Make A Spinning Wheel Conrod Joint Out Of A 20 Cent Piece Of Vinyl Boat Cushion Cording
Awhile back I found an Ashford Traveller spinning wheel at a church rummage sale.
Somehow between then and now, without it ever being used, my conrod joint snapped in half.
I had never heard of the term before searching Ashford dealer sites to figure out what the broken doohickey was. As you can probably guess, I’m not much of a spinner. For those with less spinning knowledge than I, a conrod joint connects the foot pedal to the vertical bar that rotates the wheel.
Truth be told, the wheel scares me. Most spinners I’ve met were once knitters. It’s the were part that makes me nervous. These wheels seem to be the crack cocaine of the fiber set.
After searching Home Depot for a substitute and striking out, my husband Bill and I headed to an upholstery store to get foam for making sponge bars.
While wandering the aisles, Bill spied rolls of vinyl cording. At 20 cents for eighteen inches, it was a perfect solution combining just the right balance of flexibility and rigidness.
Once home, Bill cut off the flat part, stuck it in the wheel, and screwed it in place.
No need to drill holes. The screw drilled them for him.
I don’t know how well our emergency joint will hold up. It should last long enough to keep things spinning for awhile.
Searching the web showed several dealers sold real conrod joints for a few dollars so it’s not like a retail solution isn’t available.
Shipping and time are the real costs.
Besides, a die hard spinner is not going to want to wait a week for a replacement part.
In an spinning emergency, what have you used to fix your wheel? Bill thought a plumbing O ring cut open might work, hence the first trip to Home Depot. I was thinking a strip of leather cut from a thrift store pant belt would do the trick. Hopefully our boat cording solution is all we’ll ever need.
Related Posts
August 26, 2008
2 comments
I’ve had the same problem with my Ashford–Elisabeth–and was able to find a replacement cord, actually bought 2, from the Yarn Barn (Kansas) which shipped it the same day.
I think that your idea is very clever, since those repalcement cords, probably, cost 10cents a mile to make. The cord I bought is made of some sort of flexible acrylic, dense solid material. Did not have to drill a hole, the screw pierced a hole as my DH installed it.
I also appreciate your tutorial on replacing the sponge bar.
isrbrown’s Videos (UK YouTube) shows a tutorial using weather stripping, a great idea, as well.
I enjoy your blog, a lot. ^__^
RG-59 Coaxial Cable
http://sallycomesunraveled.blogspot.com/2014/02/dads-surprising-spinning-wheel-hack-or.html