# Tommy's wheel and spinning wheel shaped objects



## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Didn't want to hijack the the HT Spinning Class thread with the wheel discussion. I've taken the photos that Frazzle requested. Read more about the discussion of a potential (e-gads) spinning wheel shaped object here.

The wheel in question.....









Close up of the mother of all....









Now for the details....









Disassembled....









Close up of bobbin and whorl...









Now there was talk of maybe getting another flyer for it. It is 20.5 inches between the maidens. The thing that makes me curious is the the hooks on the flyer--they seem to go only part way over the bobbin. Shouldn't they go much farther over? 

The knob for the MOA moves in to and fro about 1.5 inches.

So what's the verdict? She real or just another pretty thing to look at?


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

That's the weekend plan! Going to Joann's tomorrow to get some crochet cotton and will take a look at the knot tutorials you posted. The bobbin is short between those mushroom caps--only 2 inches. I wonder if she had used it to spin really fine yarns on it.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Tommyice don't get the kitchen cotton (the thicker worsted weight stuff) Go for a thinner one. You can always add more hooks to the flyer if needed or move the ones you have there.


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

Wait, that can't be a 20 inch flyer, not if it has a 2 inch bobbin!  Wanna take another measurement? Length of the flyer rod, from tip to orifice end would be good.

You're right that this flyer looks a bit suspicious - which is why my spidey senses were tingling. The hooks should be set so that you can wind yarn on the entire bobbin and these only go halfway. You may need to add a few more hooks up the arm.


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Yup. I'm blonde. The maidens are 7.5 inches. The wheel is 20.5". Ooops!

I measured the space between the tabs on the maiden that hold the flyer. It's about 8 inches total.


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

Ok, I looked in the usual place and there's nothing at the moment - eBay has some Lithuanian sellers who list flyers for old wheels - yours is a bit on the narrower side of things but there might be one show up. We'll keep an eye out.


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Thanks so much Frazzle. The maidens twist a little bit--does that help?


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

I so excited for you Leslie.


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Oh Fowler, just like Shake n Bake. You're gonna halp!


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

Tommyice said:


> Oh Fowler, just like Shake n Bake. You're gonna halp!


Heck yes!! Shake n Bake sister!!!


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Just not for pork chops


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

Tommyice said:


> Just not for pork chops


Can we leave the Wepig out of this?.....LOL


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

OK any secret to keeping a double drive band on the wheel? I think I'm not tying the knot tight enough. Any specific knot I should be using. I'm using butcher twine--the kind you use to tie up a roast.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

The twine may be part of your problem. Might be too thick and too stretchy. Is you wheel aligned properly?


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

The knot is actually coming undone, or is the whole band being thrown off the wheel?

If it is the knot, look up weaver's knot or check any knot tying reference or find your nearest boy scout or firefighter or sailor and ask them for help. 

If it isn't the knot, we need more info.


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

March I have no idea how to check for alignment.lol 

Frazzle, I laugh because the wheel is actually in the house of an old sailor. I asked Dad how to tie the knot and his reply was "I was in the Navy, what do I know about knots? The only one I ever tied was on my neckerchief."

I put the MOA in the center most position (not too close to the wheel, not too far from it) and used what I thought was a square knot. So I'm not sure if the knot is loosening a bit or it the twine is too stretchy, but it comes off the wheel when I try to get it spinning. This is where I got the instructions for installing the drive band. Spinning Wheel Double Drive Band


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

"comes off the wheel when spinning" - the whole band comes off, or the knot comes undone?

There is a huge difference.

If the knot is still tied, but the drive band is coming off (still in a circle, but not on the wheel anymore) you have an alignment problem, nothing to do with the string. If you stand at the back of the wheel and watch as it goes around you'll see which point of the cycle it tosses the band off and that is a useful clue. Stand at the back of the wheel, looking at it edge on down towards the flyer and take a picture. That'll tell us lots.

If the knot is coming undone, well, you have a knot problem, and you'd better find a boy scout or firefighter since your sailor isn't helping!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I will say that on heavier string a big knot can cause the band to be thrown off, sems to happen right as the band is leaving the whorl toward the drive wheel. But, ultimately it would be an alignment problem. A square knot on a heavier string can be a big thing. You want soething about the thickness of kite string, thin but strong.

Take a picture as Frazzle suggested, you may also want to take one looking straight down onto the wheel from above. Get the wheel and the MOA all together in the picture. Have the drive band on the wheel (in place) for the picture.


