Spinning wheel...

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This is the one available for $175 (mentioned in the other angora thread, didn't want to hijack) - I don't know anywhere near enough about them to even know if all the parts are there... I see where you feed the wool through, and the hooks for guiding it. The pedal goes up and down to move the wheel (it wobbles a little bit - not sure how normal that is?) - no cord to connect the big wheel to the part that would spin the wool and wind it, but I am guessing that's an easy fix. DH asked me if I went ahead and got it, so that tells me he wouldn't be opposed if it did make it home :lol:

wheel1.jpg

wheel2.jpg

__________ Fri Apr 07, 2017 5:20 pm __________

For those that know more about this than I do - are the extra parts sticking out in various places handles? Or what? :oops:

__________ Fri Apr 07, 2017 5:35 pm __________

Ha! Diagrams are so helpful!

http://joyofhandspinning.com/parts-of-t ... ing-wheel/

Given that information, I *think* it's all there? Minus the cord... and the treadle is attached with a cord rather than a solid wood bar/dowel - that shouldn't be too hard of a fix either. Can I get more bobbins for it, or are they pretty specific to each wheel?
 
The antiques are usually wheel specific, I have made replacement bobbins for my antique production wheels. A reasonably good woodworker with a lathe should be able to help with that. I had my husband for that :D
 
Ooooh, it's a great wheel! Mine is an Ashford Kiwi, so it doesn't really look much like this... meaning I'm not going to be much help in assessing it. But for $175, I'd take the risk. Like you mentioned, the drive band will need to be added (I've seen some fixes that used kitchen twine to replace a worn out band, and twine is cheap). The treadle just has to turn the wheel, so if you need to replace a wooden dowel to make that happen, at least that's not an expensive fix, either.

The tricky thing would be getting more bobbins... if you could make an exact replica of the one it comes with, that might work. Or you could try to research what kind of wheel this is (manufacturer or look-a-like) and get a few spare bobbins from them (double check the return policies, though, just in case).

Hopefully those more knowledgeable in spinning will see this post and respond, as well...
:popcorn:

--edit--

Ferra beat me to it with the idea for extra bobbins! :oops:
 
DH's uncle, well cousin (his uncle passed away last year :( ), has a lathe and is quite good at most any wood or metal work, I bet he could make some for me or at least show me how to do it. He's crazy busy though, so it might be a while. <br /><br /> __________ Fri Apr 07, 2017 8:08 pm __________ <br /><br /> How does the whorl (I think that's right) grab the bobbin to spin it? That part I didn't pay close enough attention to... is there any concern about something being broken in there that would need to grab it?
 
alforddm":1lqzyz1i said:
You may can find an old treadle sewing machine belt that would work. They are leather and so long as it's not to short you can always cut it to fit.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/4011487928 ... noapp=true

I actually have a couple on hand ;) I have a "newer" (1950?) treadle that sews beautifully and I actually still use it for certain things - getting ready to try embroidering on it :cool: <br /><br /> __________ Fri Apr 07, 2017 9:33 pm __________ <br /><br /> Ah, the power of YouTube - found a fantastic video that was really helpful! The one I am looking at is a Flax Wheel, and it looks like the main concern with it is that the wheel wobbles a bit when it spins...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if_cNDFr-xs
 
It looks like all the pieces are there, and reminds me of another Saxon style one that I have. It's a good wheel, but sometimes can be a bit fussy for the beginner, trying to get enough tension on your drive band to spin your desired fiber, yet not so much tension that it pulls your yarn right out of your hand. The bobbin issue can be addressed, but, with a ball winder and some patience, you can successfully use one bobbin to complete most projects. If it wobbles a bit, it may be a frustration, but not one that should effect the quality of your yarn. You saw on your video I'm sure that your main handle in the front is your tension adjustment for the drive band. And then you also have a distaff. Not tremendously useful, but, nice to have.
 
SixGun":19kbpsg9 said:
It looks like all the pieces are there, and reminds me of another Saxon style one that I have. It's a good wheel, but sometimes can be a bit fussy for the beginner, trying to get enough tension on your drive band to spin your desired fiber, yet not so much tension that it pulls your yarn right out of your hand. The bobbin issue can be addressed, but, with a ball winder and some patience, you can successfully use one bobbin to complete most projects. If it wobbles a bit, it may be a frustration, but not one that should effect the quality of your yarn. You saw on your video I'm sure that your main handle in the front is your tension adjustment for the drive band. And then you also have a distaff. Not tremendously useful, but, nice to have.

