Spinning wheel flyers I made in July.

[george wilson]

This last month,I have made repairs to an old spinning wheel flyer,and made a reproduction of it for another wheel by the same 18th.C. maker.This job was for my extremely discerning customer. She liked it,thank heaven! I don't know how many of you are involved in restorations,but it is a lot more difficult than making new things,especially the patinas.

These type wheels are not the usual type at all,where everything is wood. These are mahogany wheels with brass and ivory parts,and are worth the price of some cars. Just a few collectors can afford to get into collecting these. She has to compete with the likes of the Victoria and Albert Museum,london,to get these. They were for the very wealthy,because women of all classes were expected to know how to spin as part of their education. Even Queen Elizabeth the First spun.

These advanced spinning wheels have provision for automatically winding the thread on evenly: the bobbins move sideways to feed the thread coming down through the little raised hole on the foremost end of the flyer as photographed.

The old wheel's bobbin is recognizable by the extra staining on the ivory from old oil,probably whale oil. They did have some access from petroleum bubbling up from the ground.They called it rock oil.I guess they thought it came out of some kind of rocks.The brass flyer was broken off and lost just in the sharpest part of the bend,on one side,the side with the little "eyehook". It broke right through the threaded hole for this "eyehook". The small "eye hook" was missing. Also,the small ivory cap on the end of the pulley(whorl) was gone. Inside it is an iron nut with left hand threads. I also had to made a left hand tap,and reproduce the thread in the repro whorl,so that both old and new parts were interchangeable,and the thread was an 18th.C. form.

The shafts of both flyers are iron,not steel.I made the lathe turned parts exactly the same size within .0005". It had to fit the other spinning wheel,sight unseen.

The bobbin I made from documented pre 1972 ivory,and the axle is boxwood stained to look old like the original bobbin. The ivory parts are also stained to look the same color as the original bobbin,though I did not distress the new parts,so they would not be mistaken for original when the wheel changes hands,though it would take a very experienced eye to know the difference,especially on the metal parts.

In addition to coloring the ivory,there is always a thin layer of soot in various places on the old parts,from being in rooms heated by fire for many years. I have made a mixture of very fine lampblack,and other additives to simulate this. It is very difficult to get these patinas right,because in 200 years, the patina is not only ON the surfaces,it has gotten INTO the surfaces.

The iron axle is also aged with a bit of rust in places the same as the original,like down in the threads,and an overall oxide layer is also etched into the metal,as are also the brass flyer arms.

I had to heat the old flyer brass red hot to silver solder on the new arm. That,of course,messes up the patina of half of the flyer.So,I had to age the new half to be exactly a match for the old.

I actually spend about as much time aging these parts as I do making them,and there is quite an art to figuring out how to make new parts look just right.

For some reason,the lighting makes the end of the repro's bobbin look very light,though it is not in actuality. The reproduction flyer assembly is in the rear of both photos.

A spinning wheel is a sort of tool,and a great deal of hand work went into these.Even a lot of the lathe work was freehand turning.So,I hope this fits here.

I got burned out submitting photos months ago,and can scarcely remember how by now,though I have many more photos to put up.

[Brett Baldwin]

I imagine that the vast majority of your work on these is by hand. Your depth of subjects is truly amazing. I enjoy seeing the craftmanship and ingenuity you put into all these projects.

[george wilson]

Thank you,Brett. By now I've had about 25 years of experience in working on these type of things for a most particular customer. When we started our relationship,she wanted everything to look nice and new. later on,she got more sophisticated,probably at my urging,and now wants things aged,but not distressed.

I didn't realize how much piddling around with patinas,stains,etc. that I was setting myself up for. Getting those colors and textures right can take a lot of experiments.

I had been asked a number of times what I was doing lately,so I thought I'd put this up. Most of the other pictures were of old work.

[george wilson]

Putting this back up so john Keeton can find it.

[John Keeton]

Thanks, George! Not sure how I missed this one, but these look a couple hundred years old to me. Beautiful work, and as always, your accuracy and attention to authenticity is without match.

[george wilson]

The person I do this work for has micrometer eyes. Many times I've had to re -do a job because of some very small problem she sighted.

[James Harrison]

I have looked at your three reply's George and I don't see anything.
Maybe there is something I am missing.

[Bob Strawn]

Amazing, George!

There is no way I could tell these are not ancient and authentic.
The research and experimentation you do in addition to the craftsmanship and artistry is astonishing.

It is so much easier to do original work, matching materials, tool marks and patterns is so much less forgiving. Then, after making a perfect match from rare materials, bravely risking all your work, matching patina, has to be pretty nerve racking.

I suspect that in a hundred years, the record that you restored the wheel to function, would triple the value of the wheel.

Bob

[george wilson]

James,I haven't any idea what you mean.

[Jim Koepke]

George,
I sent you a few PMs on working with images on your Macintosh. Did you get them?

jim

[george wilson]

Jim,yes I did,thank you. I haven't tried them out yet,but I have saved your information. I've had back and knee pain for several days,and just can't focus right now on learning new things. Computers are not my forte!!

[Jim Koepke]

I know about the pains, hope yours ease soon.

Getting old sure ain't for the weak.

jim