BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Spinning Great Wheel Questions and Answers

I am moving this email here for the purposes of discussion on the Great Wheel:

Thank you so much for your spinning articles! Yesterday, after 20 years,
I finally got a great
wheel. I haven't found a site that treats such important parts of our
heritage as other than dinosaurs. I have so many questionsto ask,
especially about my mother-of-all...it has a minors head attatchment, and
the spindle was attatched with leather...soo many questions! Can you tell
I'm excited?

Sally Mohringer
Indiana

My answer:

These wheels are so great for spinning. Whether they have minors head or simple head they are fun.

Perfectly fine to be delighted with the purchase!! I made a trip to Arkansas to get mine! And couldn't wait to get home either!

How dry is the leather holding the spindle? if it isn't too dry, grease it well with Vaseline. Also the axel and the leather washer behind the wheel against the post. If these leather pieces are missing, make some new ones. Leather stores usually have a box of scraps, and most let you take small pieces without charge. I cut the leather out with a pair of sharp scissors.

Check the drive band to make sure it is still strong enough to pull the whorl. Wax it well with beeswax. Wax the rim of the wheel as well. This helps the drive band stay put.

Predraft some well combed top or roving to fairly airy and Go!

You can tell that I love the Great Wheel?? Most others don't know anything about these glorious machines. Yes, they can be scarey, but oh, so much fun!!

Sally's answer:

Dear Ms. Maness;

Thanks for the prompt reply! I must say that I didn't get an excuse for a
road trip to pick up my wheel...it was located across the road from our
house (I carried the wheel and the mother-of-all home, and the rest came
home in our truck)!

There is no leather on the spindle yet, I'll replace it. Do you think I
need a leather washer between the wheel and its post? The wheel has a bone
bearing that was put into it at that location. Does it need a leather
washer between the wheel and the cap and pin holding it onto its shaft?
As for Vaseline, I can use it, but I have previously used 3-in-one oil on my
flax wheels, is Vaseline better?
And finally--what do you recommend for putting on the wood to help condition
it? The only place I can put the wheel is cold in winter and hot in summer.

So sorry for asking all the questions, but you are the ONLY person that is a
source of information on great wheels (unless you know some other
people or places), and I feel like I want to bring back my new wheel to a
good and safe state of preservation!

Thanks again for the help and support,
Sally Mohringer

and my answer:

All the wheels work better and don't rub the wheel hub or the post with a thin leather washer between them. As for the washer between the hub and the axel pin, yes and no. If the pin rubs the wheel, yes otherwise not necessary.

Vaseline was recommended as "axel grease" in the book I recieved from my great aunt on the Art of the Great Wheel. It works very well for these wheels. I use 3 in 1 oil on the rest of my wheels too

I use Howards" Beeswax and Orange oil on all my antiques!!! You can get it at most hardware stores that have furniture refinishing section or at woodworrking supply businesses. I got some at Home Depot the last time. It is a liquid suspension and smells heavenly. Howards also has an orange oil spray that works well on all woods to keep them nice. I pour a bit of the Wax and Orange oil on a piece of scrap pelt and use that for oiling my antiques and a soft cloth for polishing.

No problem with the questions you have. Please join our forum and we will discuss other problems you will have or may have. Anything is fair game in the forum. Others may like to see what we are discussing here.

Know this! I don't think there are more than maybe 1000 of us here in the USA who are spinning on Great Wheels! I may be wrong, but don't think so.

Happy Spinning!

Hmmmm! I'd love a great wheel, but my place is so small there wouldn't be room for anything else in my lounge room. So I have compromised and use an upright charkha. I much prefer it to my regular wheel! I feel there is greater control over the yarn as its spun, and its great for thick or fancy yarns that won't go through an orifice.
Cheers, Caroline

Space is an issue with lots of people. Great wheels take lots of space when set up to work.

Charkas take only a tiny bit of space.

I like it when everyone brings a different sort of spinning method for Spin In days! Then we have lots for people to look at.