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Thanks everyone. Will get to taking pictures on Tuesday afternoon (next time off from work). 

The knot isn't coming undone. It's still tied when it comes off the wheel. Until pics, if this helps, the wheel wobbles a tad so, based on everyone's feedback, I think we dealing with an alignment issue. Do I need a wheelwright for fixing that? I haven't been able to find one in the area.


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## AndiB (Jun 13, 2012)

Hello!

I am new here, and I wanted to say Thank you to Tommyice. Reason I joined the group, is that I was searching the net, and found the pic of your spinning wheel. I just recently got gifted the EXACT SAME wheel, bought to me by someone who knows NOTHING about spinning, but knew I was interested.

Since I am a new to spinning wheels, I was desperately searching for any info on the wheel. So far, I am lucky, I am only missing one part...the horizontal bar that holds the distaff. I have everything else. Mine has a bit more dings on it, but not bad.

I would LOVE to know, if you ever spun anything off of it, and what else did you find out, so I know what to look out for, before I try.

Thank you.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

AndiB Welcome to The Fold! We are here to help you in every way we can. You can search this forum for topics or you can ask us. Our moto here is, there are no stupid or dumb questions, we all had to start someplace. Also do NOT hesitate to ask. If we don't know the answer we can point you to where you can find it.

Ante, that horizontal bar for the distaff isn't necessary for spinning. The only people I know who use a distaff any longer are usually people doing living history. I'm going to need to go and look at TommyIces wheel again, I can't remember what she has.

Adni do you knit, crochet, weave????????


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## AndiB (Jun 13, 2012)

Hi!

And thanks for the welcome.

Well..Im going to try to hunt down that bar anyway..or have one made. I have been known to play with living history folks..so it would be neat to have. Also..gives me some place to put the distaff.. :grin:

As far as I know, no name was found on the thing. Mines has some numbers and stuff stamped on the bottom, but I could never find anything that matched it...and the paint/varnish make it pretty difficult to read.

Um...Lets see.
I crochet, learning to knit, Knook, sprang, nalbinding , simple loom weaving...

yeah..im a bonafide string fanatic. :rock:

I tend to bounce around. Spinning, on a spinning wheel is brand new to me. I have done a tiny bit of Navajo spindle spinning, but now im in a major search to locate some wool to practice on. I have spun plarn on my Navajo spinner, and made a few things as well.

Thanks again for the warm welcome!


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

AndiB said:


> Hello!
> 
> I am new here, and I wanted to say Thank you to Tommyice. Reason I joined the group, is that I was searching the net, and found the pic of your spinning wheel. I just recently got gifted the EXACT SAME wheel, bought to me by someone who knows NOTHING about spinning, but knew I was interested.
> 
> ...


That's exactly how I found HT.LOL Looking for info on spinning. Well I haven't spun anything yet. Still trying to get the drive band to stay on. Unfortunately life has a way of getting in the way, KWIM. The wheel resides next door at my father's house--I really don't have room in my apartment (it's a one bedroom and the dog and I have done a pretty good job of filling it)--so that makes it hard to spend the time to work on it. Every time I go to Dad's to work on it, I get a whole lot of "can you help me with's..."

Good luck with your wheel. Does yours have it's drive band?


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## AndiB (Jun 13, 2012)

Tommyice said:


> That's exactly how I found HT.LOL Looking for info on spinning. Well I haven't spun anything yet. Still trying to get the drive band to stay on. Unfortunately life has a way of getting in the way, KWIM. The wheel resides next door at my father's house--I really don't have room in my apartment (it's a one bedroom and the dog and I have done a pretty good job of filling it)--so that makes it hard to spend the time to work on it. Every time I go to Dad's to work on it, I get a whole lot of "can you help me with's..."
> 
> Good luck with your wheel. Does yours have it's drive band?


Awww. I was hoping you got a bit farther on yours. Im still cleaning mine. My also has a small chip on the wheel, and I hope that does not hurt it any. I will put a belt on tonight, to see how it goes.

I was curious, does yours have anything stamped/stenciled on the bottom? Mine does. No info on it yet.

Thanks for the info. I'll let you know once I put the band on. I REALLY want to get working with this thing. Gonna see if I can blow up your pic, so I can get that one piece that Im missing. Or I'm gonna start looking at table legs...lol.

