Posted 5 years ago
HSSC
(2 items)
When this item was donated to our museum, we were told it was used to wind yarn. Upon closer inspection, we noticed the clock face and as one side was missing, the inside works. It may be a clock, but if it is, why the big arms?
Any information would be helpful!
Type of Spinning Wheel?? That's all the time I have now!!
Stuff
I've never seen anything like this item so pls take this with a grain of salt, but the way that clock face is apparently stamped onto its mechanisms (without being actually prominently visible, and without hands) makes me wonder if the whole machine might have once been part of the 'guts' of some kind of actual very large clock, with those stampings being some kind of markings to help some maintenance kind of person to adjust it...??
I have piece similar It's I believe a yarn winder?? I will take a pic of mine tomorrow I don't have the TIME now!!! when I dig it out of the barn.
Stuff
Yougottahavestuff is right I believe. You have a Yarn Winder. The "clock" face is a counter, or clicker. I think this version may have been called a "Clock Wheel"
See these links for more information:
https://antiques.lovetoknow.com/antique-yarn-winder
https://www.etsy.com/listing/660090383/vintage-antique-yarn-winder-swift?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=antique+yarn+winder&ref=sr_gallery-1-1
This probably should re-classified from "Clocks" to "Rugs and Textiles" with perhaps a secondary listing in Farm Tools.
That should be "Clock Reel" not "Clock Wheel". Perhaps a spool went on the top some how. Not sure. I've never seen one in action.
[reposting the same exact comment here in addition to 'Stuff's post a little while ago, because it just seems appropriate to go both places...apologies to the Mods if that's a no-no...]
And THERE WE HAVE IT, 'Stuff -- the answer to HSSC's query/item shown earlier today. SUCH a fabulous learning resource CW is to all of us who just can't help but to ask the inevitable question "what the h*ll is THAT thing"...??
<LOLOLOL>
Evidently it stretches out the yarn and gets it ready to work with.
See this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZCTYP-sbf0
Hope that solves your mystery.
Thanks Stuff. I knew this wasn't a clock, but had no idea just exactly what it was.
Be open to the possibility that the clock face is exactly that - a faceplate from a dismantled cheap clock. Repurposing was a fact of life back then and adds some flavor of that life to a primitive like this yarn winder, IMHO. We had a similar piece that was (very well) constructed with old bannister posts for arms and used a 3" thick chunk of slabwood as a base.
Anything is possible but I really don't think this "Clock Face" started off as anything other than what it currently is. I've seen my share of clock faces before. I've never seen a divided Chapter Ring. Also, there's no way someone is going to read this from any distance. All but the smallest of clocks can be read from some distance.