3-D Printed Spindles (Christmas Spindles): The Test Drive

My friend, Petra Cosgrove-Trembly (of Kentswald Shetlands) and I took the time over a recent weekend to test drive the 3-d printed spindles that my husband made for me for Christmas.  The last post on the spindles is here.

We have deiced that for a first run these spindles work rather well.  You can see the video that we made of Petra working with them.  She is spinning from a wool and silk puni that I made with my new blending board.  As you can see in the rather tiny video (I cannot seem to make it larger), the spindle does have a kick when it spins.  This is not a huge problem but it does affect how long you can go without having to add more spin (kick makes spindles slow down).  The reason this spindle is kicking is because the holes in the arms are going the wrong way.  The smallest holes are near the center of the arms and the largest are towards the outside of the arms.  This should be the opposite.  

We also both agreed that the spindles need more weight added to the arms.  So what we really want in the next version is to remove the holes altogether.  Or if there are holes in the arms, they should be very small and only near the shaft.  The majority of the weight needs to be on the outside of the arms.  You can't add any bumps to the design because the arms need to be removable to get the center pull ball that Turkish spindles are known for.  In other words, this spindle needs to disassemble. 

We were also worried that the spindle texture from the 3-d printer (I'd have to ask my husband what plastic was used) would catch the delicate threads.  As you can see we had no trouble removing the arms.  Petra spins pencil-line fine yarns so our worries were unfounded.  Not only that, the texture worked in out favor because the yarn that might normally slip on a highly polished wood shaft during spinning stayed put on this one.

Now before you go and order up a dozen for teaching, you should know, these are really expensive to print.  For now, hand made wood ones are cheaper.  And the plastic is brittle and can break if you drop them.  

Christmas Spindles

It was a small box with a very cool gift in it.  My husband is a mechanical engineer who has a 3-D printer at work.  He used it and a copy of Solidworks, to print me three Turkish style spindles.  The largest is 1.0 oz and 8" long.  The medium spindle is 0.6 oz and 5" long.  The tiny Turkish spindle is 0.4 oz and 3" long.  He has told me that they are brittle and can break if dropped.  If they do break, he says he can just print me a new one or a new part.  He can also remove the wholes in the arms to make them heavier.  I have not tried them but I trust him that they are balanced well.  I think they are all excellent prototypes.  I'd like a little more weight on them but I favor a heavier spindle.  I'd like the shaft of the tiny one to be longer so I can fit more yarn on it.  There is a point were they just get to tiny to use well and I think this might be there.  The two larger ones are fantastic and I would not change a thing.

EDIT (12-27-14): I have found out from my clever husband that all of the shafts fit all of the arms; they are completely interchangeable.  In addition we are going to add a small indent in the top of the shafts for the thread to hold onto.  The surface has texture, so I'm not that worried about slipping threads like I have experienced on highly polished wood surfaces, but we both think I would look nice.  The texture also makes me think this would not be a good spindle for silk or similar fibers.  We might have trouble getting the arms out after we were done.  I will post later of course, once I have had a chance to use them.

I must say, I love my husband because this is an amazing, thoughtful, and wonderful gift.

EDIT (1-28-15): Follow up blog here

Perhaps a List Would Be A Good Idea

The Current Project List (Running Post Updated Often)

Mostly this post is to keep track of too many projects.  Some of these are no more than random thoughts, plans laid by mice & men, or half baked ideas.  If it is in red text then the project is done. Links to Yarn & What Knot blog posts and Ravelry pattern pages are provided for easy reference.  

