How to Adjust Drive Band on a Double-Drive Spinning Wheel
A double drive spinning wheel is so-named because the long drive band goes around the spinning wheel twice through a series of pulleys or whorls. The drive band turns the flyer, a u-shaped piece of wood and also turns the bobbin nestled within -- or adjacent -- to the flyer on the same side of the wheel. The whorl groves are v-shaped and this allows the flyer to be driven forward while the u-shape groove of the bobbin allows "slippage" of the bobbin while you add twist to the fiber. Because the bobbin whorl and the flywheel whorl are different sizes, the bobbin whorl spins faster and winds the yarn onto the bobbin while the yarn is being spun.
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Things You'll Need
- Drive bands
- Tape
- Screws
- Screwdriver
- Scissors
- Glue (optional)
- Needle and thread (optional)
Instructions
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1
Position the flyer whorl assembly (also known as the mother-of-all) into its middle range on the double drive spinning wheel. Detach the drive band and replace it with a new one. Examine the machine and make sure that the take-up pulley on the bobbin is smaller than the whorl since the bobbin won’t spin as fast as the flyer.
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2
Tape one end of the drive band onto the big wheel and string it around clockwise. Pull the drive band through the wheel supports and clockwise around the bobbin whorl. String it all the way around the wheel again, around the flyer whorl assembly, and then back to the taped end. Tie the ends together and you have a drive band in place. Drive bands need to be made of non-stretch materials such as twine, candlewick, non-stretch yarn or builders line so that there is minimal give in the band as it pulls through the different pulleys to spin the yarn.
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3
Adjust the attached drive band by loosening and tightening the tension screws on the flyer assembly to move it on the supports. This determines the size of the yarn being spun. When attaching the band, make sure you attach it to the smallest whorl first (the bobbin whorl). This will spin faster than the flyer whorl and move the larger whorl smoothly, since they are attached to the same drive band.
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4
Move the mother-of-all assembly on its supports and check the ease of its movements to see if the belt is too loose or tight. Start with the drive too loose and gradually take up the slack until the drive band grips the wheels. This adjusts the tension and speed at which the yarn is being taken onto the bobbin and also acts as a brake. The drive band should be taut enough to grip but not so tight that it impedes movement of the pulleys.
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5
Tighten the band to your desired speed. The tighter the drive band the faster you’ll pull the yarn onto the bobbin. Everything should spin smoothly and move easily without too much strain on the band. Once you’ve determined that the band is not going to fall off as soon as you start treadling or snap because it is so tight, cut the ends about an inch longer than needed. Glue or sew them tightly together to make a smooth tie that won’t get stuck going around the wheels and through the pulleys.
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Tips & Warnings
To make treadling easier, you can hybridize your drive bands by using the non-stretch band between the bobbin and flyer assembly and instead of creating one continuous band through the entire system, use an elasticized drive band between the wheel and the flyer assembly.
