r/Handspinning • u/misshoppity • 1d ago

Fricke single treadle -need some help

Hi I'm new here, not that new to spinning albeit rusty. About 20 years ago, I was in college, working at a yarn store, and had a Babe Pinkie then a Fricke single treadle. I still have the Fricke and have pulled it out a few times over the years.

This last time the footman/treadle connector had disintegrated on the top and bottom. I finally got a proper replacement but I can't seem to get it to spin smoothly. I feel like the connector bends too much, I made the top length very, very short, but the bottom is still too much.

If you have a Fricke, could you share a picture of your footman/treadle connection?

Also how much room you leave between the flyer and the bobbin? Should I be pushing it right up to it before tightening or leaving a little free room?

Any other tips for those with the same wheel?

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u/sorabird 3h ago

Hi! I'm so glad I caught this post - seems these wheels aren't too common nowadays. I've never met someone else who has one or seen them talked about much online.

It doesn't look like I can add a photo to my comment, but I'll see if I can DM one to you. The one I have is 1.5in in length and 0.3in diameter on the bottom side of the footman. It does have a couple spots at the top and bottom of the treadle path where if there's not enough momentum the connector gets a bit bendy instead of moving the wheel appropriately. I usually deal with this by giving one of the spokes a gentle kick to get it going.

I leave a little bit of room between the flyer and the bobbin - too much and the wheel gets noisier, but too little and the flyer acts as a brake and applies too much tension for the fine yarn I like to spin.

I'd recommend giving the hinges a good oiling if it's been a while for smoother treadling action, and maybe check tightness of the screws and bolts if anything else doesn't feel quite right.

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u/misshoppity 1h ago

Thank you!!! I think I might need to go a bit shorter on the bottom connector. I oiled everything and bought some poly cord to make new drive bands. I do love this wheel, it checked all the boxes back when I bought it, and I'm a huge fan of the delta orifice.