Help required with Wool picker dimensions.

[KIMBOKO]

Are there any wool spinners out there who use a box type Wool picker who could help me. I am constructing one at the moment and would appreciate information about the nail distribution from someone who has got one. I think I need to know the number of rows of nails, direction and angle also the distance between the nails and between rows. For both the top and bottom pieces. I assume the nails in the top piece pass between the bottom nails so they don't lock together but I can't see from pictures by how much they overlap. I have looked at pictures online and probably any guess I make won't be too far out. But I would have more confidence about it if I knew the dimensions weren't too far out.Is there any advantage in having the nail sets removable to adjust how agressively it works?

 

[Toddy]

Do you mean the carding cloth ? the rows of fine bent wires ?
If so, they're usually 36, 48 or 72 to the square inch.
Like this stuff
http://www.winghamwoolwork.co.uk/32-card-cloth

If not, any photos or links for hints ?

atb,
Mary

 

[KIMBOKO]

I think it maybe has more usage in America. It is used for opening up the fleece allowing the dirt to drop out. Perhaps it could be considered a pre-carding process but its not a carder. There is a picture from the net follows:


http://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/120804108/mini-bench-wool-picker?image_id=417127609

 

[Toddy]

There you go, we learn something every day
I've never seen one before, and I've been spinning for a heck of a long time.
We pick over a fleece before we comb or card, remove the dags, etc.,
I think it looks more like our combing process; sort of.

Interesting and interested to hear how you get on with it too

cheers,
Mary

 

[KIMBOKO]

I bought a spinning wheel from a charity shop (ashford trad) last year and spun some flax but didn't have any other use for it. But recently my wife saw someone had knitted a scarf using a hemp and wool mix which she liked. So she bought some wool and hemp fibres and I offered to mix and spin some for her. I have finished that and thought it would be good to do some more wool spinning and so I have bought a fleece. As I like to make things and make things easier for myself a wool picker seemed like an easier/quicker way of preparation that combing. I am really totally new to spinning so I have lots to learn about everything.
I made the box for a wool picker yesterday before work and the I am going to get some nails today. But I won't be able to get on with it until monday due to work.