Driving

One of the aspects of spinning and weaving that fascinates me is the juxtaposition of simple machinery, luxurious fibres and sophisticated designs. Occasionally the machinery breaks down. Then I remember that even simple machinery can be difficult to maintain. Fortunately I have a network of friends who share my passion. When the drive band on my drum carder gave way, I searched out a scrap of paper where I'd printed out an email from J a few years ago. There was the address of a transmission supply workshop in Brunswick. I also needed a new drive band for one of my spinning wheels, so I loaded both into the car and off I went. The workshop was a classic mechanical environment: castors, tools and fittings of various kinds. The teaser near the front cash register--where the chocolates are temptingly placed at the supermarket--was a mini grease gun!

J's directions where perfect. When I brought my wheel and carder into the shop, no-one even blinked. The transmission specialist happily observed the special features of my Majacraft wheel, assessed the old drive-band and the challenges of the tiny fast whorls and took off into his workshop. I observed him through a side window of the shop. In that environment my little wheel looked like a toy. After several trials and consultations, he came up with something that worked well. The drum-carder was an easy fix. Off I went with two of my essential pieces of equipment restored to usefulness and a smile on my face. Total cost $10.