Water-powered sawmilling

The bichkidzhiynitsa, or struzhnyata as it is known in the Gabrovo region, is a specialised woodworking installation used to saw beams and boards. It replaces large hand saws known as krapove. It stands in a temporary shelter, with a conical vessel to one side into which water diverted from the millrace is channelled under pressure.

The installation's main component is a large waterwheel driven by a powerful jet of water. The wheel, called a dolap, transfers its motion through a wooden axle that drives a form of crankshaft known as a kurbel. This mechanism powers the woodworking process. Timber is fed gradually towards the saw by a toothed wheel and a small hoe-like component, whose movement winds a rope and draws forward the frame holding the timber firmly in place. Turned wooden rollers allow the timber to move easily towards the saw.