The windpower was mainly harnessed to crush the fibres of cotton ~ or linen ~ rope ~ using a pair of rotating cylindrical stones running on a horizontal axis instead of the more usual grain-crushing vertical axis millstones. Further fibre prepation is undertaking by what Cornish engines would call 'stamps' ~ rods that rise and fall as a slowly rotating shaft lifts them and drops them down. Whereas the Cornish stamps crushed ores the one at the Schoomaster has heavy chisels to chop the fibres before they are transferred onwards to the next part of the process. To this day the final crushing is done by another Zaan-developed invention that continues the fibre separation without shortening them too much. This increases the strength of the paper. This fibre-beater is named a Hollander ~ taking the name after the province in which Zaan is situated ~ Noord Holland [127379]. Two Rivers Mill in Somerset currently uses a water wheel to drive their Hollander [110335] .
Cylinder Mould making...
The current miller and papermaker is Arie Butterman. His initials appear atop the celebration rigging of the mill ~ taken in April 2022. The mill ~ with several others ~ is in the care of a heritage preservation trust Vereniging De Zaansche Molen ~ The Society of Zaan Mills. Their mills are open to visitors at certain times ~ for a small fee. Arie's paper, from 'The Schoolmaster' ~ Zaan Bord [127374]~ is used by artists and papercrafters, and can be purchased direct from the mill or from a few other outlets in the UK.