I Built a Medieval Watermill to Power My Tools

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I built a working waterwheel in my backyard from scratch, allowing me to harness the natural power of nature to work for me.
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How to Make Everything
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Created and Hosted by Andy George
Primary Editing by Emerson Rice
Music by Taylor Lewin: taylorlewin.com/htme

[@noalb1]

I appreciate the commitment of Andy in showing the dangers that came with early self-moving industrial equipment. Really going the extra mile there.

[@ObservingProcrastinator]

It was foretold all the way back when he fell into the cherry pond.

[@Mark-dc1su]

First industrial accident is practically a major milestone.

[@liammadden7572]

@@Mark-dc1sufirst robo kill

[@greengreen110]

@@Mark-dc1su up next: worker's rights and safety regulations

[@waylontmccann]

"Comit to the bit"

[@zzzires5045]

Don't forget to seal and use lard as grease. As for your output shaft it needs to be a more solid square or hex wooden shaft

[@hermitoldguy6312]

That's what I was thinking - and it should go through the water-wheel, too.

[@morgan0]

yea i was gonna suggest making the shaft a much wider diameter to reduce the torque on it and be better at connecting to other stuff

[@logan52963]

Why?

[@cjohnsonwow]

For safety reasons I think adding tennis balls to the ends of that metal rod might be an acceptable addition even if it doesn't exactly fit the era you are currently in, but I think your face and eye doctor would really appreciate it.

[@emoAnarchist]

pool noodles

[@thexalon]

Even cork, which would be more available, might be a useful move.

[@hades392able]

he should also be wearing proper ppe, osha will be knocking at his door after seeing this video

[@mauritzverster3435]

Next invention OSHA😂😂😂

[@austinbowles]

some leather around would work nicely

[@BillySugger1965]

That wheel must be your best and most precisely made creation yet. Awesome Andy! 🤗

[@Cameron-ls3qt]

Probably cause he used every modern luxury he could get...

[@Slaeowulf]

You used the luxury of balls in your mouth. And you loved it.

[@XplosivCookie]

@@Cameron-ls3qt You have to make some compromises, he's just proving concepts and then once a step is achieved by doing it from scratch a few times, it makes sense to consider it unlocked and move the series along. Show would never advance otherwise.

[@peterfireflylund]

Not a hard bar to clear, though ;)

[@brendolbreadwar2671]

@@Cameron-ls3qtand.

[@IPostSwords]

I love water wheels. I want to see waterwheel powered trip hammers and bellows powering a crucible steel production plant.

[@England91]

Not just steel, iron in general would be ideal

[@comfortablegrey]

Probably Andy's greatest construction to date. Bonus footage demonstrating how important it is to plan your crafting for movement outside of the workshop.

[@KerboOnYT]

Projects like this really put into perspective the sheer amount of effort it used to take to build anything. Nice job!

[@Rosiepedia]

Congratulations on unlocking automation! This feels like such a major milestone. So excited to see what this step allows for the next phase of rebuilding civilisation

[@Sentinel851]

technically automation comes when he has a repeatable action on the output, not just a sustained shaft speed. but still, kudos.

[@Polarcete]

Andy's carpentry skills have improved a lot over the years, keep up the great work!

[@theYeti1000]

I think that what you're really learning with the saw rig is that consistency and accuracy are key in better crafting. Nice work on the wheel.

[@ZirconGames]

I can definetly see the improvement on your wood working skills over the years! (Been here since the clear glass/lens series i think?)

[@supjay3945]

I agree

[@oofshapedhuman4974]

Just thinking that! He’s doing great

[@CaptainEdMercer]

It would be cool to see a compilation video from the earliest technology you have created all the way to the current technology you are on now. Its been so many years and it would be cool to see how far you've come in a visual format.

[@crusherbmx]

The way you made that hub fit into that water wheel frame was extremely satisfying, GOOD WORK!

[@shorttimer874]

When I was a kid the dad of a friend had a metal shop powered by a single electric motor mounted near the ceiling. A rod ran across the room up near the ceiling, there were several drums on the rod, and straps, leather I think, ran down to each machine to be powered. There must have been some way of clutching/declutching each machine, but I do not remember how it was done.

[@shorttimer874]

If you do try this, broken belts whip with quite a bit of force, so when using handmade belts I would build a protective cage around them, leaving some way to replace the belts of course.

