Naomi P

I have a book charkha. I’ve watched this video from Joan Ruane (I mostly loathe video, but she comes highly recommended as a spinning teacher and it was efficient and informative, so that’s okay.)

https://youtu.be/SBOYU6gHDu0

She recommends using Vaseline to keep the wheels spinning easily.

This article from Spin Off magazine talks about spinning wheel oil:

https://spinoffmagazine.com/first-steps-in-charkha-spinning/

I don’t have either of those right now. Would sewing machine oil also work?

#HandSpinning #SpinningWheels

Step 1 How To Set Up Your Indian Book Charkha by Joan Ruane

YouTube
Dec 30, 2023 at 8:22pmWeb
Show threadNaomi PDec 30, 2023
Answer appears to be that sewing machine oil is thinner so will get used up faster, but is fine otherwise.
Show threadNaomi TDec 30, 2023
@gannet I am curious about other people’s opinions because I have spinning wheel oil and not sewing machine oil, but I do have a sewing machine. (The wheel oil that I have is, IIRC, a basic light oil; it’s a pale yellow in color.)
Show threadNaomi PDec 30, 2023
@enting I should poke the internet a bit more and see what I can find.
Show threadNaomi PDec 30, 2023

@enting it seems that there are several different light oils used for sewing machines (according to multiple sites), and this listing from Halcyon Yarn says that you can refill the schacht spinning wheel bottle with sewing machine oil. Hrm.

https://halcyonyarn.com/spinning/64000000/schacht-spinning-wheel-oil-bottle

Schacht Spinning Wheel Oil Bottle, Spinning Equipment - Halcyon Yarn

<p>Your wheel will purr like a kitten if you remember to oil the moving parts regularly. Schacht comes in a useful long needle-nose oil bottle that lets you get

Show threadNaomi PDec 30, 2023
@enting there seem to be mixed opinions about the desirability of substitutions.
Show threadNaomi TDec 30, 2023
@gannet Not really surprising, that.
Show threadNaomi PDec 30, 2023
@enting nope.
Show threadNaomi PDec 30, 2023
@enting the thing I’m seeing is that sewing machine oil is thinner than spinning wheel oil. So I think I wouldn’t recommend using the latter in your sewing machine?
Show threadNaomi TDec 30, 2023
@gannet Mm, that makes sense
Show threadink and yarnDec 30, 2023
@gannet I think sewing machine oil will work just fine as a pinch hitter, but you may need to re-oil more frequently than if you were using spinning wheel oil.
Show threadNaomi PDec 30, 2023
@emery aha, that’s useful. The main thing is that it won’t damage anything before I can get something more appropriate.
Show threadink and yarnDec 30, 2023

@gannet I think both are mineral oils, so they should be fine. Not sure if either would stain the wood, but you probably just want to get it in the friction-y places anyway?

IME vaseline and white lithium grease are both gunk-collectors.

Show threadNaomi PDec 30, 2023
@emery yeah, just friction spots. And the working part of the charkha isn’t beautiful — it looks as if it was an old crate, repurposed, or similar. Joan Ruane has the set up routine for each spinning session involve wiping off the previous batch of Vaseline, so that fits with the gunk collector description!
Show threadink and yarnDec 30, 2023
@gannet I've used vaseline on the spindle of my wheel where the bobbin goes, to keep it from rattling so much... but yeah, definitely it's a "wipe off and re-apply" sort of material. (It's also one of those things that my fingers cringe to touch, so I use a cotton swab to apply it!)
Show threadJanice in GADec 30, 2023
@emery @gannet Sewing machine oil is relatively light. You could use it in a pinch tho for sure. But those old charkhas don’t have nothing like ball bearings. A heavier lube (I think most vials sold as spinning wheel oil are 30 wt oil) will cushion a little better.
Show threadNaomi PDec 30, 2023

@Archergal @emery cool, then I’ll just do this temporarily until I can get something thicker.

And yeah, it’s just wooden wheels rotating on metal spindles. Thank you!

Show threadFanCityKnits 🇺🇦🧶Dec 30, 2023

@gannet

In my spinning group are a few "oil eating" wheels (mostly Kromski), I've seen sewing machine oil used frequently. It's much easier to get your hands on so needing a bit more still makes it a good deal it seems.

Show threadNaomi PDec 30, 2023
@FanCityKnits good to know, thanks!
Show threadTerri K O 🍁Dec 30, 2023

@gannet my dad always used to complain that most of these different oils were just expensive repackaged mineral oil.

(He used the same mineral oil in a lot of household machines that lasted 50+ years, though since he enjoyed taking things apart for cleaning it's likely that had more of an effect on their lifespans than the choice of oil)

Show threadNaomi PDec 30, 2023
@terri hm, that makes sense
Show threadHarena  Dec 31, 2023
@gannet First thing that came to my mind was my lipbalm which is what I use to keep my swift turning smoothly!