A spinning wheel can be an priceless asset to any homestead . In plus to being able totransformanimal - sourced character like sheep , alpaca , or goat fleece into usable fibers , they can also be used for cotton , hemp , bamboo , and more .
That say , some people find the cost of modern wheels prohibitive , as the most basic wheels start at around $ 650 .
As such , renovate antique spinning cycle is also an option . Some people prefer to bring on antique rack , as they feel a impregnable connection to transmissible work with these machines .
Via Wikimedia Commons
Here ’s what I find out to help oneself you refurbish your own spinning wheel – and decide if you even want to try .
How I Got an Antique Spinning Wheel
I ’ve turn on both modern and age-old rack , but since I ’m a hobbyist rather than a full - fourth dimension spinner , I lean toward antique wheels over present-day designs .
I live in rural Quebec , so there are a destiny of old-hat shops around here . People go under in this field around 400 year ago , and one can determine absolute gem when folks empty out their grandparents ’ noodle and garage .
Last fall , my collaborator surprised me with an outmoded spinning bike for our day of remembrance . To say I was delighted would be an understatement , and I eagerly looked forward to spin some roving into yarn as soon as possible .
Via Wikimedia Commons
Unfortunately , it turned out that it was a Frankenstein ’s Monster of a piece that required a significant amount of refurbishing before it was available .
I ’ve chronicle the piece of work we ’ve done on it so far , as it ’s now usable . It ’s not finish by a long crack , as we still demand to make or buy a few portion to make it perfect , but at least it spins now !
Spinning Wheel Parts
Before dive into everything we fixed , let ’s have a mo of a 101 on spinning wheel parts so you know what I ’ll be blathering about here .
My Wheel
This is my double - driving spinning cycle , Charlotte ( and my hare associate , Birch ) . As you may see , it does n’t have a distaff ( “ L ” in the diagram above ) but has most of the other parts .
I bring up earlier that my wheel is a “ Frankenstein ’s Monster . ” This is because it looks as though it has been cobblestone together with share from a few different wheels over the year . The master parts are those of “ Quebec Production ” roulette wheel , made here between 1870 and 1955 .
While most of the wheel parts are over a 100 previous , the treadle and stripe depend more contemporary . A carpenter ally reckon that they were replaced sometime during the 1980s .
I have n’t supplant these part yet because I have to order a few more piece , so I ’m using the cobbled messy bits as they are .
How I Treated It
The wheel was a ironical , dusty mussiness when I first bring it home . Everything squeaked and groaned when it was moved , so I had to propose it some TLC .
First , I took everything aside and spread it out on a blanket . Then I wiped down each piece with a dampish cloth to murder the cake - on junk , spiderwebs , and compile grunge .
Once that was cleaned , I plow everything with homemade Sir Henry Joseph Wood polish . This comprised 70 % olive oil , 20 % walnut tree rock oil , and 10 % beeswax . I also added a few drops of lemon all-important oil because it makes the polish smell awesome .
After the wood was treated , it was meter to sort out the alloy . I used a blade woollen brush to remove any rust and then slathered mineral fossil oil on everything . Once I re - get together the steering wheel , I was delighted to discover that it had stopped squeaking when it turned , and the treadle moved much more swimmingly .
Replacement Parts
While most of my wheel was intact , there were a few part that want substitute .
Maiden Bearings
These scrap of leather that held the bill and bobbin between the maiden poles were unusable . In fact , they crumble to piece when I was cleaning everything . Needless to say , I have to replace these .
I ’ve been using wire as a irregular fix until I can get my hands on some duncish leather . Once I manage to mark some , I ’ll measure and abridge the pieces to size , bore through them with an awl , and set them into the place with mucilage and rivets .
The next bit is slightly more daunting .
A functional spinning wheel! Woohoo!
No Orifice!
One of the most all-important parts of a spinning wheel is the draw orifice . This is a hole or loop that ’s at the end of the mandrel , and it ’s the part that admit you to feed roving to connect to the handbill hooks . These will twist and twist the fiber into yarn or thread so you could put to work with it .
Well , at some point over the preceding 100 , some half-wit decide to solder my wheel ’s spindle orifice shut , render it unuseable .
I attach a playpen cap to one of the maidens with some wire as a temporary fix and ordered a similar intact , old-hat flier assembly from oversea . It has n’t get in yet , but I ’m so depend onward to using that instead .
The wonky playpen cap is doing the illusion for now , but it ’s far from idealistic . I ’m bet forward to trying this out with a flier assembly that actually work out the direction it ’s supposed to !
Drive Band
This is the corduroy that wraps around the wheel and attaches to the bobbin to spin it . I create my own drive band by plying cotton fiber and wool yarn together on a bead spindle , and then winding that around the twofold drive and reel .
Footman Attachment
The footman was n’t properly attached to the brass nut case , so it celebrate falling off . My guess is that it had been the footman for another wheel and was wired onto this one so it could be sold .
This sounds a bit sleazy , but I glued an antique button onto the crank so the footman would n’t dislocate off . It ’s pretty , and it works , and that ’s really all that matter to me at this point .
Does it Work?
The answer is “ yes . ”
Does it workwell ? Notyet , but it will .
have intercourse that it has the potential to function properly means the world to me , as it simply requires a few more tweaks . Then all I want to do is convince Himself to let me get some sheep .
Pros and Cons of an Antique Wheel over a Contemporary One
Having refurbish this outmoded wheel , I now have firsthand experience with the benefit and downside of an old wheel vs. a fresh one .
Pros of Antique Wheels:
Cons of Antique Wheels:
Pros of Contemporary Wheels:
Cons of Contemporary Wheels:
As you could see , there are pros and cons to both , and there may be extra detriments and benefits depend on the wheel itself , as well as the individual refurbishing it .
If you have a lot of time on your hands and you care to fuss with things on your own , then bring an older spinning wheel back to lifetime is a great project !
instead , if you ’re not comfortable with woodworking , or if you ’re raring and just desire to get on with it , then regard buying a new or mildly used modern bike .
reckon on where you ’re locate , you may be able-bodied to make a really good one for $ 400 to $ 600 .
Be Wary When Buying Antique Wheels
Many hoi polloi have accidentally purchased SWSOs ( spinning rack - shaped objects ) at antique shops and fair . These were develop in the sixties and 70s as decorative pieces , but are n’t functional wheels . Y
ou can tell whether your wheel is a real one by whether there are actual grooves in the roulette wheel ( the drive ) so a isthmus can be attached and if the bobbin and flyer can birl separately .
While some SWSOs can be adapted to spin thread , many of them are unusable and are rigorously to be used decoratively .
Furthermore , many antique wheel will have a manufacturer ’s mark and number somewhere on the mesa . Mine was underneath , and though the name has been worn off over time , I can still make out the figure 283 under there .
If you bump an ex wheel for sale and you fall in love with it , ask the shop owner whether it ’s functional or not . Then , if they assure you that it is , ask for a presentment . If they ca n’t calculate out how it put to work or do n’t seem to have the pieces necessary to make it encounter , walk on by .
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