Flat Branch Cottages

The main house can rarely be viewed from this angle without a water wheel in the way, so we'll take advantage of the ongoing water wheel restoration to show this photo!

This week's work included securing the buckets to the curved sides, sealing the joints with silicone, aligning the wheel, drilling the holes for the metal parts, and performing a preliminary assembly to check fit. The wheel will need to be disassembled and transported to Flat Branch for final assembly.

Rose of Sharon is one of our favorite summer blooms at . We hope everyone has a safe and fun Fourth of July weekend!

The latest work on the water wheel rebuild includes cutting the curved sides, applying water sealer to the wood, and cleaning all stainless steel and powder-coated hardware (spokes, axle, and rim) from the previous restoration. Thankfully, all of the metal hardware is in good shape and can be reused.

Water wheel restoration work this week included acquiring stainless-steel tie plates from a local machine shop, assembling the buckets using waterproof glue and stainless steel screws, adding a silicone bead to the inside joint and extending the blades slightly beyond the end of the backs to improve watertightness, and sanding the edges of the assembled buckets. Don't worry, we'll have the restored wheel back at soon!