# Okay, question time, all you drum carder owners!



## Meg Z (Jun 8, 2004)

Okay, when I tried the Romney, it was gorgeous. I swear, maybe my husband's been gone too long, but that was almost orgasmic!  The fleece is close, by itself, but now I have this wonderous, soft, fluffy batt......oh, my....

Now, here's the question:

Since I don't have a picker (yet :baby04: ) I've already decided that I'll be better off hand-picking a bunch at a time, then carding it. But, where to put the carder, that's the question! I stole hubby's shooting table (he's not using it!) and brought it in the house to put it on. That puts it at a height for me to stand and work it. Would it be better to use it at a height where I'm sitting? Who does what?

Chris will build me a table for it when he gets back, to whatever specs I want...so I need to know what I want. I've got this vision of a two tiered stand in my head...picker on top at standing height, and carder underneath at sitting height. But I don't have a table at sitting height big enough to hold it to test it out. I'm not thinking eating table height here, I'm thinking more like keyboard height. I've got to crank that handle, and feed wool, so comfotable for hand use.

So, while I'm looking around for something big enough to hold this at the right height to test...tell me what you have, please!

Meg...recovering from her first drum carding experience


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I have the "Fricke's" finest and it is big and I love it. But I have it stored in a spot then move it to where I will be using it. One reason I won't put it where I will use it is because it gets really dirty underneath the carder. Even clean fleeces shed all sorts of crud when carded. I use mine standing up and I put it on a table that is sitting hight, as in eating hight. I like it at about hip hight so I can lean into it if need be. Your arms get tired after a long day of carding. As for a picker, well the one I've used was set at a higher hight than the carder maybe waist hight. I've used it outside or inside with a big garbage bag on one end. That also sheds a load of crud from fleeces. I find that if the fleeces are generally clean when carded you do not need a picker. The fleeces I used the picker for were really nasty Buffalo and a Shetland that had seen better days. Ither than that the carder works fine.

I can't remember if you are the one who likes to spin in the grease Meg or not. But I wouldn't recommend carding greasy fleeces on your drum carder. It can really gunk it up even if the fleeces are fresh when you card them the grease can't be easily removed from the drums.

Congratulations on your batt!


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## Meg Z (Jun 8, 2004)

Okay, step one...I'll move it to the table and see how I like that height.

I do realize that I'll have to move it to clean under it. I just need to be sure I've got it at a good height for working, before I ask Chris to build me a permanent work table for it.

I think the picker would be a lot faster than me fluffing all those locks, although this is itself tremendously faster than by hand! Oh, wow! I've done several batts this afternoon/evening, and I just keep impressing myself!

I'm not the grease-spinner; I'm the lock-spinner. Or I was. I wanted the carder for blending, since I keep both sheep and rabbits and have access to free mohair. I think I just gave up lock-spinning! Well, maybe....

I absolutely love this machine! 

Thanks. I'll try it on the dining room table tomorrow and see how that height works. I still need to find something for sitting while working to test that out...

Meg


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

I'm the grease spinner, March .

I am SO tickled pink for you, Meg! I know a gal who, like March, said the drum carder worked best forher if it was on a regular height table. Her picker was on a slightly higher table (dunno why). She actually kept both in her barn which had a packed limestone floor (so it was a lot cleaner than most barns). 

~Falcon


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## minnikin1 (Feb 3, 2003)

I like to card standing up as well, Meg. 

I've only done it at ordinary table height, just because that's all we had that was convenient. It never seemed awkward, but now that you mention it, I think the kitchen counter height would be better.


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## Katherine in KY (May 11, 2002)

I have the Strauch finest and use in on the dining room table standing up. Our house is small, and I just haven't found a better place for it. I bought a big Rubbermaid box to put it in when the grandchild was around; he's now moved to Hawaii so I just store it on top with a towel over it (and the box is fast filling up with fiber!). Sometimes I sit to crank it, but you have to get up frequently to take the batt off the drum, etc. March is right about the dirt that accumulates underneath it. Because I move it when I'm done I clean it up after every use. I love my carder, but I think you were right to get the double width one. You can make much bigger batts and sit longer while making them. I don't have a picker so I can't comment on them--they scare me to death. I generally comb or tease the fiber before I send it through the carder so the fiber in the batts is pretty much lined up the same way. For short fiber-ed fleeces I'll hand pick the fibers, but I don't like those batts as well. I know how you're feeling with your new carder. Wait 'til you start working with color


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## Liese (Dec 12, 2005)

Don't have a picker but I put my carder on a work table that 30" high and card standing, that way my arm swing has full movement and it's easy to remove the fleece. This table is the one I like to roll pasta out on too (after cleaning of course!). Happy carding.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

I've had my carder and picker set up on the dining room table and now is on an old 'laundry room' table that is about the same height. I stand while I card and pick.

Actually, I don't pick too much. I haven't gotten the hang of my picker and it seems to shred the fiber too much.


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## betty modin (May 15, 2002)

I've never used a picker, but I love my drum carder. I use it on the dining table with a layer of old towels or an old sheet under it to make clean up faster and more, well..clean, and I use it standing up. I seem to be able to manuever better standing. When I wash my fiber I open it up before it completely dries by pulling the locks apart by hand. Then, while carding I pull the clumps fiber to open it up even more and shake it before I load it on the carder. It seems no matter what I do there's always a mess under the machine when I'm done. Before the foster child moved in I would set the carder up and use it for several days before I put it away again. Now I just bring it down from upstairs and use it for awhile, then put it away. There have only been two fleeces that I liked better when I carded by hand, and they were pretty fly-a-way. Enjoy your new toy-I mean tool. betty


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