Author: denisemor

Your foot works the treadle
The treadle moves the footman
The footman turns the wheel crank
The wheel turns and engages the drive band
The drive band transmits rotational force to either the:

• Flyer in a single drive scotch tension system, or
• Bobbin in a single drive, irish tension system, or
• Both in a double drive system.

Wheel diameter: Flyer Pulley diameter in a double drive or scotch tension system

Wheel diameter: Bobbin Pulley diameter in a single drive bobbin-lead system

What the ratio means:

Example- at a ratio of 7:1, the flyer will make 7 revolutions for every 1 revolution of the wheel (one stroke of the treadle).

• A higher ratio means that you can add more twist faster, and with less treadling.
• Lower ratios are more suitable for bulkier yarns, and for people who draft slowly (ie. Beginners)

• The flyer holds the bobbin,
• imparts twist to the wool that is passing through it, and
• winds the twisted wool onto the bobbin.

• The bobbin sits on an axle between the flyer arms.
• The fiber you will be spinning is attached to the bobbin via a leader yarn that is threaded out through the orifice of the flyer.
• When the flyer spins (because you are treadling), it imparts twist to the fiber between you and the orifice.
• The pull on the fiber that you feel is called “take up”, and is a function of the difference in speeds of the bobbin and flyer.
• When you permit the fiber to move towards the orifice, it begins to wind on the bobbin.