It seemed none the worse for wear after being stored for these long months while we moved. I oiled it and started it up. I believe it's an Ashford Traditional wheel but I'm not sure since I bought it used and it has no markings or labels of any kind.
I do have one small problem though.
See the nut and bolt from the footman rod to the hub bar? As I spin, this tightens and makes it harder to treadle. I loosen it by hand every few minutes and that really shouldn't be a big deal, but it's beginning to bug me.
Has anyone seen this problem before and know how to fix it? I might get my DH to file off the threads on part of the bolt... the inside of the hub bar is threaded but I don't think the bolts threads should be that long. I think just the end of the bolt should be threaded to hold on the nut... right?
Oh I feel bad about complaining I'm so happy to finally be able to start spinning - you have no idea! :D
I find using the wheel soooo much easier too. I felt very clumsy using the hand spindle and couldn't get past the 'park'n draft' method so it was really slow. The spinning wheel feels comfortable and I don't need to stop and start so it's a lot smoother. (except to loosen the hub bolt) So my yarn is coming out a lot smoother and I'm absolutely thrilled!!!
I'm practicing happily and I don't think it'll take too long before my consistency is better [I hope] , my thin/thick parts don't seem too bad at all any more. I'm just going to keep practicing, I don't even want to think about the plying yet - that scares me. Hopefully I'll find some local help to learn how to do that properly.
I wonder if maybe the bolt for the footman could be in backwards? And that's why it is continuing to tighten? Hhhmmm, never heard of this one, is the bolt actually tight enough? It's weird.
ReplyDeleteCan't see enough of the wheel to say what it is. . . but, it looks like your having fun with it! :)
That's what I thought too, but the bolt won't thread in the other way. I think I have a solution now, by replacing the nut with something plastic or teflon. I've used the wheel an hour or so now with no problems at all so far [touch wood]
ReplyDeleteAnd you're right, I'm enjoying my wheel immensely! :D
It is an older Ashford Traditional - i just bought one, and a rep from Ashford confirned that the first few hundreds were not marked.
ReplyDeleteI looked at my wheel, and you are missing a nut (locking nut?) that keeps the end one from continuing down the thread as you spin. That's why the threaded part is so long. My "locking nut" sits just on the other side of the hub bar, then a washer, then the top of the footman.
I am amazed that you can spin anything! You go, girl!
Kathryn
I'm still going Kathryn lol!
ReplyDeleteI just love this wheel and I think I fixed the problem. I'm so glad you listed what parts should be where!!!
I got a teflon anchor, the kind you use to hold a screw in drywall... I just cut the end off of it and screwed it onto the end of the long bolt. Tada! Fixed :D
could you post a picture of your repair. My students wheel is having similar issues
ReplyDeleteI know this is an old thread, but I just acquired one of these, and the footman isn't attached. I am thinking I will change out the crank for a later version, so the crank goes through the footman, rather than attach from the side. I'm very curious as to how you fixed this. Thank you for sharing your story, I wouldn't have figured it out at all if it weren't for the pictures here.
ReplyDelete