Wooden Bearing-Blocks For a Windmill is a practical low-technology engineering guide describing how to build traditional wooden bearing blocks for a Crete-style sail windmill using simple tools and locally available materials. Written by John Furze and collaborators during a windmill technology workshop in Finland, the document explains how hardwood blocks can be transformed into functional shaft bearings capable of supporting rotating windmill axles. The guide emphasizes simple fabrication methods that can be performed with limited industrial resources, making the design especially useful for low-tech mechanical systems, historical windmill restoration, off-grid engineering, and sustainable rural technology projects.
The manual provides a detailed step-by-step construction process beginning with selecting suitable hardwood blocks, preferably dense hardwood species such as apple wood. The wood blocks are carefully squared, marked, drilled, and cut into matching upper and lower bearing halves. The document explains how folded newspaper strips are temporarily inserted between the bearing halves to create an adjustable clearance space during drilling and assembly. Special attention is given to accurate centerline measurements, bolt placement, and the installation of grease nipples for ongoing lubrication.
One of the most interesting sections describes how the wooden bearing blocks are treated using heated used crankcase oil. The guide explains that the blocks are submerged in hot used oil at approximately 100°C for extended periods so the oil and embedded metal particles penetrate the hardwood. According to the document, these metallic trace elements help create lubricating bearing surfaces while improving wear resistance. The guide repeatedly warns about fire hazards and stresses the importance of caution during the heating process because of the dangers associated with boiling oil.
The final sections explain how to drill the axle shaft opening using a homemade pipe-style cutting tool and how the finished bearing assembly can be adjusted over time as wear occurs. Diagrams on pages 3 and 4 illustrate the completed bearing design, showing the upper and lower hardwood sections, grease fitting location, gasket spacers, bolt holes, and the custom pipe cutting tool used to bore the shaft opening. Overall, the document serves as a simple but ingenious example of low-tech mechanical engineering and traditional windmill construction methods suitable for off-grid, homesteading, historical restoration, and sustainable technology applications.
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