# Help with wheel identification



## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

A friend of mine found a wheel at a flea market, and got it for her son (~$100)

I got to see it today, and he's making yarn! (High school boy who loves fiber arts - he's been spindle spinning for a year or so, and he's played around with my wheel)

I took a bunch of pictures to see if any of you could help identify it. It has no name or markings of any kind on it. The wheel has TWO grooves in it, so he strung two drive bands - one to go around the bobbin, and one to go around the flyer. He also attached another string to act as a tensioner. (He figured this all out on his own)

Overall wheel:

yarma by BooPK, on Flickr

Close up of flyer:

yarma by BooPK, on Flickr

Close up of treadle attached to wheel:

yarma by BooPK, on Flickr

Treadle:

yarma by BooPK, on Flickr

flax distaff:

yarma by BooPK, on Flickr

Another view of the flyer - the string farthest away is what he is using as the tensioner:

yarma by BooPK, on Flickr


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## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

Shows the picture of the bands attached to the wheel:

yarma by BooPK, on Flickr

A corner where the legs are attached to the long bench:

yarma by BooPK, on Flickr

And a view looking straight down onto the wheel:

yarma by BooPK, on Flickr


They live in a house that was build in 1732, so it has a place of honor in front of the fireplace. It's the coolest house! They would love to know the time period of it (and I couldn't help them at all!) Thanks!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Can't comment on the make of the wheel, but it is a double drive wheel. 

It does not use tension on the flyer whorl. The band should be one large band that goes from the flyer whorl, around the drive wheel, back around the bobbin whorl, around the drive band again and tied to the beginning of the band that is on the flyer whorl.

It might be an older model Ashford Elizabeth .... just a guess.


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

Cyndi is right about the drive band: use one long string.
That wheel is some sort of American flax wheel, antique. The wide arms on the flyer tell you it was designed for flax. No worries though flax wheels spin wool just fine! That is a lovely find!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Pretty wheel and he price was certainly right . Concurr with Cyndi and Frazzle on the drive band and the added tension. You adjust the tension via the knob at the front of the wheel (it moves the whole MOA forward and backward). Great find!


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## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

Thanks everyone! I've passed on the information, and he's happily researching now. 

AND, just as important, he's spinning great yarn already!


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