# Think this wheel will spin?



## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

My mom had a beautiful wheel that for her was decoration. I don't think it was manufactured as one of those reproduction/decoration wheels--I think it might work. I have never spun before but I do have access to all of the llama and alpaca fleece I want (a friend of the family has the animals because he likes to look at them--does nothing with the fleeces). As far as I can tell it only needs a drive band and a few more bobbins. In the bobbin department I think I'll be set as my Dad feels that his time working a lathe in the Navy qualifies him to make some more. As a backup plan, we have a friend who's a master carpenter and create anything in wood.

I was hoping you all could take a look at the pictures and tell me if you think it'll work. I'm in northern New Jersey and haven't had any luck finding a wheelrwright. 

Thank you all for your help!
Leslie


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I'd say a good dusting and oil on all moving parts, a drive band and a few more bobbins and you got yourself a wheel.

It's a pretty little wheel, congratulations! Are there and maker marks or names on it? Maybe on the underside?


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

I am a new antique-wheel addict, thanks to a lucky chance... there is a wonderful group on Ravelry and I can point you in the direction of a few different wheelwrights if you need them.

First though, let's be sure this is a possible working wheel and not one of those 'spinning wheel shaped objects' that look pretty but don't work. 

That bobbin/flyer assembly looks suspiciously solid to me, and I don't see a tensioning mechanism so I'm not certain this is a 'working wheel'. Here are the key questions:

Can you either _tilt _the piece with the flyer on it left to right OR move _the entire assembly side to side _(by twisting the knob at the front, perhaps)? If you can't adjust the distance between the bobbin/flyer whorls and the wheel, you can't adjust tension - and you need to be able to do that.

Second question - does the bobbin turn indepenedently of the flyer? What you want is for the arms and the farthest-away-whorls to be one piece, and the bobbin piece (where the yarn would be wound) to be a separate piece that turns along the axis of the flyer rod. So if you grip that centre spot, where the yarn would wind on, and hold the flyer arms (the U shaped thingie with the hooks) still, the centre piece should turn independently. It doesn't look like it would, from the pictures - and the fact that the flyer has hooks only at the far end is also suspicious.

All that said, even if it is a SWSO and not a 'working wheel' it might be possible to turn it into one, if the desire was strong enough. It would take a good chunk of money and some effort and so on, but if that's your thing in life, it's a fun challenge. 

Hope some of that helps - let us know the details when you have them!


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## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

looks like single drive to me and yep i would say it probably will work. just put a drive band on and see how it is turning.
very pretty


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## sheepish (Dec 9, 2006)

Like frazzlehead, I wondered about the tensioning. I also wonder how well the bobbin will fill. It looks as though the hooks on the flyer only cover half the bobbin. You might need a few more to wind the bobbin evenly.


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## Ana Bluebird (Dec 8, 2002)

This looks like a linen-spinning wheel, thus the distaff and the extra small orifice, but it works on spinning very fine yarns too---like for socks. I have one, but not the extra distaff. Spinning flax is really interesting and you'll see why the unusual distaff to hold the prepared flax. The drive-band goes around the wheel twice and that is your tension. Looks like it would work to me, but go on over to Ravelry--I'm sure they know more than I do. When you take the flyer apart, remember that it screws together "backwards". My wheel works, but I'd not recommend it to beginners because it likes to stop unless you spin fast.


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

*Marchwind*
_I'd say a good dusting and oil on all moving parts, a drive band and a few more bobbins and you got yourself a wheel.​_I did a really quick dusting so everyone didnât think that Dadâs as bad a housekeeper as he actually is. I live next door to him and although I donât mind cooking and cleaning his kitchen for us, I draw the line at dusting and vacuuming. If he can use the roto-tiller in the garden, he can dust and push the hoover.

_It's a pretty little wheel, congratulations! Are there and maker marks or names on it? Maybe on the underside?​_Thanks. It really is sweet looking. The only mark is a number on the underside, 28, very faint and hand written.
================================
*Frazzlehead*
_I am a new antique-wheel addict, thanks to a lucky chance... there is a wonderful group on Ravelry and I can point you in the direction of a few different wheelwrights if you need them.​_I would love it if you could direct me to those groups. I go to Ravelry looking for spinning info and get side-tracked by patternsâ¦hmmm