[@mbainrot]

usually they had the wheels "slip" on the belts, and have a tensoner on a lever to engage the ""clutch"" (tbh slipping belts were the first clutches)

[@produde33]

Wow, that was quite a sight! Watching him roll that massive water wheel through the doorway was both fascinating and nerve-wracking. The sense of scale was totally thrown off, and I couldn't help but hold my breath every time it approached the entrance. It really highlighted how challenging it must have been for him to transport such a colossal creation from his garage to the outside. Great video!

[@luke5381]

Insane that you’ve made such a range of tools and equipment on your own, from scratch, using things you’ve made previously! I do think you should hire more people, specialised in different crafts, just to speed up the process and get out more videos with improved quality too!

[@swag31556]

I think half the intrigue of this channel is that someone who has no idea what they are doing (in a trades sense) tries to make these things

[@netts2315]

I mean he does use modern made lumber and planks bought from a store for this project but you can't blame him, really. These videos would probably be once in a year if he only cut down trees and processed them using the methods he has available.

[@nateb1685]

@@netts2315 i think where i'm at is he's already proven the ability to make those things and so in my mind, no problem for me if buys them and it means i get more content :)

[@netts2315]

@@nateb1685 He definitely has proven he can make them, though of lower quality, obviously because of the tools he has available, and as I said, videos would be far in-between if he had to make everything by himself. I too think it's better this way.

[@Eagle3302PL]

@@netts2315 Any technology he tries once to any success has to be assumed to have had decades of refinement in the next episode. Otherwise he'd spend his entire lifetime perfecting blacksmithing like many smiths did back then.

[@gabrymoret1475]

Super happy to see you finally managed to reach this milestone, you've been keeping it as an objective for a long while and i'm stoked to finally see you realize it

[@-dystopic-]

Your projects just keep getting better & better, as do your building skills! Thanks for bringing us along for the ride!

[@2DevilliveD]

10:51 You're a wizard Andy!

[@KainYusanagi]

Andy, this is what apprentices are for: They work the foot pedal, while the master cuts the piece. :P Seriously though, really nice work. Hope that leg cut heals nicely! EDIT: Spoke too soon... Hope ALL those cuts heal nicely, Mr. Andy Potter. x3

[@Milites98]

This is amazing! Very clear how much time and effort went into the planning and execution of this build! Hands down my favorite project to date

[@allieandevanfriesen]

You're officially a wizard now with those scars. Don't rush yourself. If you break up a project into multiple videos it might be easier on your end.

[@fredkennedy8435]

So much love to you and your channel! Nice to see you back in the swing of things! Saw that fire extinguisher on the side of the workshop!

[@jacksonc8243]

That's amazing you're able to line those cuts up so well with the tools available! Please add safety covers to your industrial saws!

[@shadowstorm657]

The precision of the wheel is absolutely insane. Amazing job.

[@angelwhispers2060]

Windmill was very good for grinding grain. You're going to want to study the Dutch windmills that you can literally turn with one person. These are mostly for grinding grain. And you have to remember that dealing with the Daily Grind Milling a family's ration of flour for the day was literally the bulk of somebody's (usually a wife or daughter) workday for most of human history so don't lose sight of that and you need to remember to keep that taken care of as you go forward

[@ermakers1297]

A lot of the Dutch windmills were water pumps since the farmland was below sea level. The pumps helped keep the land dry.

[@Chaoticgarden]

I have waited so long for this video!

[@faramund9865]

Cool. As you may know, watermills and windmills were super common in the Netherlands, as we have lots of both. Common uses of watermills here were, making copper plates and making paper.

[@somethingstupid699]

This is a huge leap in productivity, I can't wait to see what you make next!

[@Icephoenix84]

I've been waiting for this one! So excited to see what is next. Congratulations!

[@mtbrocket]

This project is a true demonstration of endurance. Great video. 😊

[@TAWithiam]

For running the saw make the crank pull down on a rope tied to one end of a seesaw lever mounted above your saw and water wheel, and tie the saw to the other end of the lever. Add weight to the saw as necessary.

[@conchyboii]

very proud of you and what you've been accomplishing! Great job Sir Andy

[@jeffsnell4254]

It has been really cool watching your building skills grow over the course of this series. This is def your best built project yet and I'm excited to see what follows as a result!

[@Sarah-Rae]

So much respect for the crazy amount of work you put into the projects and the channel! I've been following your work from the first sandwich you made. I'm so glad you kept going! Thank you!

[@jeffbrown4382]

This is such a great channel. History, engineering, and the struggle of human growth. Thank you for sharing this journey.

[@bodaciouschad]

No rush, be careful! You'll be working with ramshackle powered tools soon- there is a serious risk of losing fingers if you aren't extremely careful!

[@therealestatewhisperer4806]

The pedal sawing is absolutely amazing. Nice work.

