What started as a Member’s suggestion to do some maintenance on the Guild’s rambling collection of spinning wheels became a full on instructional morning for spinners old and new.

Our Jane and Julie took the lead, looking first at one of the Guilds most in need little wheels. A sweet thing that had suffered a lot of neglect over the years. It like many of the wheels sitting in the Guild’s back store room had become very dry. The bottom connecting rod band had perished and needed replacing, the moving parts were badly in need of cleaning and it squeaked – Jane hates squeaks!

Fellow spinners gathered around, experienced ones offering suggestions, new spinners looking on to learn. While the search party was off to find some replacements for misplaced, worn or broken parts, Jane explained all the areas that needed oiling, and the best type of oil to use. Then some discussion was had about the best treatment for the dry wood, and how it’s really better not to let your wheel dry out in the first place, and that they really need some TLC every year or so.

Finally after a few extra tweaks the old wheel was spinning nicely (without squeaks). It was still in need of some serious cleaning and oiling for the timber parts, and re-hydrating that timber was going to take time and patience.

Then we moved on to wheels brought by participating Members. We looked at maintenance that might need doing, how the wheel worked, why it was built the way it was. Jane explained how the weight distribution of the main wheel affected how long it would spin, and how the denser, heavier wheels wound spin longer with less effort. How seemingly decorative wheels had more mass at the outer edge thanks to extra spokes to increase the mass of the outer rim and improve the wheel’s ability to continue spinning.

We also looked at the drive band (the string) , it’s tension, the ratios with double strings bobbin and wheel. Jane advises “Always start a classic manual wheel by the spokes not the outer wheel to avoid getting oil on the string and/or outer surface of the wheel”. “Oil” could come from oiling the wheel or it’s moving parts, from the spinners hands or from greasy fleece.

Then posture – although it’s natural over time to slouch, ideally we should all sit at the wheels on the “bones of the bum”. Balanced. Single treadle wheels tend to result in one side experiencing more pressure than the other, so changing feet on a single treadle machine periodically is a good idea, as is taking a break and going for a walk to stretch the muscles. Double treadle wheels are better for posture, torturing both sides of the body equally, but also needing regular breaks to avoid pressure points and stretch muscles – time for a cuppa!!! You knew there was a good reason for it 🙂

Jane also stressed how important it is to stretch the hands. Over time (and with age) fingers tend to curl and resist straightening. Regularly stretching the hands and straightening the fingers will keep them working better for longer!