The new water wheel is built with sustainable materials and traditional craftsmanship, made of polished timber from Trøndelag – carefully prepared and stored before construction began. The work was carried out by a master builder and apprentices from Løken Bygg, and has taken eight months to complete.
The project has been made possible with generous support from Sparebankstiftelsen DNB and Statkraft .
The materials used
Before construction begins, it is important to find durable wood in a sustainable way. Løken Bygg AS and Dovre Handverksenter AS have already been out in the forest to find large trees with lots of heartwood. More than 60 trees have been selected and they will be felled with a chainsaw in winter. This minimizes interventions in nature. The trees are carefully pulled out of the forest to protect the environment.
Spruce has been chosen for the spokes in the water wheel, a wood that is ideal for this purpose. To make the wood more durable, the surface of the spokes, vangs and vanes is burned - a traditional method that protects against rot and weather.
Traditional crafts
This project is about more than just construction. It is also about sustainability. By using traditional techniques and materials that have proven to last, the project helps to preserve important knowledge and create something lasting for the future.
Apprentices in the field of construction and craftsmanship are allowed to take part in the entire process - from felling to finished construction. They learn valuable traditional techniques and gain hands-on experience with historic building methods.
When the new waterwheel is finished, it will not only be a technological memory from the past, but also a symbol of sustainability and craftsmanship that can last for many years to come.
The museum's water wheel
For The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology the water wheel became a symbol of the transition between energy and mechanical operation, and when the new museum building was completed in 1986, the wheel was given a central place at the entrance to the exhibitions. It has now stood there for almost 40 years. The wheel was in operation until about 1999. There were constant challenges with the operation of the old water wheel. The iron shaft swayed, and the wheel started to roll. This led to damage to the bridge that runs next to the wheel, caused bolts to break and the whole thing had to be stopped.
Still stand
In 2000, the Scottish company Heritage Engineering engaged to evaluate the water wheel. They recommended building a new wheel rather than repairing the old one. In 2001, the same company was commissioned to build a new water wheel and new shaft. The old one was cut up and removed. The new wheel was manufactured in Scotland and mounted at the museum in 2002. The new shaft of whole oak was to ensure that the shaft did not get swayed. The wheel was still powered by water circulated by a hidden pumping system in the culvert under the pool under the wheel.
However, even with a comprehensive maintenance plan for weekly maintenance, the joy was short -lived. There was a throw in the wheel after a short time, which caused wooden wedges between shaft and wheels to pop out and made the problems with throws even worse. The wheel was taken out of operation and stood still for 18 years.
It is part of history that the water wheels, which were used to drive differently throughout the ages, also had a short operating time due to extreme wear and tear, partly because they were driven by flowing water at an uneven speed.
The history of the water wheel
Of tone rasch
The heyday of sawmills
The water wheel is a copy of one of the carriage wheels from Sanne & Soli Brug, which was at the bottom of Glomma. The sawmill was established in 1750, and it was greatest in the 1860-70s. At that time, 22 rise saws were in operation with up to 600 employees. 32 smaller water wheels drove the saws helped by 2 large car raths. Sanne & Soli were then referred to as Northern Europe's largest sawmill, and were closed down in the 1920s. In 1931, NOK 2500 was sold for demolition.
The sawmill becomes a model
Already in the late 1920s, the collaboration between the museum, Sanne & Soli and the float associations began at the bottom of Glomma. The museum had models exhibited at the anniversary exhibition at Frogner in 1914, and these were retrieved to be exhibited at the Østfold exhibition in Sarpsborg in 1930. Sanne & Soli was then led by engineer and director Hans Th. Kiær. He worked actively on the aftermath of the technical cultural monuments around the sawmills. The museum documented the facility in the 1930s before it was demolished. Then it was partly collapsed and in very poor condition. Today, only the pillars are left.
Some of the saws and wheel systems for operation were preserved. In 1947 The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology opened a separate exhibition at Eidet near Sanne & Soli. There was the outlet for a timber floating tunnel that was built around 1910 to facilitate timber transport on the Glomma. The museum was rarely open to the public, according to a newspaper report in the newspaper Sarpen in 1964. The floaters did not have time for that. The exhibition buildings with saws and models instead served as a warehouse for The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology , probably until the museum opened at Kjelsås in 1986.
The water wheel becomes icon
The museum's architect designed a separate room for the water wheel right at the entrance to the exhibitions. The wheel was clearly visible both from the inside and the outside. The original carriage wheel, with a diameter of 8 meters, had been mounted at the exhibition at Eidet. At Kjelsås, the water wheel should go in running water and illustrate the hydropower. A copy was therefore built. The wheel went on for many years and was a hallmark of the museum. In the 2000s there have been several repairs and for long periods been out of service. We look forward to the again a central part of the museum's exhibitions.