[@ryangunnison38]

This is awesome! I know not literally everything is hand produced, but seeing this get made by tools and materials you've taken a crack at generating before is fantastic! You really get the feeling of accumulative effort

[@bretlemieux2489]

I love this series. Andy you are a real trooper sharing where you get hurt. That takes real courage.

[@Svafne]

Cool, looking forward to see the future of the waterwheel!

[@OfficialBiggBenn]

Absolutely amazing. How far you've come!

[@lancearmada]

Grats dood! You are an inspiration for all your hard work!

[@mikerobinson3837]

Amazing to finally see you make it to this point. Been years in the making!!! Congrats

[@harmonicresonanceproject]

Where I live here in South Wales you will often come across a hulking old watermill wheel, or a space where one used to be. Love this channel, very inspiring!

[@crediblepython7339]

It is finally here! The moment we have been waiting for, the next big step! It is the most precise creation yet!

[@twoplustwo5]

i've been watching your channel for years, and i must say i love it, you guys make youtube a better place

[@thedoubleboiler6971]

Great job! To connect to tools, yes, making gears will work. A circle with a bunch of spokes in the sides will make a gear, and the half gear rig is a great adoption as well.

[@sparkythawelder]

I wonder if you could add a sort of sled fixture that could slide horizontally toward the blade but restrict vertical movement of the work piece. It seems you are losing a lot of cutting motion when the workpieces are pulled upward by the blade of the spring saw.

[@AristonSparta]

The aesthetics of your water wheel are on point! Your extra effort is going to be worth it, and it’s very impressive.

[@nate8930]

Probably one of the best things you've made yet! very smooth.

[@Rowlesisgay]

havent been following super long, onl;y a year or so, but already proud of how far youve come

[@jackwriter1908]

I am truly impressed! And I can't wait to see what you will do next.

[@leonardo_fratila]

THIS IS INCREDIBLE.I can't belive it,the work that you put in this is just on another level.Keep this up❤❤💪😎👍

[@dudule1232]

I've never been so eager to watch the continuation of a series of videos. big fan

[@Bellllllz]

If you stain your wood then seal it with tung oil it will last so much longer. Brilliant build!!!

[@KainYusanagi]

Tung oil is about as waterproofing as (non-culinary) walnut- that is, not very. If you want waterproofed lumber, go with a linseed oil. Then use a shellac like pine resin as a finishing coat, in place of something like polyurethane.

[@Bellllllz]

@KainYusanagi tung oil has been used to seal ships actually, but linseed oil is great too! Honestly even torching wood would be better then just leaving it bare.

[@KainYusanagi]

@@Bellllllz Yes, and so has walnut; that doesn't mean that they're good at it. Tung oil does dry on its own, but it takes forever to do so and doesn't provide the best waterproofing, while walnut needs heat to break the proteins from the oil and allow it to harden (but is otherwise basically the same as tung oil functionally); linseed is significantly superior in waterproofing, and even slow-drying linseed dries faster than tung oil, while providing a superior waterproofing finish. Tung and walnut are more for land-based wood items, things like teak or oak furniture and similar (in fact, several tung oil formulations that included thinners and other oils were actually named "Teak Oil") where the finish can keep curing for months, if not years, and the rest of the finishes' properties are desired far more than waterproofing.

[@revilo00]

Tar would also do the trick

[@KainYusanagi]

@@revilo00 As would creosote, yup.

[@Hati321]

It took a lot of skill and attention to detail to build that water wheel. Well done.

[@matthewpohlmann6623]

As always, your work is an inspiration Andy

[@pyromania101]

Impressive commitment! Keep the content coming!

[@RealAndySkibba]

What an incredible build!

[@doughnut1107]

Fantastic, you always go above and beyond

[@vinceraineing]

Best channel on you tube. Just humility hardwork and the most important knowledge in humanity

[@benGman69]

Damn boy! Woodworking skills are next level!

[@petterlang]

«trying to harness the power of a dog has proven to be a little more challenging than expected» is a sentence I never expected to hear

[@AJB2K3]

Nice work, its moving way smoother then I could have done.

[@stephanbecker755]

Wow 🎉 your carpentry and building skills have really improved over the past years. Awesome project

[@Anaesify]

AHHHHH SO EXCITING! What a journey it's been!

[@mredits4697]

I love the style off useing only the rescoursec you have and making beautiful creations

[@DaSarcasticNorthernman]

As a long time wood worker, my younger self is full of enthusiasm for hand crafting such things and am reliving some dreams I once had of making some of the same. My older self is saying, "Are you kidding, that would be another heart attack in the making!" I admire your determination, and have subscribed to live out my youthful desires instead of adding to my health issues.

