The Windmill Design

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As the diagram shows, the mill use "sails" to turn the main axle, or "wind shaft", which was connected to main axle using wooden gears, which then turned to mill stone. Like other mills of its time, the entire wooden structure was set on top of a turntable which would be turned to face the prevailing wind -- a process called "winding the mill." The mill was turned either by hand or animal, the locked in place with wooden pegs that were hammered into holes in the mill walls.