Posted 9 years ago
lgass
(1 item)
I recently purchased this item along with several other Appalachian farm tools. Can anyone tell me what it is?
Antique Appalachian Tool | ||
| All items123330 of 244563 |  |  |
Antique Appalachian Tool | ||
| All items123330 of 244563 | | |
Posted 9 years ago
lgass
(1 item)
I recently purchased this item along with several other Appalachian farm tools. Can anyone tell me what it is?
Help us close this case. Add your knowledge below.
Create an account or login in order to post a comment.
It's part of a spinner's weasel or yarn winder. As pictured it's upside-down - the part at the top in the photo would attach to some sort of base, usually a fairly substantial block of wood with 3-4 legs that would splay out below it. The other end would hold a shaft, typically of wood, that would have a worm gear cut into it. The shaft would extend out one side and have a reel - a series of arms, typically 4-6, which would end in a mallet-like head. Yarn that had been spun would be wound onto the reel and it would advance the gear, usually one tooth per turn of the reel. They usually had a somewhat flexible stick, known as a weasel, that would catch either a peg or little inclined plane (ramp) typically located on the side of the gear once per revolution. In doing so it would be bent somewhat then snap back, making a loud pop so that the person winding would know that the gear had made a full revolution.
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/156312-a-mystery-item--what-is-this
ClothoMoirai - here's another of your replies showing a different angle of a 'weasel', posted 8 months ago. Weird there should be another one and good we can see one the right way up.