# Me Again, With Another Question



## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

So I got my new to me wheel all cleaned up and reassembled. I found a store that sells spinning supplies (which could end up being a very bad thing) and got a drive band. I think I have something together wrong or I have the drive band wrong or something. I've been practicing treadling before I start spinning just to see if I can develop a good rhythm. I can treadle for about 5 minutes before the band comes off. I have good tension so I know the problem isn't that. The wheel was pretty wobbly but I was able to get it shimmed so it seems to be pretty steady now. The first picture is what makes me think I have something together wrong. Does anyone have any suggestions? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I really, really want to use my new toy.


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

The left side of your belt string is too far left and needs to be moved to the inner groove next to the one on the right that you have positioned correctly on the flyer. They should run parallel as they run onto the wheel. See if that works and the belt tension is different on every old wheel so it can be adjusted as well if needed.

Disregard...could not see the wheel clearly on my phone. On my computer the issue is quite clear. Please read below and watch the video...its great.


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## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

Thanks for your help. I feel like I am creeping ever closer to yarn (frustratingly close!). I can get twist but can't get the yarn to go on the bobbin. If I understand your post, both strings should be on the whorl for the flyer and nothing on the groove in the bobbin?


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## Rosepath (Feb 18, 2011)

Nope, the string goes on the bobbin groove and on the flyer whorl. Looks like in your wheel's case they don't line up correctly, hence the diagonal-looking line the string makes as it leaves the mother-of-all and goes to the wheel groove. If you sit directly in front of the wheel, with the flyer facing you and the wheel directly behind (a straight line view), you should be able to rotate the wheel by hand and see what is causing it to throw it's drive band. But from the first pic you posted above, it's clear that the grooves on the bobbin and flyer don't line up with the grooves on the wheel - the maiden (upright) closest to your distaff is actually where the grooves of your mother of all should be, and I don't know why. It may be that a different mother of all assembly has been added to your wheel if the original went missing, which happens, but the two parts essential for keeping the drive band on the wheel aren't where they need to be. Hopefully other spinners will chime in with ideas or advice to help out.


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

SLFarmMI said:


> Thanks for your help. I feel like I am creeping ever closer to yarn (frustratingly close!). I can get twist but can't get the yarn to go on the bobbin. If I understand your post, both strings should be on the whorl for the flyer and nothing on the groove in the bobbin?[/QU


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

SLFarmMI said:


> Thanks for your help. I feel like I am creeping ever closer to yarn (frustratingly close!). I can get twist but can't get the yarn to go on the bobbin. If I understand your post, both strings should be on the whorl for the flyer and nothing on the groove in the bobbin?


I COULDN'T SEE THIS CLEARLY ON MY PHONE! I am on my computer now. One string goes on the bobbin groove and one string on the whorl which I had trouble seeing the grooves on....but your wheel looks to be too far to the right. You will see all the parts with the names identified by a spinning teacher so watch this first. I think you can take the wheel off the axle and flip it over so that the side of the wheel facing left will then face the right. It appears like it possibly the issue on my computer screen so....try this! The wheel needs to be further left to line up the belt and this may fix that issue. I am really hoping so since the flyer on your wheel is not original to it.

Here is an excellent video I watched when I restored my two wheels from displays for over 40 years into working wheels. I did this as a novice with no prior working knowledge of spinning wheels. I found this video to be most helpful in understanding how to set up an antique wheel to spin. It will show you the fit and angles you need to have the belt in to spin.

First the Spinning Teacher explains a great wheel. Its entertaining and you will learn more from watching the entire video. If you want to skip to just the antique wheel similar to yours it starts 5.24 mins into the video.


