For the last hundred years or so, DD flier and bobbin whorls have had "V" and "U" drive band grooves respectively. This worked with the typical DRS of 1.2 and the resulting required slippage. The "V" groove in the flier whorl makes precise DRS for very fine threads more difficult.
With a precise DRS, much less slippage is required and the drive band grooves can both be "U" shaped to facilitate precise DRS for very fine threads.
This is a bit of a problem with Ashford Fliers, but Alden Amos's fliers use a threaded connection between the flier axle and the flier whorl. This makes it easy for the home mechanic. Anybody with a small wool lathe can make a new flier whorl to go with their home made bobbins.
From right to left, a piece of board sawn cherry, a 5/16"steel threaded insert with an Allen head set screw in it, set screw with cap nut and washer, whorl blank turn round, and a finished whorl.
The board is bored with a ~25/64" hole, and the threaded inset screwed in using wood glue as a lubricant. The cap nut and washer allow the set screw to be used as a turning mandrel. (Cap nut in 3-jaw chuck, tail stock center in depression in end of set screw.) Turn the blank.
To finish the groove, I use a scraper ground from a high quality HSS skew chisel. The cutting edge used to produce the bottom of the "U" should be very sharp.
Finished assembly and some 5,000 ypp worsed Cotswold single from this morning's spinning.
Math for calculating dimensions is in Alden Amos's, Big Book Handspinning.
A recipe for belt dressing is also in BBH.
I just noticed how dirty my spinning wheel is. (It is dirty, but it has been oiled every hour during use.) I will clean and wax it real soon now. These days, my wax for all wooden tools is equal weights of walnut oil and bees wax melted together. It is non-toxic and it drys to a water and alcohol proof finish that does not yellow. However, this mix does take a while to dry.
With a precise DRS, much less slippage is required and the drive band grooves can both be "U" shaped to facilitate precise DRS for very fine threads.
This is a bit of a problem with Ashford Fliers, but Alden Amos's fliers use a threaded connection between the flier axle and the flier whorl. This makes it easy for the home mechanic. Anybody with a small wool lathe can make a new flier whorl to go with their home made bobbins.
From right to left, a piece of board sawn cherry, a 5/16"steel threaded insert with an Allen head set screw in it, set screw with cap nut and washer, whorl blank turn round, and a finished whorl.
The board is bored with a ~25/64" hole, and the threaded inset screwed in using wood glue as a lubricant. The cap nut and washer allow the set screw to be used as a turning mandrel. (Cap nut in 3-jaw chuck, tail stock center in depression in end of set screw.) Turn the blank.
Math for calculating dimensions is in Alden Amos's, Big Book Handspinning.
A recipe for belt dressing is also in BBH.
I just noticed how dirty my spinning wheel is. (It is dirty, but it has been oiled every hour during use.) I will clean and wax it real soon now. These days, my wax for all wooden tools is equal weights of walnut oil and bees wax melted together. It is non-toxic and it drys to a water and alcohol proof finish that does not yellow. However, this mix does take a while to dry.
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