bought an old spinning wheel...photos and questions

Count me as a total newbie - I am!
I've carded wool sometimes in third grade or so, that's the closest thing I've been to actually spinning something!
Unfortunately, the piece between the wheel and the footman was nowhere to bee seen when I bought it (for decorating). It will have to be replaced somehow. I do have a carpenter for a husband, so a stick with something to fasten it in the ends might be made.


Lets see if this picture helps:



This is the twine I have available at the moment. It is pure cotton. Will it work?
Old belts are no problem, I've got some lying around.
Wool - I will contact some sheep-owners around here.
Sewing machine oil - got some, and more readily available.

As for treating the wood - I'll try to get it working first, and then put some work into it if it does =)

Thank you again, your information is consise and easily understood!

Is that a flat bit of wood I see tied to the wheel?  I tried to circle it with the picture programme, not sure if it worked.

No, it's just a support for the sloping wheel stand - looks like it has been added on sometime.

Tina Horsefield wrote:No, it's just a support for the sloping wheel stand - looks like it has been added on sometime.

Ah, so it's fully attached to the wheel?  Dang.  It looks just like the right shape for the missing footman.  


I'm putting together some pictures for you.  But for them to work, we'll have to imagine that I can draw.  I can't draw, so I expect there will be more questions.  But it gives us a starting place.

Trying to upload some better photos so you can decide what's what =) Computer hanging a bit.....

Edit: Here is a close up of the flat piece, I've removed the (edit) drive wheel.

For this, we need to pretend I can draw and spell.  Neither of which I do well.

This gives a general idea of some of the words that go with spinning wheel parts.  Any questions, please ask.  






Let's start with the driveband.  It looks like the right type of string, but I can't tell if it's the right size.  

This is a spindle from an old walking wheel.  The whorls are much smaller than yours, but hopefully, you can get the basic idea.  



The bit of string I put on it is just the right size.  It fits fully in the groove.  Here's another whorl from a different kind of wheel.  One string is just right, and the big string is too big.  The fat string doesn't go all the way to the bottom of the whorl.  Using a string that is too fat puts pressure on the wheel and can damage it.





Let's check if your spindles fit your wheel.  

For this spindle, the leathers will fit on the back of the shaft, and forward, towards the tip of the spindle, just in front of the wooden bit.


(my picture went weird somehow, sorry).

This is where I think your leathers are going to go on your spindles.  Do they line up like this or is the distance between the leathers too short or long?



Anything I'm not clear on, please ask.

Tina Horsefield wrote:Trying to upload some better photos so you can decide what's what =) Computer hanging a bit.....

Edit: Here is a close up of the flat piece, I've removed the wheel itself.

I see it better now.  

You're right, not a footman.  It's so hard to tell from a distance.

But it does show that this wheel was valued enough to be repaired.  Beautiful history to the wheel.  

so now I'm looking for 'spindle wheels' out of curiosity  
This picture says it is from this site www.villagespinweave.com and this is the page there where it is shown http://www.villagespinweave.com/IBS/SimpleCat/Product/asp/hierarchy/0208/product-id/38894041.html but no mention of anything but the distaff that I noticed....

You are easily understood =) (I think you should make a "spinning for complete dummies). I understand the drawings too, no problems =)

Okay, so here's my removable small parts.
Those on the bottom are maidens, then the spindles? And the short thingy on the top, is it a bobbin or what?


What are the differences in use between this:


And this?


Have to hit the bed now, but thanks again for everything so far! =)

this is a pdf of the instructions that come with the Ashford Quill which works with their Traditional, Traveller, and Elizabeth wheels.

It assumes you know a lot already, but it might help give a better idea.

If I get a chance, I might try and borrow one of these next week, so I can take pictures and better explain things.

R Ranson wrote:this is a pdf of the instructions that come with the Ashford Quill which works with their Traditional, Traveller, and Elizabeth wheels

That was actually easy to understand thank you again!

A tricky test to figure out if the quills match your wheel:  When you have the quills in place, and you look at the wheel from that end.  Do the whorls and the drive wheel line up?  They don't have to line up perfectly, but they need to be close enough that the drive band isn't going to jump off.  

Pick the one that lines up the best.  That's the one to start with.

