On Saturday, Nov. 1st, I went to the Northeast Handspinners Association‘s yearly event. (They do an Open House on odd years, and a weekend-long event on even years.) The group changes venue every year, as they comprise spinners from New England and New York state. This year it was in Read more
I had Bobbin Boy, maker and fixer of wheel parts, make a distaff; three more bobbins; and a second peg to hold the flywheel in place. He did an excellent job, although saying the name “Bobbin Boy” makes me giggle. I stained them myself. Thanks to Adam at my local Read more
I had the idea that maybe the bobbins of an existing modern wheel might fit the JOS. My guild friend Jennifer collects wheels, so I thought maybe she’d have something the right size. She hit on the EEW Nano bobbins, which are 3D printed. They fit the JOS well enough, Read more
I tied the repaired footman on, watched a video on how to put on a drive band for a double drive wheel, et voila! The wheel spins very nicely. I’m working on adjusting the takeup for the sweet spot, as I’ve never used a double drive wheel before. A little Read more
Links to previous posts in this series: part one and part two. Holy crap it’s so much prettier after a good scrubbing with Murphy’s Oil Soap, followed by a rubdown with tung oil. (Tung is what the makers of the wheel would have used to condition the wood.) Here are Read more
If you missed the first post about the antique JOS spinning wheel, please check it out. Today I met with a man I’ll call Dr. Wood, because he’s a retired professor who’s become a professional woodworker. He’s making me very happy. He’s fixing the broken footman for free, and I’ll Read more
I was gifted an antique spinning wheel today. It was a family heirloom from the 1800s, and the giver was a woman in her seventies who wanted the wheel to go to someone who would use it. Thanks to some antique wheel enthusiasts, I was able to discover some information Read more