THE TRILLIS SPINNING WHEEL



This spinning wheel is an evolution of the standard English upright spinning wheel. The design features the following:

    1. The spinning wheel is made of white and red oak. These are both tough and heavy woods similar to the North American white oak. Also these woods are plentiful in the Huichol Sierra. The overall construction of the spinning wheel is especially rugged. It is made to withstand use in the mountains. The base has three points of support so as to be stable on uneven ground.

    2. The wheel itself is made of steam bent red oak. This dense, tough wood steam bends well and makes a very stable wheel that will not open out or change shape. This is an important feature because it ensures that the tension in the drive band is constant and will not cause fluctuation in 'pull' of the yarn being spun. Also the relatively massive wheel has a flywheel effect to help maintain steady rotation.


    3. The bobbin is large so that a quantity of yarn can be spun uninterruptedly and particularly to accommodate the thicker yarns for blankets without forever having to change bobbins.

    4. The rearrangement of the bobbin and flier assembly also means the bobbin is very easy to remove and replace.

    5. The spinning adjustment is made by the differential band technique and the adjustment screw is relatively fine in comparison to the traditional wood screws, so fine precision adjustments to the degree of twist and pull can be made.

    6. The orifice has been reduced to a grommet in the leather gate which greatly facilitates threading up.

    7.  The pivot of the treadle mechanism is placed 1/3 of the way along the pedal. This enables treadling to be both heeling and toeing so that both the up and the down stroke are powered. This gives more control and a more even rotation of the wheel.

    8.  The design is compact so that when not in use it can be stored neatly in a corner an important feature where people live in small rooms.

 

The retail price of these spinning wheels is $400 U.S. Each time I sell one retail, we make enough money to give one away to a Huichol woman. We sell these spinning wheels wholesale (10 or more) at $280 u.s.

The gear ratio we normally provide for beginers is 8:1. We can change this to 12:1 or 16:1 on request.

The wheel is made of thick laminations of steam bent oak. All glue is epoxy. The wheel is heavy and acts like a fly wheel. The wheel has 6 spokes and is is mounted on a pair of sealled ball bearing races.

The pedal is pivoted at a point one third from its length so that one can 'heal and toe', this double action effect is almost as good as having a double treadle and much simpler. The treadle is wide enough for most people to use both feet at once. 

The flyier is reversed so that the orifice is no more than a brass grommet in a leather strap that forms 'the gate'. By opening the gate the bobbin can be removed. Thus the bobbin can be removed without disturbing the drive band or its settings. It is very quick and easy to remove the bobbin.

The bobbins are rather bigger and especially longer than usual. These wheels are really intended for production. Also if a thick and light yarn is spun as for blankets, the bobbin is large enough to hold a good quantity. Three bobbins are supplied with each wheel. They, and the flyier unit is made of mahogany.

The tensioner unit uses a galvanised metal threaded screw. This allows fine ajustment of the drive band tension. We made the first wheel in 1981. However we haven't been producing them all this time. Our main effort to development and at production has been over the last 7 years. We have made several modifications to the origional design, mainly to make it stronger and more robust.