Build your own spinning wheel

by Chris Jordan

Last updated may 2001

I've had a lot of requests recently for information on building your own spinning wheel. So I thought that I'd collect everything that I could find together and put it here.

I'd better say at the start that I've made spindles and a charkha but don't have either the skill, or the woodworking and metal working equipment to try to build a 'proper' wheel myself.

Anyway - do you really want a spinning wheel- I spun my first jumper from a donated Jacob fleece, using a dog comb and a hand spindle - total outlay less than 5 pounds... and I could done it for even less if I'd made the spindle. (Take some dowelling, a rubber grommet and one or two of those CDs that people keep sending you in your junk mail! try here for more info http://www.spinning.net/hints/equipment/cd.html)
Beware though, spindles just as are addictive as any other sort of spinning. I collect them, even if I don't find time to use them much. There's usually one sitting on my desk at work, to remind me of the spinning waiting to be finished at home!
Spindlitis, Teri Pittman's marvellous site is where you should to go for Spindles - how could I ever think to compete :-)

Back at wheels - The first thing that I'd recommend, is to be a spinner or have a spinner handy to test drive the wheel, and make recommendations - also look at and try out every style of wheel that you can find.

Here's a list of useful sources of info - gleaned from rec.crafts.textiles.yarn (among others). Note some of these contacts are from the bibliography of older books, and may no longer be up to date.

Helpful books that tell you general things about spinning wheels (ie how they work), and maybe how to build them.

Winter 1996 issue of SpinOff (from Interweave press) had an article about a man who restores old wheels, and had some good info about materials used.

Some of the wheel plans give you a faithful repro of an antique wheel. It's worth looking at modern wheels, and thinking about improvements. My wheel has bronze bearing surfaces for the wheel axle, and bobbins (some makes have teflon bushes for bobbins and flyers. Many wheels now have proper sealed bearings for the wheel. (Old plans may have the moving parts running on wood or leather).

You could also get in touch with Roger Carlson, who sells plans, kits, or finished versions of an innovative Plastic Pipe Spinning wheel (Note feb 1997 - I think RC has recently moved to new job, and this link no longer works).

If you're reading this page in search of a cheap way to start spinning, you could try Babe's Fiber Garden who do a plastic spinning wheel aimed at beginners (Or try a spindle!!)

Hope this gives you a start - If you know of any other sources, or would like to tell me about your experiences with home wheel building - get in touch (caj@jb.man.ac.uk) - maybe you could all start a self help group!

Weavers - try these links

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