Water Wheel Project Part 2

Here's some pictures of the wheel in its early stages after all the pieces were cut out and it finally ready for assembly.
I purchased the outer hubs from a guy who builds water wheels in Georgia. They arrived to me pretty rough with no holes indexed for the spokes to mount to. Fortunately I was able to use a brake lathe at work to smooth up the outer edges. Next I built a paper template with 24 holes marked out as evenly as I could around the circle. Last step was to drill the holes. This step alone represented quite a few hours of work but it was important to me to get it right.
Laurie is usually the one who stains our outdoor wood projects. She decided it would be much easier to stain the pieces of the wheel before final assembly and mounting.
Next step was to sandwich the 2 sides together while also adding the 24 paddles and 12 inner rim sections. I had imagined this being a royal pain but with Lauries help and some clamps it actually went together quite easily. On a side note there are 144 galvanized bolts and 216 stainless screws holding this thing together!
Here we are discussing the final installation. My friend Mark and his son came over and did most of the heavy lifting. They also brought a wide plank that was used to make a temporary bridge over the pond so no one had to get their feet wet.
My job here was simply to make sure the wheel was just the right distance away from the building so nothing would rub....about 1 in.
Annalie is happy to get a chance to walk on the temporary plank. Hopefully in part 3 I'll have everything all plumbed and maybe even be able to post a short video of it working. Stay tuned!

Water Wheel Project Part 1

A number of years ago Laurie and I talked about wanting to have a water wheel in our front yard not for generating electricity but simply as a water feature to enjoy. Yes there's something pleasant about the gentle sound of running water. Rather than building the wheel first and then trying to figure out where to put it we decided instead to create its final resting place then deal with the construction of the wheel. Annalie served as my cement mixer. You will also notice that in subsequent photos she is considerably older. That shows how long this project has been going on!
I threw a quick form together out of some 2x12 cedar I had laying around, dumped in a little sand and re bar, then used at least ten bags of cement. Fortunately for me I was able to access the form from the back side with a wheelbarrow which was much easier than using a five gallon bucket. We were also able to drain the pond some and pull back the liner in order to provide with a bit more room to work. I can't remember if I got my feet wet or not but I do seem to remember dropping a few tools and having to fish them out.
A friend came over and helped me build a very sturdy mount similar to a saw horse to support the axle shaft and bearings which was then bolted to our existing building. Next a small addition was framed to contain everything and to match the existing siding and metal roof. I should also mention that there are doors on both sides that will facilitate the final installation, plumbing and any ongoing maintenance that may be required.
Here's a couple of pictures showing the finished product which we will have a very good view of from our front window. Also Jason will also enjoy a front row seat from his bedroom window where he likes to sit and look out.

I took this picture just this morning on my way out the door to work. Hopefully the next time you see this it will have a water wheel on the side as well. Incidentally the water wheel is all together now and hopefully will get installed in a week or so. Stay tuned!