Het Hert, Putten

Het Hert or 't Hert is a windmill built in 1899 in place of the burned wooden octagon. The wooden octagon originated in the Zaanstreek but is currently located in Putten. The name refers to the municipal coat of arms applied to the mill, in which a deer appears.

The mill is a grist mill of the rack type with a stone substructure and a wooden, thatched superstructure. The mill has three scaffold doors.

There are still two pairs of grinding stones present. Both milling couples are grinding and are used according to the needs. One mill set is used for grinding for consumption and the other for cattle feed. Both couples are made of artificial stone, the one for grinding for consumption is made of flint stone. A synthetic stone has a special, hard layer on the grinding side, the grooves of which are made of a slightly softer material than the notches, so that the stone sharpens itself. The consumption torque is equipped with a regulator, which makes the grinding more even.

There used to be a third pair of grinding stones present for grinding dried oak bark into pitch.

The hood of the mill was fitted with a so-called English wheelbarrow in 1991. In the past the cap turned on iron rollers in roller wagons. The cap is seasoned with a wheelbarrow.

The mill is located on the Halvinkhuizerweg 1 in Putten and is the only surviving one of the original three.

The lazywork for luffing the sacks of grain consists of a gaff wheel, lazywheel and a lute table.

The upper axle is of cast iron. The manufacturer and age of the axle cannot be seen, as most of the axle is encased with the shims, which secure the upper wheel. The shaft is lubricated with lard and the combs on the gears with beeswax. The catch, which is used to slow down the sails, is a Flemish catch consisting of five blocks operated by a rocker stick.

The mill was restored in 1933, 1965 and 1991. During the restoration in 1933 the sails were streamlined with so-called Dekker sails. In 1965 these were replaced by breeding sails of the Fauel system with brake valves. The jibs have a 2-beam profile. In 1991 the rods and the fencing, the tail, the circumference, the wheelwork and the reed cover were replaced. The steel pot rods were then replaced with welded, steel rods. In November 2009, the windrow and stone bed were replaced. Also, the joint wood heads were reinforced with 20 mm thick, polyester bonded fiberglass reinforcement rods and cast on with epoxy resin mixed with a filler.

The mill is still used for grinding grain, such as barley, corn and wheat for consumption and animal feed.