electric wool spinning wheel

my wife is doing a lot of wool spinning using a traditional spinning wheel.

I suggested it need an electric motor to drive it rather than a treadle foot driven one so she has given me the challenge to build one!
There are some quite neat features on a spinning wheel, the spool seems to be driven by friction between the main shaft and the spool, there is a brake (sprung loaded belt around the spool. All this changes how much spin you put on the wool and the rate of uptake on the spool.

So before I get stuck in to build one has anyone else every built an electric spinning wheel.

Thanks

mike

Mike Google what you intend to make. Robert Butler

Robert

Too easy and yes I have done that but was interested if anyone here had built one.

mike

Electric spinning wheel

Much smaller and works quite well. Might need some minor mods (I have an original).

Edited By not done it yet on 07/09/2020 07:21:32

Spinning yarn is an artform - my other half is a knitter and dyer of yarn, the little machine is OK if you have nice clean yarn. But if you are dealing with hand carded, yarn that's maybe not quite so well behaved, a traditional wheel is tried and tested. In the world of wool, hand spun commands a premium..

I never knew the difference between worsted spun and tight spun and twists, until I listed to a podcast featuring John Arbon - most of these skills and knowledge live on in only a few places - if you have sheep and want your yarn spun by one of the few remaining UK spinners, it will take a YEAR. All wool is not equal, single flock Wensleydale is a big difference from mixed together fleeces bought by the the Wool Board. That's why it costs more to shear than the fleece is worth. Which is a pity, as wool is an amazing material and the processing of wool is highly skilled and complicated, taking years to master.

Edited By Roger Whiteley on 07/09/2020 09:08:08

Edited By Roger Whiteley on 07/09/2020 09:08:23

Roger

thanks for the reply. My wife, jane, has gone from knitting to hand spinning and now using a spinning wheel and has been experimenting with dying. I amazed at the time and skill it takes to go from a fleece to wool that you can knit.
I have been watching here spinning and helped setup an old unused spinning wheel. The wheels are very clever and based on years of development!
At the moment I am thinking of taking an existing spool and spinner and then building a frame and motor to drive it. Simple start to see how easy it is. Having a small spinning wheel means she can take it away in our campervan.
John Arbon videos are very good, we were planning to go to there open day this year but as everything else it was cancelled.

cheers

mike

The Eel Wheel is about the right size for a camper van (especially if it is raining (as it often does🙂 ). Runs on 12 volts, too. I’m going to add a foot pedal (from a sewing machine) to mine.

Where's your ambition? Get one of these made **LINK**

Might be a bit of a squeeze in a camper van tho'

I have a very small amount of experience in spinning but have watched experts. It appears that you need to vary the speed of the foot treadle to accommodate the varying consistency of the wool as you tease it through your fingers. Quite a tricky thing to accomplish with an electric motor, but it becomes second nature with a normal spinning wheel.

Exackerly why I intend making my little Eel Wheel run with a foot control. Actually it is not too difficult once one gets used to it running at a constant speed (it does have a variable speed potentiometer).

There are several owners/users in the Northants Spinning, Weaving and Dyeing group we attend (covid permitting).