Well I have found some pictures of a Timbertops chair wheel here http://jennyk.co.uk/spinning/chair_wheel.html so now I have a better visual idea of what I am aiming for.
Plans are OK but to to see a finished product helps so much more. I have managed to get David's book Wheels and Looms from the library and am reading it. It's a few years since I looked at this book but I am sure it will help me with a few things I will have forgotten about.
I have been comparing sizes of parts on my wheels and the plans I have. I think that I will try to make the chair frame a bit thicker than those in the plans. Even our pine dining chairs are thicker than the frame in the plans. It is surprising that 1/4 of an inch makes such a difference. Before I had seen the pictures of the Timbertops wheel I had decided I would be straying from the plans so that I could fit bearings rather than none as in the plans. This will mean some parts need to be a bit bigger to accommodate the bearings.
I went through my stash of yew and think I have enough to make the spokes and maidens. I had bought a waney board years ago and cut it up into squares pity the board had not been 3/8" thicker I could have made the chair frame. I also have some bowl blanks that will make the hubs and the accelerator.
So things are looking quite good........well on paper. After school holidays I will make a start on making some of the parts. If I am lucky I might be allowed to stop off a Stamford and look in at Lincolnshire Woodturner's and see what they have in stock.
Friday 15 May 2009
Tuesday 12 May 2009
Gathering up details
Right today I've gathered up my copy of practical woodworking and copied David's article about making his chairwheel and copied it and made a couple of copies of the flyer plans so I can use them when I mark out a piece of wood. I have a feeling the flyer and bobbins are a tad smaller than my Haldane Shetland wheel so I think I will try to make it about the same size as the Shetland then I can interchange bobbins.
Having just measured a bobbin from the Shetland it is 1cm bigger than the Chairwheel bobbin so I will have to adjust the plans accordingly. Looking at various dimensions the flyer can be made a little larger with out making any difference. The flyer on both wheels are practically the same size so it is just changing the shape of the flyer to accommodate a slightly larger bobbin. Problem no problem just have to make a note of that when I get down to making the flyer.
Having just measured a bobbin from the Shetland it is 1cm bigger than the Chairwheel bobbin so I will have to adjust the plans accordingly. Looking at various dimensions the flyer can be made a little larger with out making any difference. The flyer on both wheels are practically the same size so it is just changing the shape of the flyer to accommodate a slightly larger bobbin. Problem no problem just have to make a note of that when I get down to making the flyer.
Monday 11 May 2009
I've wanted to make my own spinning wheel for a long time
I have wanted to make my own spinning wheel for a long time. I have been tempted once or twice but other things have happened to prevent me. Finally after seeing a wheel someone else had made using David Bryant's plans and a Timbertops Beaver Wheel I bit the bullet and ordered a set of plans from him to make a chair wheel last week and they came today.
Luckily I had collected copies of Practical woodworking from years ago where there were a number of articles on making spinning wheel one was David's on making a chair wheel. So I am lucky enough to be able to read about his efforts and now have his full scale plans too.
I have in the past modified my own Ashford Traveller wheel and made a start on making a replica of a Louet Hat Box wheel. This second wheel I never finished off due to health problems. Since I started making it I have plans to modify it and finish it off some time or other. Mind you having seen so many new small wheels I am awash with ideas to make a small wheel.
Back in February at my Guild meeting this newly made wheel was brought to my attention to play with it and see if it was functioning properly. It was a sloping bed wheel and it was absolutely wonderful and spun like a dream. Much to the delight of it's maker and his friends. In the future I hope he will bring it to another Guild meeting to learn to spin.
At my Guilds April meeting a lady came with wonderful wheel she wanted to learn to spin with it. She was the sort of person who learns more by watching than reading. This wheel was a Timbertops Beaver, this wheel has two wheels and is wonderful. It had not been use for a while so it needed a bit of lubricating first. Once it was sorted and 5 minutes showing her how to spin she was away. I understand she had first refusal on the wheel but wanted to know if she could spin firstly and if she could get on with the wheel. I know there was a queue of members all keen the own it if she did not buy it. I do know she joined the Guild.
So after seeing and trying both these wheels I really did know I wanted to make my own spinning wheel. There was one problem I only have a Coronet Elf wood lathe it's a bit small so I am limited to the diameter of the wheel I can turn and the length of parts I can turn. I have plumped for the Chair wheel any long part will have to be joined after turning them.
Now the plans come on two pieces of paper A0 and A1 rather unsuitable as they stand to look at so I hope to cut them up and laminate them into more manageable sizes, probably as A3 sizes.
I still have to decide which sort of timber am I going to use? Should I use a native timber or an exotic timber. Some how I think the size of my pocket will end up dictating this I would like to use Yew.
Luckily I had collected copies of Practical woodworking from years ago where there were a number of articles on making spinning wheel one was David's on making a chair wheel. So I am lucky enough to be able to read about his efforts and now have his full scale plans too.
I have in the past modified my own Ashford Traveller wheel and made a start on making a replica of a Louet Hat Box wheel. This second wheel I never finished off due to health problems. Since I started making it I have plans to modify it and finish it off some time or other. Mind you having seen so many new small wheels I am awash with ideas to make a small wheel.
Back in February at my Guild meeting this newly made wheel was brought to my attention to play with it and see if it was functioning properly. It was a sloping bed wheel and it was absolutely wonderful and spun like a dream. Much to the delight of it's maker and his friends. In the future I hope he will bring it to another Guild meeting to learn to spin.
At my Guilds April meeting a lady came with wonderful wheel she wanted to learn to spin with it. She was the sort of person who learns more by watching than reading. This wheel was a Timbertops Beaver, this wheel has two wheels and is wonderful. It had not been use for a while so it needed a bit of lubricating first. Once it was sorted and 5 minutes showing her how to spin she was away. I understand she had first refusal on the wheel but wanted to know if she could spin firstly and if she could get on with the wheel. I know there was a queue of members all keen the own it if she did not buy it. I do know she joined the Guild.
So after seeing and trying both these wheels I really did know I wanted to make my own spinning wheel. There was one problem I only have a Coronet Elf wood lathe it's a bit small so I am limited to the diameter of the wheel I can turn and the length of parts I can turn. I have plumped for the Chair wheel any long part will have to be joined after turning them.
Now the plans come on two pieces of paper A0 and A1 rather unsuitable as they stand to look at so I hope to cut them up and laminate them into more manageable sizes, probably as A3 sizes.
I still have to decide which sort of timber am I going to use? Should I use a native timber or an exotic timber. Some how I think the size of my pocket will end up dictating this I would like to use Yew.
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