Drop Spindles
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They only really work well with fine fibres such as the bast from flax, hemp, jute, ramie and nettle. Cotton, bog cotton, some of the tree cottons and the like can be spun on the drop spindle but they need supported or double spun without weight bearing until the fibres are spun.
Heavier fibres don't spin so well on the drop spindle; it's the difficulty of getting enough twist into the yarn to hold so that more can be drafted in, that's the biggest problem.
Grass ropes and the like are 'spun' using a hook and a lot of material.
cheers,
Toddy
Lots of videos out there I would think.
Heavier fibres don't spin so well on the drop spindle; it's the difficulty of getting enough twist into the yarn to hold so that more can be drafted in, that's the biggest problem.
Grass ropes and the like are 'spun' using a hook and a lot of material.
cheers,
Toddy
Lots of videos out there I would think.
Yes I have used a drop spindle with raw flax fibres. The flax I got ages ago on ebay had pretty short fibres, can't remember without looking but they were just a few inches long and this made spinning a thread quite tricky and I gave up!
Steve.
Steve.
Flax naturally has long fibres, the strands are several feet long, but, for modern spinning machinery's sake, they cut the fibres into short lengths. This makes it a bit of a pain to spin by hand 
It's still doable, but flax is best spun dampish anyway, cut short like this I find it really does need dampened down.
If you want long length flax for spinning search for strick or roving. The strick is the full length fibres neatly laid out and bundled together, while the roving is the flax carded and drawn out into a continuous length.
In the past the short broken fibres were called tow, and were coarsely spun to make rough cloth. Ironic that the tow fibres are now the ones that are used to spin linen
maybe why so much modern linen is carp and wears out in no time. I have linens that are over 100 years old and they are still sound, beautifully soft and white. A lot of the modern stuff is dead in a couple of months of continuous wear by the reenactors
cheers,
Toddy
It's still doable, but flax is best spun dampish anyway, cut short like this I find it really does need dampened down.If you want long length flax for spinning search for strick or roving. The strick is the full length fibres neatly laid out and bundled together, while the roving is the flax carded and drawn out into a continuous length.
In the past the short broken fibres were called tow, and were coarsely spun to make rough cloth. Ironic that the tow fibres are now the ones that are used to spin linen
maybe why so much modern linen is carp and wears out in no time. I have linens that are over 100 years old and they are still sound, beautifully soft and white. A lot of the modern stuff is dead in a couple of months of continuous wear by the reenactors cheers,
Toddy
That I had no clue off, and again you seem to be a fountain of knowledge, Thanks Toddy ^^
Yours sincerely a learning Ruud
Yours sincerely a learning Ruud
Ah not really It's simply that I spin and make cordage, so when someone asks about something like this I chip in with what I know.
cheers,
Toddy
It's simply that I spin and make cordage, so when someone asks about something like this I chip in with what I know.cheers,
Toddy
Thanks for all the input guys.
I'm about to process a load of nettles and I've never had much luck with the 'roll in on your thigh' methodso I thought I'd try a drop spindle. My ultimate goal is to then use the twine to make rope.
I know I've got my work cut out, but I figure it's more environmentally sound than buying polypropylene (?) para cord.
Will let you know how I get on.
I'm about to process a load of nettles and I've never had much luck with the 'roll in on your thigh' methodso I thought I'd try a drop spindle. My ultimate goal is to then use the twine to make rope.
I know I've got my work cut out, but I figure it's more environmentally sound than buying polypropylene (?) para cord.
Will let you know how I get on.
Until very recently I have always hand twisted my Bow Strings (rolling on the thigh...Cuban maiden like ) but have just started using a hand drill and hook with some very good results...and it cuts down on the time it takes the scouts to produce a string too...
Not very traditional, but if "the White Company" had had access to a drill, I'm sure they'd have used it...
) but have just started using a hand drill and hook with some very good results...and it cuts down on the time it takes the scouts to produce a string too...Not very traditional, but if "the White Company" had had access to a drill, I'm sure they'd have used it...
Rope hooks are traditional so are the ropewalks that go with them though.
Easy to make from a bit of fence wire and a hollow branch from willow or elder
Somewhere I have photos, but I need to log onto the other computer to sort that out.
I'll see if I can find anything on line.
Basically it's a length of wire pushed through a bit of tube. One end is fashioned into a hook and the other into a crank handle. Hold the tube in one hand, turn the handle with the other. Result = turning hook to make cordage Easy, simple, no need for high tech anything They could even be carved out of bone.
cheers,
Toddy
so are the ropewalks that go with them though.Easy to make from a bit of fence wire and a hollow branch from willow or elder
Somewhere I have photos, but I need to log onto the other computer to sort that out.
I'll see if I can find anything on line.
Basically it's a length of wire pushed through a bit of tube. One end is fashioned into a hook and the other into a crank handle. Hold the tube in one hand, turn the handle with the other. Result = turning hook to make cordage
Easy, simple, no need for high tech anything They could even be carved out of bone.cheers,
Toddy
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