from the 18th century)

In the framework of the World Wood Days 2019, the so-called “Pahlmühle“ from Kalserbach (East Tyrol) has been reconstructed at the Austrian Open Air Museum – according to an old technique and with original old tools. It is the 100^th object.

Stock mills are unique objects of peasant economy and technological history. The waterwheel lies in a horizontal position on the lower side of the shaft, the so-called “stock” – which stands in a vertical position and is directly linked (without gearing mechanism) with the runner stone, the upper stone of the pair of millstones.

The storage and the whole waterwheel and runner stone can be raised with a lever mechanism. Thus the distance between the stones and thus the fineness of the flour can be adjusted. The mills, which presumably were built before the 18th century, covered the personal needs of flour of the individual farmstead.