# Wheel question



## Mrs. Jo (Jun 5, 2007)

I bought another wheel. I became mesmorized by this wheel at SH today, so I bought it! 

This is the description. Lady said it was made in the 1970's, possibly by pat zimmerman, she mentioned that Zimmerman often wrote spinning and knitting books back them and it was one of "her" wheels. 
There's no maker mark. 
It has a double drive
Big bobbins
The Mother of all folds down flat so it doesn't stick up
It has 4 legs and is kind of boxy/square looking.
The wheel is down on the bottom.
The pedal is large and I can use two feet on it if I want to, and it starts the wheel by itself. The wheel and pedal look like they are solid wood. 

I wish there was a makers mark. Does the description ring a bell? I just spent 45 minutes trying to find any kind of reference to a wheel like this or a picture and I can't! (Argh!)


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

Need a picture posted, then we can identify it! 

I've seen a couple wheels with the big treadles, but without a picture I'm a bit stuck. "Four legged castle wheel with big treadle" is a big category!


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## Mrs. Jo (Jun 5, 2007)

Yeah, I know. I'll try and get a picture up.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Congratulations on your new wheel!

Never heard of Pat Zimmerman. Can you take pictures? Sounds kind of like one of the Norweigen wheels, sort of like WIHH's first wheel.


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## Mrs. Jo (Jun 5, 2007)

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk53/J2908/Spinning Tools/IMG_0681.jpg

I left this big so you can see some details. It does have a number on it. She's 101. But no makers mark, or name.

I'd like to add a "Pic added" note on the thread title, but I don't know how to do it?


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## Mrs. Jo (Jun 5, 2007)

Is there a ravelry group I could post this picture on? I would really like to find out more about this wheel.


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

Oh! That's a SpinWell! They were made in Manitoba.

At least I think so ... Hang on and I'll check again from the computer where I can see the picture better.

ETA Yeah, that looks a lot like a SpinWell, though I think a lot of those had metal flyer arms and yours is wooden. Check in Working Wheels on Ravelry, you should get some input there.


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## Mrs. Jo (Jun 5, 2007)

Oh, it looks a lot like a spinwell, but there are some differences. Look here: A Good Lesson on a Spin-Well Spinning Wheel | Fibre Arts Bootcamp in BC

This is a lot like mine but the bobbin storage is done differently. Intrigueing, isn't it. I wonder if the spinwell went through design changes?


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## Mrs. Jo (Jun 5, 2007)

I just posted on spinning central (looks like a nice group.) Different picture from a different angle. By the way, I tried her out at the fair and she seems to spin fine. It looks like she's spin finer singles than what I can spin on my traveler, I just have have to get used to the double drive and adjusting it.


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## Mrs. Jo (Jun 5, 2007)

I think I found it! Look here: Gwen Powell's Fiber Arts

It's a Mason wheel, I think.


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## IowaLez (Mar 6, 2006)

That style of wheel is called a Connecticut Chair Wheel.


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## Mrs. Jo (Jun 5, 2007)

So after having some trouble with the tension I just realized that the tension knob is missing. Now I can't remember if I had it at the fair, and we lost it on the way out, or if it was missing. Although, I did spin it at the fair and it seemed to work fine then. Phooey! How can I improvise a tension device with this wheel?


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

Is it tensioned with a string that goes over either flyer or bobbin and then is twisted in place?

If so, any hunk of stick or dowel that fits in the hole the tension knob needs to go in, plus some fishing line will do the trick.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

If it is scotch tension, I have used fly fishing line, a rubber band or small spring (they sell them at the hardware store), and as Frazzle suggested a dowel or knob with a stem on it.
God luck, let us know how it works.


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## Mrs. Jo (Jun 5, 2007)

I think it's supposed to have a screw to raise the moa, just like my traveler. There is a wooden knob under the mother of all that is a place for a screw to go. 
It is a double drive. One part of the band goes on the bobbin and one on the wooden disk thing. ( I can't remember what it is called.) Then the screw is supposed to raise the moa and make the band tighter. I don't think it it has a scotch tension, like my traveler does.


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## Mrs. Jo (Jun 5, 2007)

Thank you for the phone number, WiHH. I will consider this. On rav I met another person who has one of these wheels and she may take a picture of the screw for me. 

So, I tried wedging the moa and spinning like that but the yarn still would not wind on. I'm going to replace the driveband next and see if that is the problem. 
This is a little frustrating, but interesting too, as I delve into troubleshooting and what makes wheels work and all.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I have a double drive and never use the scotch tensioning that came with it. The woman's name was Elizabeth Zimmerman, she was the grand dame of modern knitting and wrote several books. Her daughter is Meg Swanson, who has also written books on knitting.


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## Mrs. Jo (Jun 5, 2007)

My Mason wheel doesn't not have a scotch tension, just the double drive band. I think the tension is supposed to come with the band or cord, and raising the moa. 
Do you know if Zimmerman is connected with the Mason wheels at all? The lady I bought the wheel from mentioned her name, but in a blog post I read, someone else said Paula Simmons, so I thought it might have been her. Simmons is Pat Greeves wife, I think.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

EZ was not a spinner. To my knowledge she never learned. I'm not sure Meg ever spun either.


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## sheepish (Dec 9, 2006)

Paula Simmons is Patrick Green's wife. They make carders and carding machines. She has written books on spinning and raising sheep.


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## Mrs. Jo (Jun 5, 2007)

Oh, I got that name wrong, didn't I?


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