spinning

In article ,
(Els van Dam) wrote:

In article 41a5246b$0$323$afc38c87@, "Jack Schmidling" wrote:

OK Here you are Jack, I went and looked with the Google browser....under
"building a spinning wheel.

Here is what I found:


http://www.furnituredesigns.com/cata.../Spinning.html

Helpful books that tell you general things about spinning wheels (ie how
they work), and maybe how to build them.

* Spinning Wheel Primer - Alden Amos, Interweave Press
* The Care & Feeding of Spinning Wheels - Karen Pauli, Interweave Press
* Spinning Wheel Building and Restoration - Bud Kronenberg, which, while
not actually having plans, apparently describes a multitude of spinning
wheels, and shows how to make them,
* Wheels and Looms by David Bryant, ISBN 0-7134-4828-8 pub. 1991 (out of
print - so snap it up if you see it).
* Spinning and weaving at home : expert advice on constructing and using
your own low-cost spinning wheel and loom by Thomas Kilbride
Published by Thorsons ; Distributed by Sterling ISBN: 0722505523
* Spinning and Weaving with Wool by Paula Simmons
Pacific Search Press, Seattle, Washington, 1977
apparently has plans for a great wheel
Winter 1996 issue of SpinOff (from Interweave press) had an article about
a man who restores old wheels, and had some good info about materials
used.


http://www.spwhsl.com/faqlink.htm


Jack there were many more sites to go and look at. With a smile patience
and a bit of time you will get all your answers.

When you load you carders, less is better than a lot. When you have
carded a batt, roll it gently between the wooden backs of your carders, so
you get a rolag, now even without a spinning wheel you can spin a thread.
Gently pull at one end and roll it over you thigh, with your right hand
and pulling it out with your left. Move your hand that rolls the fibers
away from your body. lift your hadn at the end of the stroke, and repeat
rolling the fibers over you thight, until you have enough twist in the
yarn You can wind the spun yarn on a toilet roll. Now hold the roll with
your thumb on the just wound up yarn and pull out some more fibers from
your rolag, twist on your thigh, away from your body again, and voila you
are spinning.

Els on Vancouver Island

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Some more possible ideas for you...

Jack Schmidling wrote:
with major snippage, as I'm actually quoting from Els' quotes of the original
post, not being able to find your original post *anywhere*.

These days, the library is the last resort and if you live in a
small town, no resort at all.

They don't have inter-library loan??? Even small-town libraries usually have
access to books from other libraries across your state. In addition to the
books Els mentioned, try checking the Interweave Press website (see way below
for URL) for more book titles that a library in your state might have -
Interweave publishes lots of spinning books. Or use Amazon's book search - make
sure you include OOP books - to come up with even more titles that have plans
for, or details on, spinning wheels; that should give you several. In an entire
state, they should be able to find at least *one* book with plans, if they have
enough titles to choose from.

If you simply refuse to pay any money for plans, why not forget a wheel and go
with a drop spindle? Sure, it's slower, but it works. It's a heckuva lot more
portable, too. You can get a lot of spinning done while standing in line or
waiting for doctors' appointments, etc. (and get into some *really* interesting
conversations.) Plus it's a lot easier to spin with a drop spindle while
reading newsgroups on the computer than it is with a wheel. (why yes, I
sometimes spin while I'm on the computer; doesn't everyone?? ::snicker:

Google and you can find several pages with instructions on how to make one,
including one made out of a couple of CD's, a dowel, and sundry other bits.
(one version is on the Interweave site, again; spinning resources page,
downloadable PDF.) If you prefer wood, all you really need is a disk for the
whorl, a dowel, a drill, some sandpaper and a little wood glue. Then a little
oil for a hand-rubbed finish when done - but not *too* much, you don't want it
overly slippery. You'll drop it enough while learning. g Or make the whorl
out of polymer clay, or use a big trade bead and a bamboo skewer for really
*fine* yarn... Tons of options for the creative. Plenty of pictures of drop
spindles on the web for you to see what they look like. Heck, in an emergency,
you can use a crochet hook stuck through a potato. (yes, I'm serious. a little
wobbly - and of course, you have to replace the potato regularly g - but it
works.) There are also plenty of websites explaining how to spin with a drop
spindle, too. With pix, and some with videos or animations. Check out:

http://www.allfiberarts.com/cs/spininfo.htm

for lots of links.

Back to spinning wheel info - the link on the above page entitled, 'How Your
Spinning Wheel Spins', features some pix and explanations on how different
flyer whorl/bobbin assemblies work that could be of help.

