The mill

Gl. Rye Mill was built in 1872 by the innkeeper, Jens Petersen. The Trade Act of 1852 freed up the rules and enabled everyone to set up in business as a mill owner without a licence.

The most common type of mills in the area had been watermills, not least in Ry where for centuries Rye Mølle had bestrode the river Gudenå. Now several private owners took the initiative to build smaller windmills. Even though in central Jutland the average wind speed was only about 4 m/s it was nevertheless decided that there were advantages in using the inland wind power.
 
The mill is a Dutch gallery or cap mill with a manual wind adjuster. The present 18 meter long sails were made from Douglas wood from Linå Vester Wood in 1961 and are covered with cloth. Earlier adjustable narrow vanes were used.

The windmill building is covered with larch planks that have been painted white. Earlier the mill was covered by tarred paper.The cap is the mill’s heart. It is here that the power generated by the sails/cap axle is transferred via the crown wheel to the vertical main axle (crown shaft). In the star wheel loft is a horizontal wheel about 3 metres in diameter. It is to this that the miller could attach the different grinders according to need and the wind conditions. 


The grinding mill loft is the miller’s most important work area. Originally there were two mill stones, one roller and diverse machines, including a mixing machine for chicken feed. The stone grinder was made up of two stones, the bed-stone underneath and the runner on top. The millstone had to be tooled regularly, that is to say the grooves had to be deepened. For this job the miller had a special pick hammer. The mill was braked by a single metal hoop (the press) which encircled the cap wheel and was driven by the revolution. 

The miller spent a lot of time regulating the sails on the mill, according to the amount of wind and if the wind changed direction turning the sails into the wind. It is said that the miller had a nose for where the wind came from and when it would suddenly shift direction because one had to be quick to change the direction or things could go terribly wrong. If the sails stood in a "reverse" wind position then they could not be braked by the press and a dangerous situation occurred. The grinder and other equipment could be damaged and in an extreme situation the sails could be blown off or the friction caused by the high speed could set the mill on fire. 

The miller in Gl.Rye apparently did not think that it was worthwhile introducing an automatic regulation or wind keeping. Most likely this was because it would have too expensive in relation to the cost benefits.

At the beginning of the 20th Century many windmills acquired diesel or petroleum motors so that they could operate on wind-still days. Gl.Rye Mill acquired a diesel motor from Møller & Jocumsen in Horsens.

The miller’s wage for grinding corn was his main income. To measure his part he used a custom’s cup which contained an 18th part of a "skæppe" (skæppe = 17.39 litres corn measurement). In reality it was a copper jug with a handle.

As more foodstuff cooperatives were formed so the basis for the miller’s income was reduced. The miller in Gl.Rye became a foodstuff distributor and his income was supplemented by sawing up wood and firewood in the mill’s sawmill.
 
Details about the mill

1872  The mill was built by the innkeeper, Jens Petersen. The price was about 7,000 Danish crowns. A year later Jens Jensen leased the mill.

1896  Jens Jørgensen leased the mill and operated it until 1940.
 
1903  Jens Jørgensen bought Rye Mølle.

1922 A petroleum motor was acquired to supplement wind power.

1924 A sawmill was built on the east side of the mill and it was powered by the motor.

1927  Thorvald Jensen was employed as journeyman. He was 19 years old.

1931 A new diesel motor was acquired. A 20 h.p. "MIAS" motor. Later a DC motor was installed but it was very expensive in usage, costing about 50 øre per. Kilowatt.

1931 A corn store with a stable for customers’ horses was built on the south side of the building.

1940 Jens Jørgensen died from injuries caused by a runaway horse.

1940 Thorvald Jensen leased the mill and later in 1948 he bought it from Jens Jørgensen’s heirs.

1949 The mill was struck by lightening, damaging the sails and the vertical main axel. From then on it ceased to function as a windmill.

1952  An old barrack building from Gl.Rye airport was moved to the mill and used as a corn store.

1961 The mill got new sails and was painted white so that it looks like the mill in Dybbøl. 

1965  A new building containing corn silos and a drying room was built.

1980 The business was sold to P. P. Hedegaard and the buildings were rented out.
1982 P. P. Hedegaard was bought by Superfos and the business at Gl.Rye Mill closed in 1984.

1989 The Gl.Rye Mill Society was founded and it acquired the mill in 1990.

1990 The last miller, Thorvald Jensen, died on the 21st July.

1994 The main axle was replaced in the autumn for a price of 25,000 Danish Crowns.

1995 New sails were sewn, price 14,000 Danish Crowns.

1995 Sunday, the 18th June the mill started turning using wind power for the first time in 46 years.


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