Vane Dempster 

Windmillers as a rule do not like Dempster mills. First of all, the Dempsters last too long, and secondly, when they do wear out they are a bear to work on. Years ago we had a 6-foot Dempster over on Aunt Pearl’s place. Worn out past repairing, the little mill had to be replaced, and its old pipe tower, with daylight showing through rust-outs, had to come down as well.

I could not bear to get rid of the used-up mill parts, and the tower legs had too fine a rust texture and cattle-rubbed patina to just discard in the scrap pile. The Vane Dempster cabinet gives the mill a second life. Sections of a tower leg become cabinet legs. Windmill sails, chopped in half and combined with orange tin from a 55-gallon barrel, now clad the cabinet sides.

Green door and window trim salvaged from a homestead porch now frame out the Dempster No. 12 vane sheet cabinet doors. Wellcheck brass spools have become door pulls.