If you can't find free plans for a flyer wheel, drop back in time a little and
figure out a spindle wheel; i.e., a wheel turning what's basically a drop
spindle set on its side. Get an old bicycle wheel, make a spindle, set it in
some sort of cradle support, use some cord for a drive-band to connect the two
- voila. Look for pictures of charkha or walking/Great wheels for details; you
may not be able to reproduce them precisely, but you'll see how they work. You
can see some reasonable close-ups of how to assemble a book charkha, while will
show some aspects of the basic idea, at:

http://www.urbanspinner.com/charkha/

And photos of a spinning demonstration on another style of charkha here (the
URL's gonna wrap in this window). Real good close-up of the spindle assembly in
last pic at bottom of page:

http://www.straw.com/cpy/BlackSheep/...-demoLori.html

Other possible sources for low-cost wheel plans:

--Your local 4-H County Extension Services agent; somewhere, a kid with a sheep
project may have gotten interested in spinning, and wanted to make a wheel.

--Google newsgroups search - rec.woodworking, if you haven't checked that out
yet. No actual plans being given away for free, but more resources to look
into, such as mention of some magazine back-issues that apparently published
plans. Another possibility for inter-library loan. (I'm sure you know how to
Google the groups archives. when trying to find your original post, in
desperation I finally tried not specifying any newsgroup. you obviously
multi-rec; go, Jack! g you know newsgroups that well, you gotta know how to
search the archives.)

--Have you checked around to see if you have any local spinning or weaving
guilds? They usually have their own libraries, you may be able to get some
info. Someone in a guild might even have come up with a set of plans. If you
have a local yarn store, ask there. Or try looking for guilds on the web; three
sites to start out with:

http://www.fibreartsonline.com/fac/weaving/assnGeo.htm

http://www.sover.net/~wiltshir/cybergld.htm

http://www.interweave.com
(go to spinning, then to Spinning Resources - guilds listing link at bottom of
that page)

--Museums. My father built wheels for my mother and I, and he got his plans
from some museum; which, I can't remember. Dunno how much, if anything, it
cost. He had to redesign the wheel hub and spoke assembly anyway, as the
original plans had apparently been drawn up by someone who never actually made
the sucker. It was a reproduction of a Welsh Saxony wheel. The spokes were so
close together on the hub that Dad was swearing a blue streak and worrying
about the structural integrity. He made changes for mine. Did the metal-work
for the flyer and wheel hub himself, but then he had a small welding outfit.
You could probably work something out. Or if your local high school has a metal
shop, see if you can work a deal there.

If you still can't find anything, and don't want to spend $20 and up for plans,
The Woolery online store has 3 spinning wheel plans available for reasonable
prices; two require a lathe, one doesn't. $9.95, $8.95 and $4.95, respectively.
Even with shipping, the $4.95 one is cheap!

http://www.woolery.com/Pages/booksplans.html

Heck, you'll probably end up paying more than that for those wool cards you
mentioned, ref'd in the quote below.

I clipped some wool from one of them and tried carding
with some file cards and got real excited but just made a
mess of it. I bid on a set of real ones on Ebay today.

If those get too expensive, try a pair of dog flicker brushes. Smaller surface,
so slower going, but basically the same thing. Your other option would be to
buy carding cloth from a spinning supply store and make your own cards - but
then you're getting into more money again, 'cause carding cloth is a tad
expensive. *koff* But the design is certainly easy enough.

But anyway, some details on any sort of flyer/bobbin would
be useful.

One of the links found on the spwhsl site Els gave you has some good pix and
info on spinning wheel parts, even an animation of a flyer in action:

http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/~caj/wheel.html

Check the links on the above page for Wheels dissected (the animation page) and
How To's; especially the 'How to assemble a double drive wheel's flyer' for
reasonable close-ups.

As for what bobbins look like, check out the sites for spinning wheel
manufacturers, rather than the retailers: Ashford, Louet, Majacraft... They're
more likely to have any close-ups, and more actual pictures. If not great ones
of the flyer assemblies, you should at least find some good pix of the
different bobbin styles. A good place to start, with links to mfrs. as well as
retailers, is on allfiberarts again:

http://www.allfiberarts.com/cs/spinningwheels.htm

Bobbins are fairly simple, even the ones used on double drive-band wheels. Two
disks with a groove or grooves on the rims, drilled in the center so they can
be stuck on either end of a central tube. Almost as simple as a drop spindle.
(ok, half the time now they've got frictionless linings in the tubes, but
still...)

That enough to give you some more options? bg Have fun!