On your wheel's table there is a nob at one end.  This controls how close and how far away your motherofall is from your drivewheel.  (this is where my drawing comes in handy).  Technically, we call this the "drive band tension nob/screw" but since it's the only tension nob on your wheel, we'll just call it the tension nob or tension device.  Gently see if you can turn it.  The hidden bit is a big wooden screw that the motherofall attaches to.  Page 6 of these instructions (pdf) shows a modern version of this tensioning device.  

This can be a fragile part of the wheel, so go gently.  

If you can, make it so that your motherofall is closest to your wheel in preparation for timing on your driveband.  

Yes, the mother-of-all moves! =)

Uh oh...trouble..
I've just tried to (carefully) fasten the twine as a drive band, to easier see if the spindle was uasble, and I have found something that is a bit worrying:
The drive wheel twists!
It runs fine, and then it hits the bottom of the side support. When I study it from straight ahead, I see that it is a little twisted.
I haven't been able to get a good picture of the twist, but half the wheel gently bends one way, the other is straight. Probably due to moist and then dry storage.
Here's where it hits the support.


There are other wheels available for a few bucks around here, but I would like to get this one working.
Any ideas?

Good to have the provenance on the wheel.  It is a double drive, screams eastern European and has a hole just left of the flyer for a distaf.  Nice.  I have a decent collection of 19th century wheels, and I particularly like eastern European wheels because they tend to have more character, like the paint, the carved head on the footman etc.

Oh Tina, I'm sorry.  I thought I answered this.  Sorry about that.

Some wobble and twist in a wheel is fine.  It's expected after all this time.  Keeping it well oiled will help prevent future twisting and sometimes even reduces what's already happened.

So long as the drive band doesn't pop off the wheel while in use, you're good.

Speaking about old wheels, I just brought home one this week.  It's early 1900s (teens or twenties), arts and crafts style walking wheel.  I love it and it's the best shape of any walking wheel I've had.  Just about ready to use with a couple of adjustments.  I want to take off some of the more recent repairs and re-do them to look more in keeping with the original style.  It's also a spindle wheel.

R Ranson:  Nice wheel!  I love my walking wheel. I have finally learned how to spin flax on it, but man, it took me awhile to get in the groove for that!  AND I had to build a standing distaff.  Trying to hold a belt distaff under my drawing arm, spin the wheel, walk back and forth, oh geez, how do I get to the mucloid (water from soaking flax seeds overnight I use to wet the fibers when I spin)? I felt like a human Goldberg machine! Bet it was funny to watch though!  The standing distaff made it sooo much easier.

Plan for a standing distaff: Yup, real fancy,'I need this now' distaff!  a flat round cut from a good sized log, drill hole in middle.  That's the base. Buy a long 1" dowel.  I got a 5 footer, but I'm shorter than 5'.  Notch the top, stick the bottom end in the hole in the round on the floor.  Tie long line flax on to the top and let it hang.

R Ranson wrote:Oh Tina, I'm sorry.  I thought I answered this.  Sorry about that.

That's okay, I've been so busy these last weeks that I haven't been able to reply anyway.
Puh, that's a relief! I really did not want to replace my wheel, glad I don't have to!
Still haven't made the footman or oiled it, it might have to wait for autumn, spring has finally arrived in my part of the world, and things tend to get busy in the garden - very fast...

Congrats on the new wheel, it looks great!
Have you tried it yet?

I started crocheting and found this wheel. Can anyone tell me which one or anything about it. What it's missing. Is it worth purchasing? I want to get more involved with this art. I'm sorry if I'm not doing this right. I'm not sure how to make my own posts.

-Steph

Uriels Katana wrote:I started crocheting and found this wheel. Can anyone tell me which one or anything about it. What it's missing. Is it worth purchasing? I want to get more involved with this art. I'm sorry if I'm not doing this right. I'm not sure how to make my own posts.

-Steph

Hi Steph, this is not a complete wheel, it has a broken flyer and missing parts.  In my opinion, don't buy it.

It is beautiful, but it's not ready to spin with.

It's hard to tell from the photo, but it looks like there is no orifice (hole you feed the yarn into) and the flyer is broken/incomplete.  It would need quite a bit of work to get it spinning and a fair bit more to get it spinning well.

I suggest waiting for a different wheel or checking out ravelry.com for listings of wheels for sale.  

Feel free to post your questions here when you find another spinning wheel.

I know this is an old post, but I wanted to let you know that your wheel is from Norway. It was made by a family with the last name of Gylland, and the flyer pictured with your wheel is, in fact, the original flyer. They were generally sold with just one bobbin. Please let me know if you'd like more information about your wheel. Karen