Bluebonnet Spinning Wheel Co.

Check out our web site for accessories : www.bluebonnetwheels.com

Thank you for purchasing our "Fairy Thimble" folding spinning wheel. I hope you get many years of enjoyment from it.

These instructions should help you learn how to unfold your new "Fairyfor use, Thimble" and how to refold it for storage and travel.

Our contact information is at the end of these instructions.

If you have any problems please contact us for assistance. Operation of the spinning"Fairy wheel. Thimble" Unfolding

Remove from"Fairy box Thimble" and set on base. Fold front of base"Fairy down Thimble" till support locks in place.

Untie footmen loops and hook the right pedal loop over the inside crank shaft and the left pedal loop over the outside crank shaft where the acorn nut is attached.

Bobbins and Lazy Kate were shipped packed separately to protect them from damage during shipping.

Right footman loop here

Left footman loop here Drive band was shipped wrapped around lock pin. Pull lock pin out to release drive band and for next step.

Rotate front and back uprights to position shown in picture at left. Flyer assembly will not be installed yet.

Install lock pin through holes in uprights, and holes in arch. This will hold the uprights steady during use.

Lock pin The flyer was sent fully assembled. Remove the shaft collar from the end of the shaft.

Remove the Whorl from the shaft.

Working from the front, Insert the flyer shaft into the bearing in the front upright, place the whorl on the shaft and insert the flyer shaft through the bearing in the back upright.

Note the flat spot on the end of the flyer shaft. Place shaft collar on the end of the shaft as shown and tighten the set screw down on the flat spot using supplied allen wrench.

Note that th ere is also a flat area on the shaft between the uprights. You will tighten the setscrew of the whorl on this flat spot.

Note that there are three pulleys on the large whorl. The largest gives you the 6:1 ratio. The middle gives you 8:1 ratio. The smallest is the 10:1 ratio.

Note that there are three pulleys on the optional small whorl. The largest gives you the 12:1 ratio. The middle gives you 14:1 ratio. The smallest is the 16:1 ratio.

Determine which ratio you want to use and position that pulley over the wheel.

Make sure the shaft collar next to the bobbin is not binding the bobbin. It should hold the bobbin in place with no side to side movement. Thi s was shipped properly adjusted.

The shaft collar on the end of the shaft should hold the shaft in place without binding against the wood of the upright. Unhook the Scotch Tension spring from its storage position and unwind enough cord to go around the bobbin and hook again to the eyelet it was hooked on. The band can go either clockwise or counterclockwise, based on which direction you are spinning the wheel.

Place the drive band around the wheel and over the whorl.

Adjust the scotch Tension knob to control the amount of tension needed based on the type of spinning you are doing. To fold the spinning wheel. Reverse the procedure of installing the flyer assembly.

Place the scotch tension in storage position.

Rotate the wheel till the acorn nut is at its lowest point

Lift the support by the ring and fold the base upright, The acorn nut should fall between the pedals and be at its lowest position.

Remove the Upright lock pin, fold the uprights down, and replace the upright lock pin. Wrap the drive band around the lock pin for storage

Because of the increased size of the new bobbins, they will no longer fit on the base with the base folded up.. The flyer is shown fully assembled above..

To change the bobbin. While the flyer is in the spinning wheel, grasp the whorl to keep the shaft from spinning and turn the flyer counter clockwise. It will unscrew from the shaft.

Slide the bobbin off the shaft. Clean the shaft with a soft, clean, cloth. Periodically, it is helpful to apply a very thin coat of lightweight oil, such as sewing machine oil, or 3-in-one oil, to the shaft.

Slide a new bobbin onto the shaft. If the brass bushing pops out, jus t gently push it back into the hole in the bobbin shaft.

I do not recommend glueing the bushing in place. The alignment is critical, and if glued in place it will probably bind. By having a push fit, it allows the bushing to adjust itself and help prevent binding.

Be very careful that you do not tighten any of the set screws onto any part of the shaft except where is has been ground flat for that purpose. The tiny damage that the set screw will do to the shaft will prevent the shaft from sliding through the bearings and bushings. The clearance between the shaft and the bearings and bushings is .0025 inches. That is 2 and ½ thousandths of an inch. That is why the shaft must be kept clean and lightly oiled. Contamination will cause binding.