Monica
CMMPDX2 at aol
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In article 41a56445$0$327$afc38c87@, "Jack Schmidling" wrote:

"Els van Dam"

Here is what I found:


http://www.furnituredesigns.com/cata.../Spinning.html

Helpful books that tell you general things about spinning wheels (ie how
they work), and maybe how to build them.

You are not paying attention to my words. Been there done that. I spent
hours searching and come up with nothing but stuff for sale. All I want is
a bloody picture or drawing of a flyer and bobbin. The notion that I have
to pay for it, makes me very angry. Every other craft I have ever gotten
involved in has tons of free info for do-it-yourselfers. My own web site is
a good example.


Jack there were many more sites to go and look at. With a smile patience
and a bit of time you will get all your answers.

Sorry to have put you to so much typing but like I said, I do not intend to
pay for a picture.

When you load you carders, less is better than a lot. When you have
carded a batt, roll it gently between the wooden backs of your carders, so
you get a rolag.....

I had no idea what I was doing. I just kept putting it back and carding
more and more. I ended up with a nice fluffy pile but it could not be
twisted into anything. It was actually a pile of little pieces that had no
affinity for each other. I have since seen some pics on what I should have
done.

js

Sorry but you did not look very well then.....the sites I gave you had
several very good pictures of a flyer and bobbin setup, and also books to
work with. My husband and I did it I am sure you can do it to, do the
foot work. No we did not have a lot of money....and we made three
spinning wheels, just by getting the books reading and looking, and asking
questions from friends and spinners who knew more than we did. There is a
wealth of material out there.

Good luck with it all and over and out.

Els

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In article ,
(CMM PDX2) wrote:

Thank you Monica, for backing up, what I was telling Jack. There is so
much material out there, it is incredible.

Els

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In article ,
(Els van Dam) wrote:

In article ,
(CMM PDX2) wrote:

Thank you Monica, for backing up, what I was telling Jack. There is so
much material out there, it is incredible.

Els

Jack I took pictures of my flyer bbin ansemble, and have just mailed it
out to you by E-mail, good luck with it

els

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here is a good site. http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/~caj/wheel.html
RhondaOn Thu, 25 Nov 2004 22:02:48 -0800, (Els van Dam) wrote:

In article ,
(Els van Dam) wrote:

In article ,
(CMM PDX2) wrote:

Thank you Monica, for backing up, what I was telling Jack. There is so
much material out there, it is incredible.

Els

Jack I took pictures of my flyer bbin ansemble, and have just mailed it
out to you by E-mail, good luck with it

els

Els wrote:

Thank you Monica, for backing up, what I was telling Jack.
There is so much material out there, it is incredible.

A goodly portion of those links I mentioned were followed off the sites you
listed, so most of the credit still goes to you.

And you betcha, Els on how much is out there - a *heckuva* lot more resources
now, than there were around back in the early 70's. Mom *worked* in a library,
and I can remember how hard a time she had finding anything, even with the
entire resources of the State of Oregon library system. She could only track
down around 4 or 5 books about spinning; period, total, that was literally all
she wrote! That you could *find*, anyway, and possibly lay your hands on. While
making sure you included the books published in the UK, too. Much less anything
talking much about wheel design, or good pictures of parts. It was like
searching for the Ark or something. Luckily, Oregon has a good inter-library
loan program, as do most states.

Plus, at least now you can actually find plans for sale. Back then, most US
wanna-be spinners would've given blood to find plans we could simply buy,
rather than searching months for the few books out there. Or trying to track
down someone selling new wheels, another nearly impossible task. Most people
simply turned to Ashford, and in those days, you pretty much ordered 'em from
New Zealand. Most antique wheels either needed repair, were totally missing
parts, or cost the earth.

If you did find a wheel, you then had to find someone who could teach you how
to figure the darned thing out; spinning teachers were just as rare as working
wheels. g I got lucky that Katy Turner, one of those who helped revive the
great wheel here in the US (and whose hubby made the wonderful Obadiah Tharp
Great Wheels), happened to live in Portland. She gave lessons through the local
Parks Bureau. It was fantastic, learning to spin on a wheel from her! Hee - and
that's where Dad got a lot of his knowledge about wheels. He and mom ended up
kind of 'auditing' the courses with me. bg If it was made of wood, he could
pretty much build anything once he knew how it worked. That's why he was
able to solve the problems in the plans for the first one he built, and make a
lot of great improvements in the one he built for me.

