I have always been interested in colonial and pioneer crafts, and
experimented with a number of areas and articles over the years. In my teens I worked with a barn-framer,
learning to build timber and log buildings. As I learned more, I took
up carving and cabinet-work. I was also fascinated by machinery, especially
mechanical clocks and watches. For the last 20 years or more, I have concentrated
more and more on lathing. It was that skill that brought me my first wheel – a
flax wheel from the late 1700s given to me by my sister-in-law. Having successfully repaired one wheel, it wasn’t
long before more members of her guilds sent me their wheels. Each wheel taught me
something new about the craft, and about the variety of skills involved in
building wheels.
Now, some seven years later, I have repaired about a hundred
wheels, and have a stock collection which (try as I might) never seems to be
less than 30. I’m one of about three people in Ontario who do this on a
regular basis. The irony is that I’m not a particularly good spinner. I know
enough to be dangerous or, more accurately, to know when a wheel is working
properly, or what needs to be done to make it work properly.
I’m continually
amazed by the depth and variety of skills that old wheelwrights possessed. They
weren’t just technicians, but artisans – capable of producing remarkably
attractive and functioning articles, that were both useful and visually appealing
at the same time.
What makes a wheel worth repairing?
Not every old wheel can or should be restored. There are a number of considerations in deciding whether a wheel is worth
repairing.
First, it has to be of some value, perhaps
because it was built
(and signed!) by a known maker, represents an unusual or particularly fine
example of a certain type of wheel, or is simply built well enough to be of
some future service. However, it might be so old, or unusual that it should
only be conserved, and not refurbished. (Some museum pieces for example, should
never be altered, refinished, heavily cleaned or re-built. To do so
would
destroy their heritage and historic value).
Next, it has to be practical to
rebuild. There are no spare or after-market parts available for old wheels.
They have to be made – usually by hand and usually by eye. And repairs
frequently cost little in material, but a significant amount of time – and that
cost is passed along to the customer. So - a vintage wheel that cost perhaps a
hundred dollars at a flea market or lawn sale might involve two or three times
that much in repair – especially if important pieces are missing and have to be
built from scratch. If you’re not careful, you may well end up with a wheel
that cost more to repair that it’s worth on the open market. Another question –
will it work well enough when finished to justify the repair? Not every
old/antique/vintage wheel was perfectly designed or flawless in operation.
Finally – is the wheel matched to the spinner? Many experienced spinners will
tell you that there are very few, if any, antique wheels that were originally
designed to be used by a novice. For example, the Canadian Production Wheels
from Quebec that were built for very experienced spinners, often prove
frustrating for a novice spinner, since they were designed to be used by women
(and men) who had spent their lives mastering the craft.
Why repair old wheels when there are modern wheels available?
Many
modern wheels by makers such as Lendrum, Louet, Ashford, Majacraft, Kromski and
others, are beautifully designed, flexible in use, portable and sturdily built
(with warranties!!). For a new spinner especially, these are the wheel of
choice, since they can “grow” with the user. Older wheels do but one thing –
and usually very fast. However, old wheels have that indefinable something that
makes them both visually and historically appealing. They may perhaps be a
family heirloom, or from a known maker, or just so obviously old that they
convey a sense of the time and a faint aura of the people that used them, so
that owning and using them connects the user to the past.
New wheels are surprisingly more expensive (sometimes much more expensive) than
antiques. A new Kromski or Majacraft wheel will cost at least $500, and over
$2000 if you pick one of the fancier or custom-made models. You can pick up a
good vintage wheel in working condition for sometimes less than $100 – so
there’s a price advantage in rescuing an older wheel. Mostly however, I think
people choose an older wheel for its aesthetic value, and the joy of seeing
something so old still produce useful and beautiful fibre.
How can you tell when and where a wheel was made?
Dating a wheel and uncovering its provenance is
a daunting task – and requires a lot of experience in observing, handling and
using wheels. Sometimes it’s relatively easy – the wheel is signed and dated by
either the maker or the owner. (Frank Young wheels came from Nova Scotia in the
mid-1800’s). Sometimes the style is
unique to a certain area and a certain era. (Small, narrow-based and
steeply-angled Saxony flax wheels are known as “slantys” and are frequently of Baltic origin, even
though they show up in Minnesota or Wisconsin.) Sometimes, we know from
historical research that certain designs of wheels were used in certain areas
at certain times and for how long, (flat rim Acadian wheels were in use in
Eastern Canada from the late 1700s up to the mid 1800s) which helps to
identify a wheel and its provenance.
On older wheels especially, types of wood
used, tool marks and design features, including tensioning and drive systems,
give a clue as to its age or origin. (Indian Head spinners from the West Coast
were built to be mounted on a Singer sewing machine treadle base – and folded
into the table exactly the same as the machine did). Frequently, no matter who
made them or where, we can tell how long they were used by observing the wear
on various parts of the wheel, especially the treadle. I have a lovely old flax
wheel in my collection where the treadle bar has worn completely through the
leg down to the floor, at which point the owner had the leg turned
and a new hole bored to take the pin on the end of the treadle – twice!!
As to their makers and users, apart from
some extraordinarily beautiful turnings and wood choices, by and large these
were wheels that were made to work – hard and long. North America did not seem
to produce very many of the light, elegant and very decorative “parlour wheels”
that were part of middle and upper-class European society. North American
wheels are sturdy, workmanlike and practical in design and construction, since
they were a vital part of the working life in most early settlers’ homes. And
judging by the condition in which we find some of them now – they were used
until they quite literally fell apart!
