I had to make the head larger due to excessive barking and to support the carved swirls. I wonder if I can get it more in balance with the rest of the spindle next time I am able to turn a spindle. It spins well, but it is taking longer for me to like the look of the ‘big head’

The same time it took me to turn and sand the spindle , it took to carve them, figuring the math, plot the spirals, then to start the spiral I used the dermal, to finish the shaping I used various files, then sanding to finish.

Russian Supported Plying Spindle Spiral Head
Barked White Pear
1.1oz/31g 11.75”

Russian Supported Spindle Spiral skirt
.8oz/28g 11.25”
bugged out Milkwood

After doing tons of research and finding a few helpful youtube videos, I finally was able to make the styling of spindle that I have wanted to. I am very pleased with the results.

(A spindle is a hand tool that is used by fiber artists to spin various fibers into yarn, a plying spindle does the same but with two or more singles and plys then together twisting them in the oposite direction to produce a balanced yarn)

Black Locust wood,

.8oz/22g
10.25”
Russian Supported Spindle

This one was a tad bit of a trouble maker. Where the tip was originally going to be i discovered some hidden bark. and after threatening to ruin the whole thing, I removed it completely from the lathe, and sawed off the trouble maker.

reset it, still had some issues with the tip of the head, but tamed it.

The rest was cake.

Like my other two russian supported spindle, it is used to spin fibers into a yarn, but in a bowl in your lap in supported fashion.

This one is bespoken, and will be traveling to the other side of the country to be loved by its new owner.
I was hoping to test this one out and spin it up with some of my shetland. As the test flick spins it is very well balanced.

White pear
1.2oz/35g
9.75”
Nostepinne with WPI gauge

The length of White Pear was a bit of a bear, due to the checking covering one side of the blank.

After removing the checking there was a bit of an odd shape left over. but after a little thought a nostepinne was the perfect solution. The WPI (wraps per inch) gauge was where the worst of the checking.

Oops…

You use the shaft to wrap finished yard to get a center pull ball of yarn. The inch gap in the handle you wrap your yarn to figure out how many wraps equal an inch.

here is the Latest, my 3rd Completed Object. The skirt is more refined, and the neck is more balanced.
I did a few test flicks, and it can almost spin itself. Just keeps going and going. Attached some of my shetland and did a few test spins, and OMG it just keeps going, it is like the ever ready bunny.

I use Mylands Friction Sealer and polish, I also burnished with the wood chips and paper towel.

African umThunzi
Botanical Name: Mimusops caffra
Common Name: Coastal Red Milkwood

it is .9oz/25g and 11.5” long

Pardon the ‘leash’ I could wait to take it for a test drive.

In plain old oak, It is much bigger then the first I made, And it spins pretty well, I just need to get more fiber and test drive it. It is .5 oz, 15 grams 9.25 inches long

Here is my first project A Russian Supported Spindle made of figured maple, it was great fun, and very challenging. My favorite type of skillset.

A russian spindle Desc. for those who don’t know. Taken from the Spindle of the world project...

American-Russian spindle designs are derivative of the Orenburg Russian Lace spindle. While Orenburg Russian Lace spindles are designed to spin primarily goat downs and fine fibers, American-Russian spindles are often made of denser woods (weighing more) in order to be suitable for spinning hairier wools.
They consist of a spinning tip, shaft, neck, and supporting point.

Wil suggests that my second project be a tad easier, like a bowl.