Thanks!
:benice:


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## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

AndiB said:


> Um...Lets see.
> I crochet, learning to knit, Knook, sprang, nalbinding , simple loom weaving...
> 
> yeah..im a bonafide string fanatic. :rock:



Welcome! I do sprang too!

Please visit my blog:
Franco's Fiber Adventure: Search results for SPRANG

Have a good day!
Franco Rios


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## AndiB (Jun 13, 2012)

rabbitgeek said:


> Welcome! I do sprang too!
> 
> Please visit my blog:
> Franco's Fiber Adventure: Search results for SPRANG
> ...


Hi!

Recognize name from Ravelry and weavolution


And Tommyice

I did get a drive band on it. The wheel wobbles a bit, but Im sure I can fix that. I Just need to figure out how to tie the leader thread on, so that the flyer and bobbin will keep the thread flowing smoothly.


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

AndiB said:


> I was curious, does yours have anything stamped/stenciled on the bottom? Mine does. No info on it yet.
> 
> Thanks for the info. I'll let you know once I put the band on. I REALLY want to get working with this thing. Gonna see if I can blow up your pic, so I can get that one piece that Im missing. Or I'm gonna start looking at table legs...lol.
> 
> ...


No. 28 stamped right on the bottom although it might be written and not stamped. I'll have to get underneath to look again. 

Dad went upstate to his fishing place and I have Sunday off from work. I'm hoping to make a concentrated effort to work on it.


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## AndiB (Jun 13, 2012)

Hmmm.

Mine has stamped on the bottom: J24P 100G

I will try to work on mine Sunday. Got the belt working..just gotta figure out the leader...


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

OK played with the drive band a little more. Still comes flying off. Now if I stand where suggested and look at the back of wheel, it does wobble side to side while spinning. Also noticed the MOA is very loose and wobbly. Where the bobbin/whorl are on the maidens is very tight. Should there be some space between those spots on the maidens where the bobbin/whorl are placed?

I took some video of it spinning without the drive band on, but I don't know how to post it. I use Flicker and have gotten it uploaded.


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## AndiB (Jun 13, 2012)

Tommyice said:


> OK played with the drive band a little more. Still comes flying off. Now if I stand where suggested and look at the back of wheel, it does wobble side to side while spinning. Also noticed the MOA is very loose and wobbly. Where the bobbin/whorl are on the maidens is very tight. Should there be some space between those spots on the maidens where the bobbin/whorl are placed?
> 
> I took some video of it spinning without the drive band on, but I don't know how to post it. I use Flicker and have gotten it uploaded.


Hmmmm...

I did put a band on mine. I managed to spin the wheel without it flying off. I did use a bit of wax on the band. My MOA does not wobble. I added some felt washers in several spots.

I do have a bit of a wobble on the wheel, but I plan to pad that as well, to protect the wheel. My pedal squeeks like mad..so working on fixing that.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

AndiB don't forget to oil every moving part, OFTEN


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## AndiB (Jun 13, 2012)

Marchwind said:


> AndiB don't forget to oil every moving part, OFTEN




Oh Believe me...I know!! This thing squeeks like mad in some spots. hehehe

But, Im not spinning with it yet. Yesterday, I gave the wheel a murphy oil soap bath. Suddenly, I had red running all over the place....THANK GOODNESS for being outside and newspapers! The person who had this decided to drown the poor thing in stain. They stained Everything. Including the metal parts. So I have been busy scraping all that stuff off, and checking the wood parts to take care of a few spots....the biggest being that the wheel was slightly chipped...but not enough to throw the belt.

Once I glue a spot on the pedal, that spot will being receiving lots of oil. But I did have a question. I noticed both wheels seem to have a rope for a pin instead of a wooden bar. Could that cause the wheel to wobble more? Im thinking or replacing it, if it would make a difference. Just wondering.

Thanks! 
eep:


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## AndiB (Jun 13, 2012)

Wow. Cleaned off stuff where it had been stuck, lacquered over and such, and definitely finding out I need leather washers at end of whorl to keep it in line with the wheel. 
The maidens on mine after I cleaned them, are loose, so they move and I can get the bobbin off and on pretty easily. The MOA does wobble, but its more up and down, then front or back, or side to side with me. I stuffed the hole, to keep it tight to the table... 


Right now Im experimenting with washers between bobbin & whorl, to see if it makes any difference.

... 

If you ever find anyone who can make bobbins for the thing, please let me know!


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