# Help me, please!! Spinning wheel



## Happy Palace (Sep 21, 2007)

I have the chance to buy an antique spinning wheel on Saturday, however, I don't spin (yet  . How do I know if all of the pieces are there? From the picture, it has the big wheel (duh) and on the back there is one tall upright spindle and leaning forward from that (toward the wheel) are two smaller spindles. There appears to be another spindle leaning out to the left and slightly back. There is some sort of rack just behind the large upright spindle that appears to have small teeth or pegs on it. There is also a narrow dowel-type stick hanging down to one side of the wheel. It isn't connected to anything, but on the base of the machine is a piece of wood with a small dowel standing up on it. Thanks so much for your help!!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Can you post a picture of this wheel here or some place where we could see it? If not maybe you can find a wheel on the internet that looks like it. My first guess is that this is a great wheel with a distaff. Try googling Great wheel and look at the images and see if that is sort of what the wheel looks like.

Generally antique wheels aren't recommended for beginners, they can be really fiddly to deal with. If this isn't a great wheel and it has bobbins you may have a problem getting more or replacements if needed.

A picture we could look at would really help a lot.


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## Happy Palace (Sep 21, 2007)

Finally! DH & I struggled to post a scan of the picture I have. Here is a website that has a picture very similar to the one I'm looking at. The web picture has a little more in the way of drive system.

http://www.woolery.com/Pages/selectwheel.html#typesofwheels

I looked at a great wheel on-line at wikipedia, and this is much smaller. Thanks for taking the time to help. I really appreciate it!


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## Happy Palace (Sep 21, 2007)

This is an even closer picture on this page. Scroll down to the Ashford Elizabeth Spinning Wheel.

http://www.woolery.com/Pages/ashwheelsfr.html


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## ozarkcat (Sep 8, 2004)

I think the request was for a picture of the wheel you're looking at - kinda hard to figure out what's missing from the description. Try taking a look at the pictures you've pointed out & see if there's any difference between the pictures (anything missing).

The wheel's pretty hard to miss, sounds like you've got the uprights to the flyer and maybe a distaff. Do you have the rest of the flyer - the bobbin (which kind of looks like a dumbell) and flyer (a "U" shaped piece with cuphooks on it)? Treadle sounds like it may take some work - that's the piece of wood attached to the bottom, I think, as well as the footman - the piece of wood hanging down from the wheel.

Basically, the treadle is attached to the wheel by the use of a footman - pushing on the treadle spins the big wheel - the big wheel does one of two things depending on the drive - 

A single drive (usually with scotch tension) has the drive band going once around the wheel and then around the flyer, and a separate string that is attached to the platform the flyer sits on that passes over one end of the bobbin and is tightened/loosened by adjusting a knob on the top or side of the flyer assembly.

A double drive has the drive band going twice around the wheel - once around the end of the flyer and a second time around the end of the bobbin. Usually these have a removable piece called a whorl that has threads it screws onto on the flyer (I found this out the hard way after thinking they were all one piece for a long time  )

So the parts you have to have are the basic frame (legs & board that everything's attached to), treadle, footman, wheel, driveband (which can be made out of pearl cotton), bobbin and flyer. Most of the wheels I've seen that are missing something is usually the flyer assembly (including the bobbin) because it's a small, somewhat fragile part that seems to get lost more easily.

Hope that helps!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I would say that if it was me and I couldn't figure out what was what and what was missing and I couldn't get a picture of the actual wheel; I wouldn't buy it especially if I was feeling pressured to make a decision. Antique wheels can be really good deal but if you don't know what you are looking at there is a pretty good chance you will be had. Learn about wheels, if only by studying books, know what it is you are looking at, then go looking for a wheel.

That's my opinion and what I would do if I was you. But I'm not so good luck with your choice.