[@blabodab]

It's been cool to see his woodworking skills improve over time. Very impressive wheel!

[@ermakers1297]

Common power transmission method was using leather belts. The wheel was used to drive a shaft and machines were hooked to that shaft via leather belts allowing individual machines to be engaged or disengaged as needed. This was particularly useful for factories and driving mass numbers of machines. The same system also worked well later on with steam driven shafts. Using a belt to connect the drive shaft to the offset handle/shaft of the saw would work well.

[@produde33]

So trippy when you were rolling it. I could never tell when the wheel was going to hit the door way 😂 it’s like the scale was off

[@KingJupiter]

I remember you talking about this more than a year ago, so glad you finally got to do it

[@cajun4christ]

Aesthetically the most pleasing thing you’ve made!!! Man that’s some beautiful engineering

[@patricks8976]

This is so amazing!!

[@GadreelAdvocat]

Nice to see the waterwheel you made. Had thought of a project that I might build one day. It involves a slow rotating waterwheel fed by a solar powered pump. I'd build the waterwheel slightly differently for my application for easy of construction.

[@congoballs9725]

Dude that's so cool you built that been waiting to see this video

[@lorrainemunoa791]

From the stone age to finally, POWER! You must just be thrilled to continue on this labor saving stuff.

[@syriuszb8611]

I think you made it quite big. Right now, with so little water and pressure it is working fine being feed from top, but if you want to increase power, feeding water in the middle with more pressure might be better. The top feeding is prone to splashing with higher power. If you would want to go in historical order, I think bottom fed water wheels are earlier invention and for sure are easier to make. They can be made literally with sticks and rope, although their power is limited and depends on speed of the water. But on the other hand, it does not require waterfall.

[@toddablett4493]

One main power shaft (geared down from the water wheel) and then belt drives to various machines...I have seen old drawings of a water-powered woodwork shop set up this way. The main power shaft was run just over head down the length of the building. But that said, loved the video and what a great journey you keep taking us on...and the mishaps, only a flesh wound...

[@mehere8038]

7:14 I kinda love that you're sawing all your own timber.... except you left the store tag on the timber, showing you bought it already cut into prepared lengths. The blue industrial dye on the end of the piece later in the video too lol

[@mrpants8976]

wooden gears seem like a good step for a smooth transition from the water wheel to the devices you want to power with the possibility of increasing or decreasing the size to convert speed for torque or visa versa

[@skytek7081]

An in-between mode, for places without a strong water source for example, would be a windmill as a water pump to send water up into a tower or into a manmade storage pond, then letting the water down through a waterwheel or turbine and back into a lower reservoir to be repumped. This keeps you from being dependent on the vagaries of wind through the working day and allows you to bank away that power to use continuously later.

[@shadowsandfire]

Nice start, id double the amount of catch buckets on the wheel and when setting up your hydro you'll need to gear it down possibly twice or 3 times over to get the speed needed to turn a generator/ alternator depending how you intend to setup

[@matthbva]

This dude is going to turn his backyard into a swamp! 😂 I love your channel, brother. Your commitment is admirable!

[@oofshapedhuman4974]

Hell yeah this is awesome!!

[@Peanuts87]

Yeowch! Huge congrats on the accomplishment :)

[@mr.grizzly_builds6505]

Blood sweat ash and tears have gone into this series. Extremely impressive wonderful work.

[@SamTheBattleshipp]

Water wheels are so cool!

[@broganmaloney499]

This is super cool try using belts for some softer and more flexible options for transferring motion

[@JessWLStuart]

Absolutely awesome! :D

[@MisterChappy]

great work!

[@Zpajro]

just that scare deserves a like, since it's a really indication that you are working really hard on this.

[@coollwell_the_great]

You did a amazing job with this video

[@TheBenjomcmlxxv]

To connect it to your saw to your wheel you need something like a Scotch Yoke. It converts rotary motion into linear motion. And it's incredibly simple to build.

[@INGIE32]

Why have I never heard of this channel? This is awesome.

[@hydealmen5280]

Look into powered hacksaw’s, especially the one by hand to rescue it will solve your problem of cross cutting

[@Chaindustries]

Man, that saw really improves the quality of your work. Definitly a good project to have completed before you started on all these other big wood project.

[@brooksmiller5597]

Life goals!

[@waylontmccann]

Great work, that build came together well and looked great. Sorry about the flesh wounds, but with your new auto hammer you can make armor now. ❤