_First though, let's be sure this is a possible working wheel and not one of those 'spinning wheel shaped objects' that look pretty but don't work. 
That bobbin/flyer assembly looks suspiciously solid to me, and I don't see a tensioning mechanism so I'm not certain this is a 'working wheel'. Here are the key questions:
Can you either tilt the piece with the flyer on it left to right OR move the entire assembly side to side (by twisting the knob at the front, perhaps)? If you can't adjust the distance between the bobbin/flyer whorls and the wheel, you can't adjust tension - and you need to be able to do that.
Second question - does the bobbin turn indepenedently of the flyer? What you want is for the arms and the farthest-away-whorls to be one piece, and the bobbin piece (where the yarn would be wound) to be a separate piece that turns along the axis of the flyer rod. So if you grip that centre spot, where the yarn would wind on, and hold the flyer arms (the U shaped thingie with the hooks) still, the centre piece should turn independently. It doesn't look like it would, from the pictures - and the fact that the flyer has hooks only at the far end is also suspicious.​_Iâm a lousy photographer. The bobbin comes off the assembly but right now itâs really stiff. Like Marchwind said, it definitely needs some cleaning and oiling. That front knob does twist and there is a really extreme looking screw mechanism on the underside that when worked moves the whole assembly closer and farther away from the wheel.
================================
*Ana Bluebird*
_This looks like a linen-spinning wheel, thus the distaff and the extra small orifice, but it works on spinning very fine yarns too---like for socks. I have one, but not the extra distaff. Spinning flax is really interesting and you'll see why the unusual distaff to hold the prepared flax. The drive-band goes around the wheel twice and that is your tension. Looks like it would work to me, but go on over to Ravelry--I'm sure they know more than I do. When you take the flyer apart, remember that it screws together "backwards". My wheel works, but I'd not recommend it to beginners because it likes to stop unless you spin fast.​_A friend of mine said her grandmother had a wheel like it and she spun linen on it. The wheel definitely has two grooves in it for the drive band.
=================================

Thanks for all the help! After Christmas I'll be spending some quality time with the wheel cleaning and oiling her.

Is it possible to just put a different flyer/whorl on the maidens (assuming it clears that horizontal bar when spinning and is suitable for a double drive band) for spinning yarns other than flax?


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

That front knob is what you use to set the tension for the drive band. I'd guess double drive. The mother-of-all moved forward and backward to set the tension of the drive band. When you remove the bobbin/whorl piece and unscrew them is there one of those ridges on the bobbin and the others on the other piece? The drive band will have one half of the band in the ridge attached to the bobbin and one attached to the other piece (whorl). It looks as though you will only have one speed/ ratio to spin with.


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Yup, the bobbin has an attachment with a "ridge" on one end. With the one speed/ratio, will I be able to spin wool or is this a wheel dedicated to flax only?


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

It's called a flax wheel but you can spin wool or whatever you want. You will be restricted on how thick you will be able to spin it. If your father is able to make you a new flyer assembly he could make you one with a bigger orifice. This is looks like a perfectly good wheel to me. Have at her!


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

On Rav, look for "Antique Wheels" in forums, you'll find all kinds of help (and enabling) there!

Glad to hear it's got a working bobbin - hard to tell from the pictures, but it's such a pretty wheel that's good to know! I too wonder about filling evenly with so few hooks - but extra hooks are easy to add.

Take the bobbin off the flyer assembly and clean out the inside really well (pipe cleaners are great). Then oil the flyer rod and put it all back - see if you can get it turning easily.

Then you'll need to get the double drive band on, and see what happens! Cooool!


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

frazzlehead said:


> Then you'll need to get the double drive band on, and see what happens! Cooool!


That and get some prepared fibers to start.:grin:


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Got a long haired dog or cat handy? How about some icicles from the Christmas tree? Shredded newspaper? Cotton balls? Commercial yarn you could ply with sewing thread?

There is a whole world of spinnable stuff out there that isn't prepared fibers!!


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

MLF you are quite the enabler. Unfortunately my dog's hair is really short. But you've got me thinking with the commercial yarn and thread idea. I've got some of that Krenik metallic for embroidery that I've never used. That would help me to learn to control the wheel and the rhythm of it. hmmmm. I think I have a busy new year ahead me.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

LOL! I didn't earn the handle NW-IL Fiber Enabler for nuttin!

When I teach folks to spin on a wheel, the first step is getting them used to the rythm of their wheel. Getting used to the treadling pattern is very important. Getting the drive wheel to move clockwise and keeping it moving at a fast rate of speed is pretty easy ... but you'll have a hard time spinning fiber at that speed. You'll need to learn how to _'just'_ keep the wheel turning, and that takes practice. If you can control the stopping & starting of the wheel as well then you're ahead of the game.

The next step is getting used to the fiber going through your hands as you're treadling the wheel. I have student thread the wheel with cheap acrylic yarn through the orifice, then tying onto the bobbin. The goal isn't to spin yarn. It is to get use to the feel of fiber running through your fingers, and remembering to change the yarn from hook to hook. One of the common errors of new spinners is to grab on to the fiber while spinning, not allowing it to go onto the bobbin. This step gets you used to fiber going through your hands, changing the position of the fiber on the hooks and most importantly getting familiar with adjusting the brake band or position of the MOA (mother of all) so your yarn takes up onto the bobbin.

Finally, comes the prepared fiber! Make sure you have a leader on the bobbin (a piece of yarn about 2' tied to the bobbin.) I have students draft strips of fiber. To attach the drafted fiber to the bobbin, I like to tie a loop at the end of the leader, then fold the fiber through this loop.

And away you go! At any time you have difficulties, go back to the step you are having difficulties with!


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