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## Happy Palace (Sep 21, 2007)

DH and I tried for 45 minutes last night to get the picture that we have onto my forum post. We are NOT techno brainy! Nothing we tried worked. (If anyone can tell me how to get a .jpg picture off my desktop and into cyberspace, it would be greatly appreciated!) That's why I went hunting. I found a picture today of a horizontal spinning wheel that is nearly identical to the one I may buy. The lady that has it bought it as a decorative piece as she doesn't spin either. From what I found on woolery.com, I can buy parts for it. I'll be taking the first picture that I posted with me, so that I can figure out exactly what isn't there. I'd hate to pass it up only to find out later when we are ready to learn to spin that it could have been easily brought back to use. I appreciate you help and advice; I really do.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

So you think it is that wheel and you can get parts for it? Hmmm, then it most likely isn't an antique. Keep trying to post a picture if you can, I don.t know how either or I would help you. What I usually do is to post a picture on place like Flickr or photoisland, they have free accounts you can get. Then you just download pictures right from your desk top.


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## MTDeb (Feb 20, 2003)

How much are you paying for it? If it's under $200 and you think you can get parts, it's well worth it and I'd say get it. If it's over that, I'd probably say hold off on something you're more sure about it cause you can get a new wheel for close to that price and won't have to worry about it. Just my opinion. 

If you can email a picture, email it to me and I'll post it for you.


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## IowaLez (Mar 6, 2006)

I just bought a wheel on Ebay a few weeks ago for $115 and it is made of walnut and exquisite in every detail, and have it here at home. It was supposed to be modern wheel, and it is, except that it is a reproduction of an antique Norwegian wheel and not nearly as responsive as I would like. I've been spinning for 18 yrs and this wheel is certainly a challenge. I do not recommend buying an antique wheel if it hasn't been used, and you are a beginner. If it has leather bearings and holders for the spindle on it they will not be in good condition for work. Save up your money and buy a good modern wheel. You won't be sorry. Start out right.


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## Happy Palace (Sep 21, 2007)

I did buy the wheel. She asked $65 for it. Y'know, for the decorative value alone, it's really nice. The lady I bought it from said she got it at an antique show 20 years ago and she advertised it as 100 years old. I couldn't tell you if it is or isn't, but it seems to have been used prior to her having it. I'm still several years away from having wool for spinning, so I figure I have time to research, learn and find someone to help me with the parts it's missing. 

{quote}Do you have the rest of the flyer - the bobbin (which kind of looks like a dumbell) and flyer (a "U" shaped piece with cuphooks on it)? {quote}ozarkcat
Yes! These pieces are here!

I didn't know about photoisland - I'll have to check into that, Thanks!


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## MTDeb (Feb 20, 2003)

That's an excellent buy! I bet you have a real treasure there. Look really hard for any types of markings or signatures on it. That'll really help identify it if there are any. We'd love to see pictures!


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## Happy Palace (Sep 21, 2007)

MTDeb said:


> That's an excellent buy! I bet you have a real treasure there. Look really hard for any types of markings or signatures on it. That'll really help identify it if there are any. We'd love to see pictures!


I'd love to post a picture!, but like I said before, we are NOT very techno savy. I'm usually pretty time crunched, too. I have a blog with absolutely NO pictures on it. I feel like such an outsider - SIGH~


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Congratulations! For $65 you really can't go wrong. Hopefully it is more in tact than you think. Check your library for books on spinning, if they have inter-library loans you might be able to find something to help you. Also up at the top of the index page is a sticky with information on all sorts of things. Click on that and in there you will find spinning links. Those might help you too.


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## Happy Palace (Sep 21, 2007)

Thanks, Marchwind. I checked the library and the two books available were both checked out. I scoured the piece for a maker's mark or any kind of identification, but couldn't find any. One thing I did notice is that there doesn't seem to be a nail in it. It looks really pretty next to the piano. I will check the sticky as part of my research. Right now, I'm supposed to be cleaning the kitchen and baking banana bread. I guess I'd better go!


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