Is there a particular wheel you would love to work on or a project you are excited about?
I’m always excited about working on a type of
wheel that I have never encountered before. Every once in a while an unusual wheel comes along that
needs some study before it can be put back into working order. I love seeing
and reproducing really intricate or beautiful turnings, I enjoy using antique
tools to reproduce a part in exactly the same way that it was made originally
(some parts on a wheel cannot be machine made – only by hand, and only using
the original tools) and I love seeing a well-made wheel brought back to life
with some love and attention. The best part, however, is seeing how much
delight it brings the owner when a dusty, broken and shabby wheel suddenly
re-appears, clean, working and complete – ready for them to use and enjoy for a
long time to come.
What are your top 10 tips for people looking to restore or repair their antique spinning wheel?
This is not a complete list by any means, but the
following points might help in choosing and caring for a wheel, and
whether or not they might want to have it restored:
1.
Make sure
it’s a real wheel, and not a decorator item – as a number of wheels made in the
1970s and 80s were. This is one of the most frequent problems I encounter, and it always saddens me when I have to tell someone. Make sure all the
parts move and adjust the way they should. A typical fake will not allow you to
move the flyer and bobbin arrangement (known as the “Mother of All”) towards
and away from the drive wheel. Make sure you can actually put a piece of wool
through the iron spindle and onto the flyer hooks. Make sure the hooks are made
of wire, not cup-hooks (another hallmark of a fake wheel). In general, even though it might look like a
wheel (and turn like one), if you have any doubts, make sure that it spins.
If you can’t spin, find someone who can. Not every dealer/seller knows when a
wheel is real – and fakes can be expensive!
2.
Make sure ALL the parts are there – novices
often buy incomplete wheels because they don’t know what should be there, or
they were told that a missing part wasn’t needed. There are very few
non-essential parts on a wheel. Look at some pictures, learn to identify common
types of wheels (Saxony, upright, castle, frame) and make sure you can identify
every part before you buy it. (Missing flyers for example can cost $150-$200 to
replace, if you can find someone to make it for you – and no – the parts on old
wheels often cannot be interchanged.)
3.
If you own a solid working antique, take care of
it. Don’t leave it in a sunny window or close to an indoor heat
source. Solid wood, even though it’s over a hundred years old, will still
warp, shrink and crack. Oil your wheel lightly, make a dust-cover for it, and
try not to move it around too much. The old wheels were designed to stay in one
place – not be packed into the van for spinning evenings twice a month. Take
your modern, fully-seasoned and finished factory wheel on the road with you.
Leave the antique at home.
4.
Don’t expect an old wheel to work perfectly all
the time. In their heyday, they were still cranky and prone to odd moments of
bad behaviour (humidity, wear, lack of oil or adjustment). Don’t put it to
production use – you’re a curator/custodian of an antique. Future generations
will thank you for treating it gently.
5.
Don’t refinish it!! Removing an original finish
destroys any antique’s value. A refinished wheel is worth far less than one
with original finish – especially since some of the finish might include clues
as to the wheel’s origin.
6. Many wheels have had repairs done to them at
various points in their history – and those repairs are part of their history.
Removing, altering or otherwise “cleaning up” a repair can be as bad as
refinishing. If it does need repair, have a professional restorer look at it. (Robertson
screws may work well, but they are an eyesore on any wheel made before 1990!) Removing
old wire, nails or leather may make it look more respectable, but only if the
ensuing repair is either invisible or period appropriate.
7. Don’t be surprised if an old wheel only produces
one kind of single, or doesn’t like to ply. Many wheels were originally made
for flax, and some conversions were made to make them spin wool as singles.
Most wheels were used for singles, since that was the fibre that went into
weaving cloth. Some old wheels can ply wool for knitting, but not all. You have
to learn what your old wheel was made for, and can produce, and be patient. And
many old wheels are very fast, aggressive spinners, due to their high ratios –
which produce very hard fine singles. Your old wheel may not spin the kind of
fibre you want.
8. Use multiple bobbins on new wheels only. Multiple bobbins make spinning faster,
since you don’t have to wind off the single on the bobbin before starting a new
one. New multiple bobbins can be made for old wheels, if you get the dimensions
absolutely identical. However, taking
apart the flyer and whorl to change bobbins often leads to damage (dropping a
flyer can break the arms, dropping a bobbin or whorl will chip the rims). Try
to leave the flyer intact, and wind off from the bobbin while it’s still on the
wheel. Everything will last longer as a result.
9. Don’t try to disassemble a wheel that doesn’t
want to come apart easily. It may seem like a good idea to disassemble a wheel
for transport, but often previous owners have fastened legs, uprights, maidens
etc. permanently (sometimes using hardware or modern glues) and trying to take
such a joint apart usually shatters it. Transport them as little as possible,
and then with as much care as you can.
10. Finally – be careful when buying old wheels,
since many are beyond repair, or too expensive to restore. Do some research to
find out as much as you can about the wheel(s) you are interested in, take
along a knowledgeable companion who can help you spot problems, and don’t
believe everything you hear from a seller. Buy from someone who spins, whenever
possible, since only a spinner will be able to tell you how well this wheel
works. And beware! – collecting wheels can become compulsive. Enthusiasts call
it “falling down the rabbit hole”. One wheel never seems to be enough. Sigh…
Happy spinning!
All photos by Candice Leyland, volunteer and Friend of Joseph Schneider Haus.
Meet Carolyn Blackstock, local food historian, 
