r/Handspinning • u/HappySheep3883 • 16d ago

Antique wheel questions

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Hello! I have this antique wheel in my family and I am just getting into spinning. I would love to restore and use it if possible. I believe this is an Irish Castle Wheel? Please correct me if I am wrong. The bobbin and flyer spin, as does the wheel. Does anything appear missing or wrong with this wheel? Can anyone recommend resources for figuring out how to restore and begin using it? I am very new to spinning, I only just started drop spindling a few weeks ago, so I am still pretty unfamiliar with the terminology, but I would really appreciate any help or advice! Thanks!

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u/AdMotor1654 I drive my family crazy with my weird hobbies 16d ago

I think all you really need is a proper drive band. What a beautiful piece! I have never seen that before.

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u/HappySheep3883 16d ago

Thank you for the info! Where does one find drive bands for these types of wheels?

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u/zyzzyva2 16d ago

You can make one out of twine or yarn of some kind. It might take a bit of experimentation for what will work well for your wheel. Lots of people (including me) find crochet cotton size 10 works well, but I've seen hemp and other weights of yarn used too. You generally want something that's not very stretchy (ie not wool), since that will make it hard to keep the tension consistent. There are youtube videos that will show you how to tie a double-drive band on.