I am not afraid of tension issues - I bought a 1990's longarm machine from a lady that had a stroke years ago and hasn't fully recovered, it was a beast, and I wanted to throw it out the window a time or two, but after a LOT of time and some frustration it is sewing beautifully now! Not that it's the same type tension thing to work out, just saying that I'm not afraid to tinker until I get it right ;) I feel a lot better about the prospect of it after watching that video and referencing the pics I took (along with the comments on here as well!)

Now... to get me some woolies! The guy down the road has a few sheep as well... I noticed one had a haircut recently - I wonder what he does with the wool :hmm: He's a bit of a nut job though, so that might open up a can of worms (like, borderline going off the deep end I think :x ). <br /><br /> __________ Sat Apr 08, 2017 8:38 pm __________ <br /><br /> I got it today! I can read DH like a book and something was off, evidently he had stopped in on Thursday to see if it was still there - it was going to be my Mother's Day gift :oops: . He was the one that turned the car around to go back when I mentioned it!! :roll: :lol:

Anyway, looking it over it looks like it even has the original leather pieces on it! Not sure how that is going to work because I think they will break the first time I try to take the bobbin off :x . The tension knob turns and unscrews but the whole piece seems stuck so I will have to tinker with it a little. Anyone have some fiber I could buy to try it out??
 
Congratulations! <br /><br /> __________ Sat Apr 08, 2017 8:49 pm __________ <br /><br /> If you need any leather pieces made just send me a traced copy of the old ones and a width measurement, and I'll cut you some news ones and send them to you for the cost of shipping.
 
alforddm":2rqk69iw said:
Congratulations!

__________ Sat Apr 08, 2017 8:49 pm __________

If you need any leather pieces made just send me a traced copy of the old ones and a width measurement, and I'll cut you some news ones and send them to you for the cost of shipping.

Really?? That would be wonderful and very kind of you! I was trying to figure out just what to do with it. The back one is just a loop that holds it so I am not hugely concerned about it breaking - I don't think there will be much stress or pressure on it, but i could be wrong. the front one is actually a thick piece about the size of a nickle or quarter with a hole in it that holds it all (the orfice comes through it - you can see it in the pic I posted and can tell how dry rotted it is, although I think it's neat it's still on there!)... you have to flex it back and forth to get it in and out and I don't think it will make it long.

The wheel spins much straighter than I first thought, so that's good! There is an open crack in the bobbin that I didn't notice before, and a couple other parts show some wear in that way as well. I am not sure to let it go, try and fill them, just cinch them down with some wire so they can't further break? i am going to do some more research... the hooks all look good, and overall it appears to be in great shape for what it is and likely how old it is. I'm excited :) Searching Etsy for some raw materials to play with... first, figuring out the lingo to know what is what. Like all new hobbies, there is a learning curve! I'll get it figured out eventually. I have a drop spindle and did a little one it, but not much - mainly got it out of curiosity, just to see if I could do it :oops: :lol: . Now i have a small skein of hand spun yarn in camo colors and have no idea what to do with it :roll:

__________ Sat Apr 08, 2017 10:18 pm __________

Does this look like something that would be good to practice with? I don't want to put down a good chunk of change on anything fancy or pretty, just something inexpensive to figure out the mechanics with...

https://www.etsy.com/listing/243740717/ ... _gallery_5

Now I'm curious just how big of a ball that is!

This is tempting as well, and even though it's just a couple of ounces, it looks like a decent chunk to play with...

https://www.etsy.com/listing/222182490/ ... =related-3
 
FourRingCircus":3374m1wo said:
Really?? That would be wonderful and very kind of you! I was trying to figure out just what to do with it. The back one is just a loop that holds it so I am not hugely concerned about it breaking - I don't think there will be much stress or pressure on it, but i could be wrong. the front one is actually a thick piece about the size of a nickle or quarter with a hole in it that holds it all (the orfice comes through it - you can see it in the pic I posted and can tell how dry rotted it is, although I think it's neat it's still on there!)... you have to flex it back and forth to get it in and out and I don't think it will make it long.

Yes really. I have some really thick leather (13 oz I think) at would probably work well for that piece. I bought a side on sale years ago but the leather is so thick I haven't found many uses for it. I have several different thicknesses available if that is to thick. They may not be exactly the same finish but I can't imagine that they wouldn't' work. :D
 
FourRingCircus":3kvl78tj said:
Does this look like something that would be good to practice with? I don't want to put down a good chunk of change on anything fancy or pretty, just something inexpensive to figure out the mechanics with...

https://www.etsy.com/listing/243740717/ ... _gallery_5

Now I'm curious just how big of a ball that is!

