Miller’s tools

Conveyor bucket

Artefact, undated

The bucket conveyor brought the grist up to the sieve in the bolter.

Cog

Everyday object

The vibrating mill machinery caused tremendous wear and tear, and wooden parts like this were used in some gears. Wooden teeth were much easier to repair than metal ones.

Miller's paddle

Artefact, undated

The miller used this tool as an extension of his hand, to mix the grist and bag the flour.

Pick

Artefact, undated
89-3018, Musée de la civilisation

A little hammer like this was used to renew the grooves in the millstones. Today, power tools do the job more efficiently.

Bushel

Artefact, undated

Flour was previously measured in bushels.

Staff

Reproduction

Before dressing the millstones, the parts that had become too smooth over time had to be identified. Red iron oxide was applied to a staff like this and it would then be slid across the surface of the millstone to mark the parts to be renewed.

Miller's steps

Artefact, undated

A miller’s work is very physical – it takes a lot of strength to hoist all those bags of grain! Alfred Michel, we are told, was not a big man, and depended on these steps to help him empty the bags into the hopper. You can see that they were well used!