1. 1 lb of Cormo wool spun in the grease
1. "Spinning in the Grease"
2. "Spinning in the Grease - Part Two"
3. "Spinning in the Grease - Part Three (The Final Yarn)"
4. Bobbin One, Two, Three, Four
5. The sweater project (??)
2. Weaving Projects
1. 5 oz of Teeswater wool spun and woven - Christmas present for Mom
1. "I Digress"
2. "What Came off the Loom Yesterday"
1. Cowl for me
1. "What Came off the Loom Yesterday"
2. Christmas present for Mom
1. "What Came off the Loom Yesterday"
3. Hand Woven Table Runner in Rainbow Cotton (Breaking in the the New Loom)
3. "The Textiles from the Account Books of Elizabeth de Burgh, Lady of Clare, 1350-1351" 
1. Test of "Apple Blossom" colored wool
2. Test of rayed (striped) twill of various types of wools/sizes/colors 
3. The final list of fabrics to be woven
4. The Golden Fleece Project (Otherwise known as 7 lbs of THAT ROMNEY FLEECE)
1. "The Golden Fleece"
5. Random Hand Spun Yarns
1. The Loud Batt - Mood Swing (this was mentioned very briefly in "the Golden Fleece" post but I need to write up something more when its done.
1. Spun, Plyed, Knitted
2. Screaming Orange Yarn (Alpaca and Silk)
3. Rainbow Yarn (50/50 Merino/Silk)
4. Teal Yarn
6. Random Sewing Projects
1. a curtain for the studio
2. Dress for the little cousin
3. Hoodie for the little cousin 
7. Linen Waistcoat (Jacket) c.1630 based upon extant examples
1. This jacket is almost done. I need to finish writing this documentation.  
8. Half Baked Knitting Projects (By this, I mean half done projects)
1. Scarf out of rainbow cotton yarn as Christmas present for Miss L with a bonus headband
2. A bunny out of handspun for Miss E
3. Cowl out of Noro yarn 
4. Lacy Scarf out of alpaca/silk handspun lace weight
5. Something out of Malabrigo Rasta yarn in super bulky - color Archangel
6. Scarf for my sister in law
9. Round 10 Stitch Blanket project for the house made of handspun (the thing that will never be done - ever.)
1. yarn one (spun - knit)
2. yarn two (spun - knit)

Like a Hole in the Head-A few observations I had while spinning

Originally Posted on an old blog of mine: on September 26, 2010 by Elizabeth Ives

This is the current list.  I'm always taking suggestions for more observations about spinning (proper credit will always be given so send them in).

1) I needed a new hobby like a hole in the head (this observation was made many years ago now but it still holds true.)

2) Don’t walk away from cooking bacon to spin.  You will burn the bacon.

3) Twisting new fibers into a broken thread is best done at high velocity

4) When I’m done making yarn the only think I can do with it is look pleadingly at friends who knit (unless I choose to weave it.  I just don't love knitting.)

5) What spins clockwise un-spins counter clockwise if your not paying attention

6) Having a spindle for each roving you own is overkill but really nice (I don’t, by the way, but I know someone who does.)

7) Spinning reduces stress : having a small helper (cat or child) increases stress

8) My arms are not long enough

9) You can’t snack and spin at the same time so maybe spinning is good for a diet

10) Admiring the large quantity of teal wool you have just spun will not get your sewing done any faster.

11) A fine appreciation of woodworking is not excuse for new spindles just more expensive ones

12) Spinning is not sexy to your spouse

13) Do not tell your husband that you dream of fabric and spinning

14) But do tell him it’s ok to by the lathe so he can make you spindles.

.

15) Having your husband look at you while spinning and say “that looks tedious and time consuming.  Maybe we should buy you a wheel” may result in his premature death when he turned down funding on a table loom the week before. (I've since solved both of these problems and now own a wheel and a floor loom!  I even still have the husband.)

16) Thinking of these rules while spinning results in uneven thickness and a solid thunk on the floor

17) There are some weddings that are too fancy to take a spindle to.  Truly I have taken my spindles to a wedding before but in my defense it was for the lady who got me addicted to spinning and it was just that kind of wedding.  Also I have not taken my spindles to many weddings and REALLY REALLY wished that I had.

18) There is nothing quite like getting someone else addicted to the fiber arts.  If you sit down by me for more than five minuets, ask what I'm doing, or stare like you want to ask but won't, I WILL TEACH YOU HOW TO DO THIS.  You have been warned.

19) Fiber nuts will "huff" raw fiber because we like the smell of it.  Don't ask us why, we really don't know. But raw wool smells so good! (usually.)

20) The best questions come from kids.  This one came from an adult: "Where did you get the pink sheep?"  (That one is right up there with questions about Tomahawk missiles vs. real tomahawks.  But hay, some scientists have genetically altered fur to glow under black lights, maybe the pink sheep is not such a bad question after all.)

21)   Adding another survival skill to the post-apocalyptic skill set is not a good excuse to take up spinning but who cares.  Who am I kidding, that is a perfect excuse.  As if you really need one.

22) Do not turn around and look, when, having just handed your friends a bag of fiber to fondle, they shout and point "Oh look! A flock of flying turtles!".  Just saying that if you do look, that bag of fiber might not be there anymore.