This is tempting as well, and even though it's just a couple of ounces, it looks like a decent chunk to play with...

https://www.etsy.com/listing/222182490/ ... =related-3
I'd go for the 1lb undyed roving over the felters wool (I think the roving will be easier to work with). The ball with be about the size of a tissue box, if I remember correctly. The longer rectangular ones. It's definitely enough to get started with though. I started out with a pound of wool, too. Then I split it into 4 4oz sections, dyed them with gel food coloring and white vinegar, and spun them into uneven but pretty skeins of yarn. And I got a lot better in consistency as I went. I think I got roughly 100-125 yds from each 4oz section once I plied it, so 1lb should be enough for a few little projects or even something a little bigger...

It sounds like you have a wonderfully supportive husband! Mine rolls his eyes when I tell him I've run out of wool (and then orders more before I even have to ask if it's in the budget). :roll:

Good luck with the little fixes, I think you'll be spinning in no time!
 
alforddm":cn2o8z5w said:
FourRingCircus":cn2o8z5w said:
Really?? That would be wonderful and very kind of you! I was trying to figure out just what to do with it. The back one is just a loop that holds it so I am not hugely concerned about it breaking - I don't think there will be much stress or pressure on it, but i could be wrong. the front one is actually a thick piece about the size of a nickle or quarter with a hole in it that holds it all (the orfice comes through it - you can see it in the pic I posted and can tell how dry rotted it is, although I think it's neat it's still on there!)... you have to flex it back and forth to get it in and out and I don't think it will make it long.

Yes really. I have some really thick leather (13 oz I think) at would probably work well for that piece. I bought a side on sale years ago but the leather is so thick I haven't found many uses for it. I have several different thicknesses available if that is to thick. They may not be exactly the same finish but I can't imagine that they wouldn't' work. :D

I was asking DH's cousin if he thought I should try and tap out the pegs or drill them out and he went right to it and got most of the stuck pieces apart for me - the power of a pocket knife in the hands on one who knows how to work it :lol: (and isn't afraid of breaking anything either... total confidence in what he was doing. I was scared to grab or twist things, not sure what it would do. I guess he figured if it did break he could just make a new one? :roll: ) Including that piece of leather :) . (And phew! Thought I lost the leather piece, but went back and found it laying on the gournd). He volunteered to spin me a couple new bobbins - that he really likes doing little projects like that. Who knows if that will ever happen - poor guy is so busy (him and his dad worked side by side, pretty much jacks of all trades. he's had a rough year since his passing and is totally swamped with jobs to do, just going into the shop is hard enough). I asked him if it was something I could do myself if he showed me how to work it... might learn another skill in the process! :lol:

The tension knob is out as well, the whole piece fits too snugly to move freely (it took some elbow grease just to get it out! not the tension part, but the whole upper section) so I am going to gently sand a little off the sides to see if that's enough to get it moving.
 
The roving is going to be what you want to practice with. It is relatively inexpensive, and a pound will keep you busy for a year. Seriously. An oz makes about 150 yds of 2-ply yarn, on average....

I'm so glad pieces are coming apart. That is good. Oil and use will get them moving again. A little sand paper will be useful to soften some rough areas and roughen up some areas that have gotten smoothed down.

Wheels are wood, and they swell, and warp, and get stuck... but, you can make new parts, and give it love and attention, and bring a beautiful useful piece of our past back to life. Congrats on your new acquisition.
 
SixGun":1j4kb24m said:
The roving is going to be what you want to practice with. It is relatively inexpensive, and a pound will keep you busy for a year. Seriously. An oz makes about 150 yds of 2-ply yarn, on average....

I'm so glad pieces are coming apart. That is good. Oil and use will get them moving again. A little sand paper will be useful to soften some rough areas and roughen up some areas that have gotten smoothed down.

Wheels are wood, and they swell, and warp, and get stuck... but, you can make new parts, and give it love and attention, and bring a beautiful useful piece of our past back to life. Congrats on your new acquisition.

I'm so excited to get working on it. I pulled out my drop spindle case and I have more raw material left than I remembered so I might transfer it over to the spinning wheel and give it a try. I need to get the wheels connected (the lady on the video just used cotton yarn, which I have plenty of!), but other than that, I think it's fully functional as is! The tension will be the biggest booger since it's jammed in there pretty good, but it won't take much to sand it down. I was showing it to DH's aunt and she said she didn't really ever understand how you made yarn, how it would twist together and all, so I was able to use the drop spindle so she could see close up and in "slow motion" (sort of) how the fibers twisted together. I think that helped it click.
 