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

Rosepath said:


> Nope, the string goes on the bobbin groove and on the flyer whorl. Looks like in your wheel's case they don't line up correctly, hence the diagonal-looking line the string makes as it leaves the mother-of-all and goes to the wheel groove. If you sit directly in front of the wheel, with the flyer facing you and the wheel directly behind (a straight line view), you should be able to rotate the wheel by hand and see what is causing it to throw it's drive band. But from the first pic you posted above, it's clear that the grooves on the bobbin and flyer don't line up with the grooves on the wheel - the maiden (upright) closest to your distaff is actually where the grooves of your mother of all should be, and I don't know why. It may be that a different mother of all assembly has been added to your wheel if the original went missing, which happens, but the two parts essential for keeping the drive band on the wheel aren't where they need to be. Hopefully other spinners will chime in with ideas or advice to help out.


Sorry Rose I couldn't see the wheel well on my phone you are right..goodness. It looks like the wheel itself is too far to the right though and maybe if she flips it...to face the other way...the axle length may be different and allow for the wheel to be further left..thereby lining up the belt evenly. I know the axle on my antique wheels are both a different length on both sides of the wheel.


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## Rosepath (Feb 18, 2011)

Yes, I was wondering if the wheel is on wrong side around. Hope so, then it's a simple matter to fix, and spinning can commence.


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## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

Can't flip the wheel around because then the footman would be on the wrong side. I wouldn't even begin to know how to figure out how to switch the treadle around to accommodate that change. But, with some shimming, some persuasion with the hammer and a little (ok a lot) of swearing, I got things aligned a lot better and the belt no longer flies off. I even made a yarn like substance -- way too much twist and the ugliest yarn you ever saw but at least it is something that could possibly be recognized as similar to yarn. Now I think it is a matter of operator error and practice.


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## IndyDave (Jul 17, 2017)

Your mother of all gives the impression of being a replacement. The wood looks different and it has very simple turnings at the ends as opposed to the more complex turnings on the rest of the wood. My conclusion is that you need to either make a replacement that correctly aligns your whorl so it is coplanar with the wheel or else drill another hole in it so you can move the whorl to the back as you sit facing it, again, so the whorl and wheel are in the same plane with each other such that the band us running true and not at the odd angle that it is.


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## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

I'm pretty sure that there are parts from 3 different wheels knocked together to make the one I have. I've got it all in a much better alignment than it was in that picture. It's working now.


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## Rosepath (Feb 18, 2011)

Excellent! Your perseverance paid off, now enjoy spinning and of course post pics for us all


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## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

Rosepath said:


> Excellent! Your perseverance paid off, now enjoy spinning and of course post pics for us all


Thanks. I will definitely post pics of my yarn like substance as long as nobody asks "were you drunk when you spun that?".


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

Rosepath said:


> Yes, I was wondering if the wheel is on wrong side around. Hope so, then it's a simple matter to fix, and spinning can commence.


Just a heads up. The wheel can be facing the wrong way on the axle. You don't flip the the whole thing. You take the wheel off and see if it slides off the axle to flip it and slide the axle back in. Unless both sides if the wheel look the same. The axle is the metal bar that goes thru the wood wheel.


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

Happy to see you can spin on her. I have a combination wheel too and she spins beautifully after work I did. I did have to take my own wheel completely apart and yes change the direction of the wheel not the axle.  Hope that video helped you. I know it sure was helpful to me.


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## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

Yes, the video did help. Thank you for posting it. Even as frustrating as it is, I find that I am actually loving spinning (which could turn out to be very dangerous for my wallet).


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## IndyDave (Jul 17, 2017)

SLFarmMI said:


> Thanks. I will definitely post pics of my yarn like substance as long as nobody asks "were you drunk when you spun that?".


If you don't want asked this question after you post your product, then, are you going to be drunk when you spin it?


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## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

IndyDave said:


> If you don't want asked this question after you post your product, then, are you going to be drunk when you spin it?


Not sure yet. At this point in the game, my being drunk could only improve the final product.


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

Oh my it doesn't have to be expensive! I trade for all my fleece. There are ways to make it nearly free to spin. You can sell yarns later on and trade to get fleece. I even traded and was gifted spinning tools. I made my own carding board. I still need to either build or buy a carding drum. I am so glad the video was helpful. It really does help to know the part names of your wheel. My 1880s wheel is a combination wheel and her flyer is as well. She spins very well and is pretty too so I don't mind.


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