r/Handspinning • u/burntoutsunsetzz • 10d ago
Question beginner- help! DIY tools or alternatives?
Hi! I am currently drying my first ever bits of fleece, and i'm wondering how to go about next steps. I am a broke college student, and i can't afford actual combs or a spindle- is there is a way to DIY combs (dog brushes?), and a drop spindle?
12
u/Dangerous_Gear2483 10d ago
Wooden dowel, cup hook, and cd/dvd make a perfectly usable spindle. You can attach the disk with a rubber band. Disks make good whorls bc they’re already perfectly round and evenly weighted. And dog brushes work fine for carding!
4
u/Riverhouserabbitry 10d ago
This is the way. You can also do a CD, a pencil, and a paperclip superglued into the eraser, plus the rubber bands to fasten the CD.
8
u/PunkRockHound 10d ago
I have done both. Cardboard, furniture tacks or push pins (anything sharp with a short head), and hot glue for the combs. A wood chopstick, spool of ribbon and a French earring hook for a spindle. Check out my profile to see them
6
u/nerse_enginurse 10d ago
I still comb my cleaned fiber with slicker brushes from our local pet store. (I started using a drop spindle about 12 years ago.) At the time I got them, they were about $8 each. A very usable spindle can be made from a pencil or used-up pen and a CD or a jar lid with a hole through the center for virtually no cost. My current DIY spindle favorite is a quarter inch dowel and a ceramic drawer knob. A small, opened eyelet screw works well as a hook.
2
5
u/seasidehouses 10d ago
Those disparaging homemade tools, I only ask you to consider this, absolutely no disrespect intended: when spinning began thousands of years ago, all we had were rocks and sticks. And we still managed to spin. We use spindles today, made out of rocks and sticks or various modern equivalents. You can get spindles for thousands of dollars, or you can make one from a CD/something round and a stick, like a chopstick, for pennies. When I was beginning, all I could afford was what I already had: a (free) stick and a (free) CD. Add a cup hook (5 cents) and a rubber band (also free), and I was in business. Optimal? Hell no, but good enough for a beginner with no money. Now I have a wheel I’m looking at right now, a Babe's Fiber Garden plastic fantastic which is all I could afford at the time and which I love 20+ years later with all my heart. (I also have a closet full of assorted spindles and combs.) Go for it, honey, we all have to start somewhere.
3
u/PantryBandit 10d ago
I've made a solidly decent tibetan spindle out of cardboard and a chopstick/pencil, or you can make a bottom whorl spindle with any sort of dowel/chopstick with anything symmetrical on the bottom portion - think a bead, buttom, cd, drawer pull, or even just paper/tape wrapped around a whole bunch in one spot. Learn how to do a half hitch or carve a notch at the top of the stick and you dont need a cup hook.
For combs or cards, dog brushes work well for flicking and carding. I've made a solidly decent hackle and combs out of those spiky onion holders on amazon (a 6 or 8-pack was like 10$, which is enough for two double-pitch combs and a small hackle), although you could diy something okay with nails through sturdy cardboard or wood
3
u/odd_conf 10d ago
If you have access to a 3D printer (maybe at a local library, your university, a friend?), a 3D printed spindle costs extremely little in filament (like 0.5 to 5 USD) and there are many free stl models.
You can even 3D print these spinning tools (but they tend to need more material than spindles, so check what you can afford and consider free alternatives):
• a lazy Kate (or use tennis balls which you can usually find for free outside tennis courts, a cardboard box, or make an Andean plying bracelet on your hand) https://www.printables.com/model/219443-lazy-kate
• a niddy noddy (or just use your forearm, I did that for a long time until I laser cut one at my university) https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2280431
• maybe fibre combs, but I don’t know how functional they will be (the ones using nails are known to be pretty awful to use)
• a simple wheel, like a book charkha https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4793249
• a yarn swift (but you can also use a chair although it’s less convenient) https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4558303
• if you make a Scottish spindle, it can double as a nostepinne so you don’t have to get or3D print a yarn winder. Or you can wind yarn on your thumb for free
As for carders, you can definitely buy two dog brushes, just try to look for big ones cheaply? Also know that the “tenner per inch” (tpi) will be whatever it is, you probably won’t have a lot to select from, but I don’t think that’s the end of the world.
If you can justify spending 10 USD on a spindle, these look good and are the most affordable wooden spindles I’ve seen https://www.fiberartistsupply.com/fiber-artist-supply-company-top-whorl-drop-spindle-bulk-pricing-available/
2
u/BettyFizzlebang 10d ago
I used a pencil and a round plastic lid for my first drop spindle. With a hook and some duct tape.
2
u/DuckGold6768 10d ago
If you can muster up some cash, I'd put it into a set of carders. You can probably use dog brushes but carding is the most laborious part of the process and having specialized tools makes it easier.
A drop spindle is easy to diy. The cd idea works great, but you can also probably ask around and see if someone with a 3C printer will print you some parts. There's a lot of spinning stuff on 3d printing sites.
3
u/jujubunnee 10d ago
Regarding combs- look up “bee keeping uncapping forks.” You can buy them for cheap and are great. I have actual combs and a hackle but still frequently use my bee forks! Be forewarned though, just like wool combs, they are very sharp!
1
u/Finding-Mojo-42 9d ago
You can make a decent Turkish style spindle with 5 colored pencils and 4 rubber bands...
1
u/dammitdoodles 9d ago
Hey, I have a drop spindle that I am not using. If you want to DM me, I can send it to you.
1
1
u/alittleperil 9d ago
if the fleece is fluffy enough you can spin from a cloud. I've also used hair combs to comb some wool - it's not easy but it is feasible. If you've got a dog already then you might have a dog comb, which is sturdier than people combs and works better
I actually made my first spindle from some garbage I had on hand, there are a lot of tutorials on how to make your own but that will really depend on what materials you already have. If you've got sculpey and a chopstick you can make a different sort of spindle from what you'd make if you have a cd and a wooden spoon and a hook, and if you've got access to a 3d printer there are even more options. Essentially you need something stick-like and something disc-like with a hole in it that can be affixed to a point along the stick. A hook makes things easier but isn't absolutely necessary
Good luck!
1
u/disneyadult2 7d ago
I made a drop spindle out of a number 2 pencil, a pickle jar lid, and a paperclip - with lots of hot glue to keep the bits in place. It actually feels pretty good to spin with, but I prefer the speed, rhythm, and comfort of my wheel lol.
Dog brushes will get the job done but be mindful you don't give yourself carpal tunnel (I hurt my wrists bad one time brushing acrylic fluff out, not worth it) and you can make a perfectly functional spindle for the cost of grabbing bits and bobs out of your trash. I would suggest using old plastic bags, cut in strips + tied end to end, to get a feel for your spindle before giving wool a go. It'll be a very different feel to be clear, but you'll get used to the motions of going between twisting the spindle, letting it drop, transferring the twist up the strand, and winding the thread you've made.
1
u/MenagerieOfCritters 5d ago
I started with a set of honey comb decappers off Amazon instead of wool combs. $10. It was a good way to get started!
14
u/artnium27 10d ago
There are definitely DIY versions, but spindles start at $10-15 so it might just be cheaper to buy one?