Before I start the guiding procedure, let’s get to know about the spinning wheel. No, wait. I’m not talking about the spinning wheel for winning a prize bond lol. But, I’m talking about equipment that is used in the textile industries to spin yarn or thread from fibers. Which is later loomed and knitted into cloth. Here we will give you a complete guide about how to make a spinning wheel in 2021
The equipment was first demonstrated in India which then came to Egypt. Therefore, it was the basic tool of the early industries. But as soon as the industries revolutionized, the spinning wheel was replaced with a spinning frame and jenny. However, it’s used in Egypt as it became a part of the Egyptian culture.
Interestingly, this equipment is better to build by oneself rather than buying an expensive spinning wheel. You just need some tools to build and design it in your way.
In this article, I will guide you on how to make a wooden handmade spinning wheel. If any of you are interested in building an inexpensive spinning wheel, follow the steps given down below.
Just wait a sec! One more thing I have to tell you is that you can design and demonstrate the spinning wheel with either clay, wood, or cardboard. It’s totally up to you. But I’m gonna guide you with an easy and quick method of scrap wood. Let’s jump into it.
How to Make a Spinning Wheel
Designing and making a spinning wheel by the wood scrap:
Step 1:
Firstly, to design and make the spin wheel you need to start with the bobbin. The proportions of your bobbin are gonna determine the size of your flyer. Make sure the flyer needs to fit over the bobbin and the wheels that are going to be on the bobbin can’t be any bigger than the frame. So it’s up to you what size you want your bobbin to be.
Step 2:
As soon as you measured the size of your bobbin then according to that design your flyer. Next, one side of the bobbin gotta attaches with a pulley. Interestingly, there are a couple of ways to do this process, but I’m telling you the simple method in the next step.
Step 3:
Now, cut three pieces of wood in a circular shape. Make sure the sizes are equal except for one circle. It should be Lil bit smaller than the rest. Therefore, the small size or circle is going to be stuck on the inside and other circles are on the outside.
Step 4:
After doing that, drill a small hole in the center of your circle. As soon as you’re done drilling, now you gotta decide how long you want your bobbin to be. Hence, Figure a good length.
Step 5:
As you are done completing the bobbin, now let’s move to the flyer. The flyer needs to be matched around your bobbin. Now keep in mind that you have to work with two dimensions. One gotta be the width of your bobbin which needs to be fit within the flyer.
Step 6:
Second thing is that the pulley circled wheel should be to clear the ends of the wire. So that it’s not catching on the drive bound.
Step 7:
Now, designing the flyer is totally up to you how you’re gonna customize it. Just make sure that your flyer is designed of equal size on both sides. So that at the time of rotation it may not wobble. Therefore, I have a trick for you to make equal sizes.
Step: 8
All you gotta do is, take a paper and fold it then cut out your design. You’ll see, after unfolding a paper, you’ll get your equal design of the flyer. One thing to keep in mind is that after you unfold it, curve one side of the paper. Thus, it will create a bit less friction.
Step: 9
Once you cut out the piece of wood in your design, you need to have an iron rod that could easily fit through the center of your bobbin. And then attach it to the center of the flyer. Secondly, take a piece of tube, notch it on the wood and stick it with superglue on the other end.
Step 10:
Grab your drill machine and hope it through the tube so that the fiber can easily come inside and outside. Once that’s done, the final thing you gotta do is add the hooks in a row and you’re there.
Step 11:
You need to do the same paper trick I told you above to make the end caps of the wood and drill 2 equal holes on both of them. Let it may be parallel to the base. As you’re done, take one of the end caps and drill another hole to make a way for the pipe section to drop into place. For the finest attachment, glue the base into a place to make it assemble. There you go!
That’s the easy wood scrap process I taught you in this guide. I hope it makes sense and it may be helpful for you.
Things you gotta need:
- So the main wooden elements are made out of a scrap wooden table that you can pull out of a trash yard.
- Piece of the iron rod that you can take out of the trash as well.
- A piece of pipe.
- The Hook bag comes from Lowe’s worth 20 dollars or something.
- Old aluminum arrow rod for tubing the bobbin
- Circular wooden disks that you gotta drill holes in the center.
Enough. That’s all you gotta need.
Functions of spinning wheel:
The main function of a spinning wheel is to turn fiber into thread or a yarn/rope. The threads are then sewed on the cloth of various qualities like a loom band. Further, The spindle combines and twists the fibers to let the cord be formed, and then the twisted and lifted thread is stuck on the bobbin to use the yarn for looming. Several kinds of fibers can be used In a spinning wheel like wool, linens, cotton, and much more.
However, these fibers are used with different bobbins attached to the spinning wheel to work more efficiently; even various sizes of spinning wheels are used in the textile industries at a high level.
Today, the spinning wheel has been revolutionized and expanded the production of yarn. Moreover, it has dominated the establishment of textile industries all over the world.
Frequently asked questions
How old is a spinning wheel?
Before the industrial revolution, the spinning wheel was the basic device for spinning yarn and thread from fibers. It was first demonstrated in India but later came to the middle east. Now in the present days, the spinning wheel is replaced with textile machines and spinning Jennys.
What is the needle on the spinning wheel for?
With the help of the tip of the spindle, your thread is lifted up and down. It is basically for twisting the fibers like wool and cotton. Hence, the end of the spindle is thinner like a needle so it’s not necessary to have a point of a needle on the wheel for smooth spinning.
Who uses the spinning wheel these days?
In the present day, the spinning wheel is used only by the craftsmen or the industrialists who have to carve the spinning wheel and make it out of a hardwood. Simply, you can say it has become more polished and mechanized after the industrial revolution.
What are the main parts of the spinning wheel?
The main parts of the spinning wheel are the bobbin, the very first and important component. Wheel of any bicycle, flyer, hooks, pipe, iron rod, and end caps for assembling the device.
How do you remove the bobbin from a spinning wheel?
For removing your bobbin, you gotta release the tension by bringing the lump in the front. As you are done loosening the lump, the tension on the spring will become loose and you will be able to eliminate the bobbin from the spinning wheel.
You can also read about the top spinning wheels of 2021 here.
Conclusion:
In the end, I conclude if you’re a craftsman, or a textile industrialist, don’t waste dollars on buying a high-priced spinning wheel when you can make a handmade spinning well by just buying some essential components. Therefore, this article is an easy and quick guide for the one who is interested in making and designing a wood scrap spinning wheel. Interestingly, you can design the size and shape of your spinning wheel by yourself. Either use clay, wood scrap, or cardboard. It’s a personal choice. Moreover, you can also design the flyer by yourself. Isn’t it cool? Decorate the spinning wheel with your artsy and use it for yarn and threading the fiber.
Hope this procedure may be helpful for you. Although, if you’re already known and learned about it, then it’s such a super easy task to make and design a spinning wheel. But if you’re a beginner it might be kinda exhausting work at first, but it’s okay. Feel free to ask any questions regarding the article.
Best of luck!
References
Wosk, Julie. Women and the machine: representations from the spinning wheel to the electronic age. JHU Press, 2001.
Corn, Wanda M. “Women and the Machine: Representations from the Spinning Wheel to the Electronic Age.” Technology and Culture 43.4 (2002): 832-833.