FourRingCircus":nxl8cbku said:
I'm so excited to get working on it. I pulled out my drop spindle case and I have more raw material left than I remembered so I might transfer it over to the spinning wheel and give it a try. I need to get the wheels connected (the lady on the video just used cotton yarn, which I have plenty of!), but other than that, I think it's fully functional as is! The tension will be the biggest booger since it's jammed in there pretty good, but it won't take much to sand it down. I was showing it to DH's aunt and she said she didn't really ever understand how you made yarn, how it would twist together and all, so I was able to use the drop spindle so she could see close up and in "slow motion" (sort of) how the fibers twisted together. I think that helped it click.

Excellent. You've already got fiber in stashes. jk.
I have one wheel that is strung with kitchen twine, one with hemp twine and one with a rubber line. All that matters is that it will make it go. If you have wax, putting that on your kitchen twine will help it grab. Also, you will find you will string it today, and tomorrow you'll have to resize it. The cotton twine has a lot of give to it at first. But, a slight readjustment and new knot and you'll be back off to the races.

Yes, the actual process of "spinning" is very straightforward, but a bit of a mystery to just about everyone that hasn't done it. You've already started spreading the knowledge. Awesome!
 
SixGun":2t8jauyc said:
The roving is going to be what you want to practice with. It is relatively inexpensive, and a pound will keep you busy for a year. Seriously. An oz makes about 150 yds of 2-ply yarn, on average....
I think I must be doing or measuring something very wrong then. One pound is 16 ounces, correct? Granted, I never actually weighed it when I got it, but I split the pound of roving into 4 (so they should be 4 ounces each), and I think the most yardage I got out of one section was 200 yds, 2-ply. Maybe it was just a thicker yarn? It definitely wasn't lace weight, maybe closer to DK or worsted...

And I finished spinning the pound of roving in a month, if that (I only really got to spend time spinning on the weekends). But I was terribly eager and excited to see my yarns finished. :oops:
 
I wonder how much that depends on the type of wool? You know - a lb of feathers vs. a lb of bricks? I know one picture I saw it looked like the ball/roll was about the size of a basketball...
 
Nymphadora":2tluzd3t said:
SixGun":2tluzd3t said:
The roving is going to be what you want to practice with. It is relatively inexpensive, and a pound will keep you busy for a year. Seriously. An oz makes about 150 yds of 2-ply yarn, on average....
I think I must be doing or measuring something very wrong then. One pound is 16 ounces, correct? Granted, I never actually weighed it when I got it, but I split the pound of roving into 4 (so they should be 4 ounces each), and I think the most yardage I got out of one section was 200 yds, 2-ply. Maybe it was just a thicker yarn? It definitely wasn't lace weight, maybe closer to DK or worsted...

And I finished spinning the pound of roving in a month, if that (I only really got to spend time spinning on the weekends). But I was terribly eager and excited to see my yarns finished. :oops:

The weight of the yarn you spin definitely does have an impact on yardage.
This is 2.5 oz. of Merino and I believe it was about 275 yds. Its sport weight, but a bit thicker than I usually spin, mostly because that Merino just loves to fluff! LOL
17796241_1358466364191832_6422784218157449524_n.jpg



I should have said "my" average... I was just drooling over having all that lovely wool to spin and then dye any old color! <br /><br /> __________ Mon Apr 10, 2017 7:54 am __________ <br /><br />
FourRingCircus":2tluzd3t said:
I wonder how much that depends on the type of wool? You know - a lb of feathers vs. a lb of bricks? I know one picture I saw it looked like the ball/roll was about the size of a basketball...

A pound of wool roving should be about basketball size. Maybe volleyball.
 
SixGun":1zl5jvn2 said:
This is 2.5 oz. of Merino and I believe it was about 275 yds. Its sport weight, but a bit thicker than I usually spin, mostly because that Merino just loves to fluff! LOL
It does fluff! :p
My plied yarn always looks way thicker than I thought it would be by looking at the singles... I thought it was all in my head, but you confirmed it for me, SixGun, thank you!
That yarn is gorgeous, too! :oops:

SixGun":1zl5jvn2 said:
I should have said "my" average... I was just drooling over having all that lovely wool to spin and then dye any old color!
Haha, I gotta get my averages into your range... I'd love that much yardage! Oh, and I've been dying up a storm at home (DH lifted the lid of a big pot I was using to dye, thinking it was dinner… the look on his face when the smell of warm wool and vinegar hit his nose…). :rotfl:
 

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