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Table of Contents
Drop spindles come in (at least) 2 basic types:
- supported (pointed end above whorl, typically held in a bowl and spun as a bottom-whorl spindle)
- suspended (hooked end above whorl spun as a top-whorl spindle)
These come in many shapes and sizes but the basic important bits are:
- balance (weight should be evenly distributed around axle/shaft of spindle)
- weight (weight should be as far from axle as possible to encourage longer spin)
The weight of the spindle is typically a function of the type of yarn to be spun; lighter/lace weight calls for a light spindle (<1 ounce/28 grams) while heavier yarn calls for a heavier spindle (1-3 oz/28-85 g).
Colorful exotics (padauk, purpleheart, etc) tend to sell best tho figured maple and other domestics, both colored/stained and plain, work perfectly well but are less visually striking; this bit is definitely subjective and varies by user.
Shafts are simplest when made from 3/8“ dowels (birch, cherry, walnut; oak is very open-grain and thus a bit grabby). Also note that dowel diameters are not precisely 3/8” and seem to vary by wood.
TABLE of wood-diameter
also
TABLE of wood-weight for 3/8“x12” dowel
Supported spindles
Supported spindles call for a serious taper at the end opposite the whorl; ideally it's also quite smooth since this is the spot most in contact with the spinner's fingers and thus can cause wear and tear on the user over many hours.
Supported spindles also might need to be a bit lighter and shorter than the average suspended spindle tho this might also be a user preference and Navajo-style supported spindles are quite large (designed to be used while seated and supported by the floor). So mostly we're talking about table-top (or lap-top) supported spindles here.
Supported (and bottom-whorl in general) spindles don't have a whorl notch since the fiber is all above the whorl and thus there's no need to further “bind” it to the spindle.
Supported spindle bowls
These are ideally small heavy bowls with fairly flat bottoms to minimize sliding with a hollow that is a simple inverted cone (not a semi-spherical shape like regular bowls). This gives the point of the spindle a good registration at the center of the bowl and keeping the cone shallow minimizes the chance of the whorl hitting the bowl edge when it's tilted during use.
Quality
The measure of quality of a supported spindle is how long it'll spin on a single go; ideally 30 seconds or more in the hands of an experienced spinner. This is, of course, a function of weight, balance, and the quality of the point and support. Some makers put a bit of metal (ball-bearing, rounded wire, etc) at the point to minimize wearing and friction between the spindle and the support. A heavy oil wooden support bowl also helps here to minimize friction and wobble in the spindle.
Suspended spindles
Suspended spindle shafts can be anywhere from 8-12“ long, straight or tapered (tho not as tapered as a supported spindle). Tapering the shaft helps with balance because it lets the turner support the spindle between centers and balance the shaft material around the axis of the lathe. Un-tapered shafts (i.e., whole dowels) are more at the mercy of the dowel being balanced and also tend to look a bit cruder (IMHO).
Suspended spindles typically have a hook above the whorl to hold the fiber to the spindle (it can also be done with a half-hitch knot but the hook makes life easier). Suspended spindle whorls also typically have at least 1 notch behind the hook to further increase the force the whorl can put on the fiber (otherwise it can slip around the whorl and not twist at all or very little. The notch is also used to balance the spindle by removing weight from the whorl on the heaviest side (found by placing the nearly completed spindle on a flat level surface and seeing in which way it rolls and where it stops - the bottom of the whorl when it stops is the heaviest side and thus where the notch should be). Notch depth/width can be adjusted to help compensate for the off-center weight up to a point. Multiple notches is also an option tho I haven't tried that yet. It's also possible to add a counter-weight to the light side of the whorl to bring the balance point closer to the axle; I haven't tried that yet either tho I have ideas on how to calculate the amount of weight and, thus, the amount of metal that would be needed to improve the balance. Still some research to be done in this area.
Some suspended spindles also have grooves on the lower 3rd of the shaft to improve grip; this is also an area I have yet to investigate but will soon.