She's Up and Running!
Adam made a new leather bearing for "The Old Girl" -- my spinning wheel -- so the next repair was the essential one: the broken bobbin. Remember?
There were three big chunks of wood I need to patch. Adam brought me some tools -- a coping saw and a rasp.
This clamp allowed me to use both hands, and not cut off a finger.
Repair #1
Repair #2. Lots of Gorilla Wood Glue was used.
Repair #3. It's not beautiful, but maybe it'll work!
I did sand and stain those patches, which helped appearances.
Finally I could put the bobbin on, and try very hard (with much failure) to put a double drive band on, threading around the whorl, the wheel, the repaired bobbin (yay!) and the wheel again, and tying it very tight with a surgeon's knot. Then I cranked the tension tight so the drive band would stay on. Then I tried, with great trepidation, to spin.
At this point, it's rather like having a Model-A Ford with an engine that's finally cranked, but you don't know how to drive. Many challenges remain. I did get the drive band back on (many times), and tried to spin some of the roving I've made. It doesn't want to spool onto the bobbin, so I must research, watch videos, and try to understand how much is mechanical error and how much human error
It'll be a while until I have a lovely skein of yarn I've spun myself ... {{{{sigh}}}}
7 comments:
I am so impressed with the work you did on that wooden bobbin! Hopefully very soon you'll figure out what needs to be done and then it will be clear sailing. Or should I say Clear spinning!
Forward progress dear heart, that's what you have made. I am proud of you.
Have fun ~ FlowerLady
How awesome, M.K. You are getting there! When you work out the bugs you'll be spinning straw into gold....... (old fairy tale reference from Rumplestiltskin). Have a blessed day.
Wow! You're getting at this project quickly! Hey, is that one of your beautiful woven pieces you're using as a drop cloth under your glue work?!? Nooooo! LOL. It's kind of cool to think that 100 years from now someone else will be using this REALLY antique spinning wheel and they'll be wondering who did the ingenious patch jobs on it. :) Have fun learning!
Well done! I'm very impressed by your mending!
Oh, but you are so smart! You did the repair, and at least know what you are talking about. I would be so lost. I can't wait to see you spinning. That old spinning is so pretty!
I love the daffodils page header. There is no sign of spring yet where I live. Brrr!
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