Is this complete or are there missing parts

Can you tell me if there are any missing parts on this flex wheels are spinning wheel which ever it’s called?
I cannot figure where you would put a spool in order to wind the twisted yarn or flex on to.  But then I know nothing about spinning wheels!

I can't see the whole wheel so don't know if there are parts missing BUT see the C shaped piece on the right hand side of the photo? inside of it is a spool also called a bobbin.  The bobbin fits on a rod that runs up the middle of the flyer.  As you spin the flyer rotates around the bobbin winding the newly spun thread onto the bobbin.  

I am not a Saxony wheel expert by any means, but I do see the flyer appears to be broken (the piece with the hooks that guides the spun single onto the bobbin). Antique wheels are often a headache for those who do not specialize in them, and because of their wide variation in pricing you can easily get swindled by someone who is selling it as an antique decoration only. Often these antique wheels will go upwards of 200 dollars, for which price you can find a used working wheel through craigslist, facebook, ravelry, etc.

Or, if you want to learn to spin, there are some nice inexpensive drop spindles out there. many merchants I know sell beginner learning kits too.

Antique wheels are cool, and certainly have their merits, but I usually avoid them because, hey, I'm not savvy enough to repair them.

Pretty.
Looking good but hard to say.  Is it possible to get more photos?

Here are a few more pictures of my wheel.  I don’t plan using it.
I would like to find out if any major parts are missing.
Most wheels you can see where the spindle, or the bobbin sets but what appears to be a bobbin
I see no way to remove it.
This makes me think it been altered to be used as a decorative item.
So I was ask to post more pictures so here
they are...
All help appreciated!

yes it appears you are right. I had noticed the maidens were a different wood  and that the back of the flyer  went through the maiden but was not sure if the front of the flyer was removable or not. That flyer may not actually belong to that wheel which is why they did the maidens like they did.  You can tell the flyer was on a working wheel at one time by the dent worn by singles running across the flyer to the hooks that help it wind onto the bobbin.  It would also need some new hooks as a couple are broken.

Another ummm sign now that I have better photos is there is no way to tension the flyer OR bobbin.  You need to be able to tension one or the other to create the speed difference needed for the single to be wound onto the bobbin.  In a double drive wheel there are two slots for the drive band on the whorl so the drive band can both tension the bobbin/flyer assembly AND the drive band.  Your wheel has a single thick drive band running from the wheel to whorl.  IF there are is space for two finer drive bands on that whorl it could still function.  You would simply need to wind your single off the bobbin when it is full.  It was done like this on some wheels.  And most older wheels only have 1 bobbin.

Beautiful wheel whether it is a working wheel or not.

Yes, the maidens look decorative. It's fine if it's for display, but if I was using the wheel, I would want leather bearings instead.

there is no way to tension the flyer OR bobbin.  You need to be able to tension one or the other to create the speed difference needed for the single to be wound onto the bobbin.  In a double drive wheel there are two slots for the drive band on the whorl so the drive band can both tension the bobbin/flyer assembly AND the drive band.

Actually, it's designed as a double drive wheel.  The separate tension on the flyer or bobbin is primarily a mid 20th Century and onwards thing that became really popular with the resurgence of spinning in the 1970s.  Although we do see some "Indian" head spinners with a leather 'break' on the flyer before this, it wasn't until the invention of synthetic materials that can hold up to the friction that having a break separate to the drive band really took off.

A double drive that is using one drive band double looped has one slot for in the drive wheel.  See Ashford's Elisabeth Spinning Wheel as a modern example.  

The difference in diameter between the flyer whorl and bobbin whorl and the friction of the two (or one with a double loop) drive bands is what causes the difference in speed.  The Big Book of Handspinning goes into the math of how this works in excruciating detail.

Given the age, I expect the flyer whorl will screw off - but it might be reverse thread.  This is the most dangerous part of the restoration as it can break the parts that are most expensive to replace.  Are you planning on spinning on it?  If not, then maybe it's fine as it is?

 In a double drive wheel there are two slots for the drive band on the whorl so the drive band can both tension the bobbin/flyer assembly AND the drive band.  Your wheel has a single thick drive band running from the wheel to whorl.  IF there are is space for two finer drive bands on that whorl it could still function.

I did mention the possibility of a double drive but as currently set up it is nonfunctioning.

Thank you for the information I really appreciate it!

Thanks for all the info you gave me. Very interesting!  
The wheel is just for looks I love all things yarn so my husband re did this to the best of his abilities and I love it!
Thanks,
Ruth

Dorothy Pohorelow wrote:yes it appears you are right. I had noticed the maidens were a different wood  and that the back of the flyer  went through the maiden but was not sure if the front of the flyer was removable or not. That flyer may not actually belong to that wheel which is why they did the maidens like they did.  You can tell the flyer was on a working wheel at one time by the dent worn by singles running across the flyer to the hooks that help it wind onto the bobbin.  It would also need some new hooks as a couple are broken.

I know this is an old thread and I'm no expert but am trying to restore an old wheel myself. I'd like to suggest that it's possible that the flyer is original to this wheel but that perhaps one of the maidens had broken and that's why the new maidens were turned? It's just that they didn't construct them properly - there are usually leather mounting tabs inserted into the maidens for the flyer to mount to, rather than to the maidens themselves. The reason, I would guess is that these wear out due to friction and are easy to replace AS WELL AS easy to oil to reduce friction. The reason I say this is that the MOA appears to be original and doesn't have additional holes where different maidens would have been inserted. My guess is that the maidens easily slip out of the MOA which would enable you to get the flyer disassembled and the bobbin off (but the whorl on the end is likely reverse threaded, so don't force it - try unscrewing it opposite). I would guess this wheel could be easily made usable.

Another ummm sign now that I have better photos is there is no way to tension the flyer OR bobbin.  You need to be able to tension one or the other to create the speed difference needed for the single to be wound onto the bobbin.  In a double drive wheel there are two slots for the drive band on the whorl so the drive band can both tension the bobbin/flyer assembly AND the drive band.  Your wheel has a single thick drive band running from the wheel to whorl.  IF there are is space for two finer drive bands on that whorl it could still function.  You would simply need to wind your single off the bobbin when it is full.  It was done like this on some wheels.  And most older wheels only have 1 bobbin.

Beautiful wheel whether it is a working wheel or not.

Looks like someone who didn't know anything about spinning wheels just wanted to make this look good. This is a simple fix. Take off the thick band and put a proper double drive band on. I *think* this could be functional as-is with a new drive band, but I would think there'd be a lot of friction with the flyer axle (spindle?) sitting directly in the wood. Not sure how you might help that other than putting a LOT of beeswax in those holes!