But I learned to spin first on a drop spindle Dad had made - on my own, I was
the only one in the family who managed to figure it out. Then I taught Mom. All
this was a couple years before any of us had even seen a wheel in real life,
much less took spinning lessons. Every vacation trip we took, we'd stop in a
local pioneer museums in hopes that they had a spinning wheel on display. We
did get lucky once, and as they would let you try spinning on it, Dad checked
it out thoroughly. It was a great wheel, though, and he wanted to build a flyer
wheel, so he didn't build one then. He tried spinning with a drop spindle after
he'd made some for Mom and I, but waited to really learn spinning until he'd
built Mom's wheel. *Then* I taught him. g Just goes to show you, though, how
far a little determination will take you. Although it took a few years.

Now, though... Well, there's no reason to get discouraged after just a few days
or weeks of looking!

Monica
CMMPDX2 at aol
remove 'eat.spam' to email me
---------
"No, that isn't me you saw - I'm not here, I'm incognito!" (Me, Myself & I)
Support our Troops!!
http://www.wtv-zone.com/kjsb/bataan.html

In article ,
(CMM PDX2) wrote:

Els wrote:

Yes Monica, the good old golden days. I started spinning in the mid
seventies. However I was very lucky, we had several very good teachers in
Ontario. Ted Carson, he died last year, and Dorothy ( can't remember her
last name any more). At the end of the seventies, there was such a
demand for spinning teacher and how to spin, that with the aid of the
Ontario spinners and weavers guild, and Humber college in Toronto, the
master spinners course was started. It was amazing, how many of us wanted
to learn, and are today still learning. You are right tough, there was
not very much info out there, written information. One of the books I
still think is one of the best was Mabel Ross' The essentials of Yarn
Design. (Jack if you are still reading this thread, take note....go and
ask for it at the library on interloan......)

Today the sky is the limid, as for as infromation on texile goes.
Sometimes it makes me dizzy trying to take it all in....LOL

Els

Thank you Monica, for backing up, what I was telling Jack.
There is so much material out there, it is incredible.

A goodly portion of those links I mentioned were followed off the sites you
listed, so most of the credit still goes to you.

And you betcha, Els on how much is out there - a *heckuva* lot more resources
now, than there were around back in the early 70's. Mom *worked* in a library,
and I can remember how hard a time she had finding anything, even with the
entire resources of the State of Oregon library system. She could only track
down around 4 or 5 books about spinning; period, total, that was literally all
she wrote! That you could *find*, anyway, and possibly lay your hands
on. While
making sure you included the books published in the UK, too. Much less
anything
talking much about wheel design, or good pictures of parts. It was like
searching for the Ark or something. Luckily, Oregon has a good inter-library
loan program, as do most states.

Plus, at least now you can actually find plans for sale. Back then, most US
wanna-be spinners would've given blood to find plans we could simply buy,
rather than searching months for the few books out there. Or trying to track
down someone selling new wheels, another nearly impossible task. Most people
simply turned to Ashford, and in those days, you pretty much ordered 'em from
New Zealand. Most antique wheels either needed repair, were totally missing
parts, or cost the earth.

If you did find a wheel, you then had to find someone who could teach you how
to figure the darned thing out; spinning teachers were just as rare as working
wheels. g I got lucky that Katy Turner, one of those who helped revive the
great wheel here in the US (and whose hubby made the wonderful Obadiah Tharp
Great Wheels), happened to live in Portland. She gave lessons through
the local
Parks Bureau. It was fantastic, learning to spin on a wheel from her!
Hee - and
that's where Dad got a lot of his knowledge about wheels. He and mom ended up
kind of 'auditing' the courses with me. bg If it was made of wood, he could
pretty much build anything once he knew how it worked. That's why he was
able to solve the problems in the plans for the first one he built, and make a
lot of great improvements in the one he built for me.

But I learned to spin first on a drop spindle Dad had made - on my own, I was
the only one in the family who managed to figure it out. Then I taught
Mom. All
this was a couple years before any of us had even seen a wheel in real life,
much less took spinning lessons. Every vacation trip we took, we'd stop in a
local pioneer museums in hopes that they had a spinning wheel on display. We
did get lucky once, and as they would let you try spinning on it, Dad checked
it out thoroughly. It was a great wheel, though, and he wanted to build
a flyer
wheel, so he didn't build one then. He tried spinning with a drop
spindle after
he'd made some for Mom and I, but waited to really learn spinning until he'd
built Mom's wheel. *Then* I taught him. g Just goes to show you, though, how
far a little determination will take you. Although it took a few years.

Now, though... Well, there's no reason to get discouraged after just a
few days
or weeks of looking!

Monica
CMMPDX2 at aol
remove 'eat.spam' to email me
---------
"No, that isn't me you saw - I'm not here, I'm incognito!" (Me, Myself & I)
Support our Troops!!
http://www.wtv-zone.com/kjsb/bataan.html

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