Introducing - Hiawatha

Over the last few weeks I have tantalising all my friends with hints about a new wheel - well time has come to unveil.

Picking up this wheel was delayed by the floods at the end of November, but Wednesday dawned bright and sunny so Mr S and I drove down roads that only 2 weeks before had been rivers - it was quite surreal and the damage done by the floods were clear to see - road surfaces broken up and fields and drains still full.  But I digress,  so Fanfare..................................

This is an Indian Spinner, made for Guild member by her husband.  It is a double drive

with a single treadle

She has been stored in a garage for couple of years as a result of which there is some water damage to one leg

 

This is mainly cosmetic and the actual wood is sound so I have rubbed down the wood and cleaned away the mildew.  The wheel had been varnished which isn't good so I have sanded it smooth and used a wood balsam to enrich some of the very dry bits.

 

As a result of being stored, all the metal and leather bits were very rusty and dry, but again they have all cleaned up very nicely with brasso, saddle soap and some elbow grease.

 

 

As this photo shows the oriffice is made from copper pipe

 





She needs a new drive band as the present one is stretched and the cover is split in places, also the tension spring needs replacing as does the wire, but these are little things.............

I also need to pack one of the feet to level her up (I think she has always been a bit wonky) and add rubber feet to stop her running away as I spin.

So please welcome Hiawatha to family - The Murmering of Spinning Wheels now stands at nine......

 

And here is a little spun yarn - not a lot but the drive band keeps popping off, so until that's sorted.........