Phoenix Motor Spinner
Unique set of Features
This motor spinner can be easily setup for double drive, bobbin lead (Irish tension) or flyer lead (Scotch tension). Powered by a drone motor with precise RPM and torque delivery. Paired with a reduction pulley that both increases the torque and allows for a cotton drive cord. The cotton drive cord allows the spinner to use different drive cords. The bearings are borrowed from skateboards and should run for many years with minimal oiling and cleaning. All electronics are common RC components which can easily be replaced or hacked to suit the spinners individual tastes. The feature set should allow the widest range of practical handspinning of any motor spinner on the market today.
This wide range of configuration and operating range allows the beginning to expert spinners to complete projects. The phoenix is a wonderful tool to learn to spin with.
Why another motor spinner?
There are many on the market. Look closely at the design and construction of every motor spinner currently for sale. All share the same fundamental design. A single drive with direct coupling to the motor. This rubber band drive cord shortcut robs the spinner of slip. A wheel must slip with the changing tension and friction. Ignoring slip is ignoring the advancements of handspinning of the past 600 years.
The Phoenix Motor Spinner is designed from the start to embrace the concepts of an excellent singing treadle wheel. A cotton drive cord. Well balanced ratios on double drive or single. A mild mannered experience that lets the spinner concentrate on the finished product not constant adjustment.
Designed for the Spinner
Other spinners are designed for manufacturing. This spinner is designed for the best spinning experience in the smallest footprint. Fine grained tension control. Sealed and maintenance free bearings. All the best parts of a modern motor spinner combined with the most relevant parts of a treadle wheel. True and balanced parts for a unique and comfortable spinning experience. Your projects can come together with ease and adjustability.
A Motor Spinner that Excels at Spinning
Before designing the Phoenix Steph had just approached me with a new motor spinner she had purchased for travelling. Having watched her spin since my childhood, I was immediately struck with how much she was struggling with the machine. Having watched her spin on her Amos motor spinner was a night and day difference between the modern motor spinners. So my goal was to make a motor spinner that approaches the flexibility and feel of the Amos motor spinner.
Making a spinning wheel with great "feel"
How would one quantify the feeling of using a spinning wheel? Balance, friction, vibration, ergonomics ... and many more factors contribute to the feeling of spinning on a wheel. The take up of yarn as it winds on the bobbin is one of the most important factors in this feel. The phoenix has mild, controllable take up that gives the spinner lots of flexibility in yarn construction, drafting techniques, and body positioning.
Take Up and DRS
Every motor spinner sold today suffers from the problems of single drive. The single drive systems trade complexity of design for adjustment during usage -- the take up must be adjusted constantly. Take up with double drive works from the differential rotational speed (DRS) of flyer and bobbin. This take up stays consistent throughout the bobbin filling and needs no adjustment during spinning. The take up of the phoenix could be characterized as mild yet consistent. This consistency allows the spinner to focus on the drafting zone without fiddling with the wheel.
Choose your Drafting
With a feel of a sweet treadle wheel, the spinner is left to decide how best to draft. Long draw and any other style of draft you wish to perfect is easily manageable on this sweet little spinner. For years my spinning has been inchworm because I get frustrated with breakage when I attempt double drafting or long draws. The mild predictable take-up of this spinner has allowed me to practice, learn more difficult techniques, get really comfy with the techniques I do know, and have lots of fun. Whether you're recreationally spinning or production spinning, this wheel is a joy to use.
A Spinners' Multi Tool
With the ability to double drive, flyer-lead or bobbin lead, this spinner leaves every option for the spinner. It's made to be adjusted with other drive cord or brake materials. Similarly the brake for single drive can be changed for different characteristics and adjustability. We think treadle wheels are amazing at the adjustability that comes from different materials for the drive and brake. Our motor spinner shares these features.
The adjustments are more than the materials for drive and brake. The motor can be adjusted for more speed or more torque. A reduction gear helps balance the torque delivery and slip. These allow for an exploration of a wide range of plant and animal fibers such as wool, cotton, flax, alpaca, merino and mohair. This wheel is capable.
Options Available
The basic starter package includes the motor spinner, threading hook, power brick, and drive cord measurement jig. An optional add-on is the start/stop pedal. Extra bobbins are not necessary but an option as well. The basic starter wheel has suited my needs beautifully. If there is another piece of kit that you'd like included, I'd be happy to provide free estimates. Just contact me with the order form and we can work it out.
No Voided Warranties
Want to try something different? This hearty machine will take a wide range of drive and braking materials. The internals are radio control parts that a knowledgeable person could easily modify or enhance. All internals and wiring diagrams are open and available for those interested. The design is open and encourages the modifications done to spinning wheels for centuries.
Comfort in Purchasing
Our spinners come with a 90 day full money back guarantee. If you don't like it, send it back. We'll return the full amount. We want you to love spinning with our motor spinner. Every one of our tools are sold with a lifetime guarantee of use. Any defect or a problem we will rectify. We'd like to think of our guarantee like the old "Craftsman" lifetime guarantee. No questions asked, if it's borked, we'll fix it and get it repaired or a new one to you.
We want lifetimes of enjoyment from our tools.
Spinning Support
We want you to be supported in your projects. This goes beyond just supporting the mechanical parts of the motor spinner. We will support your spinning. We'll try to answer questions about retting flax, washing fleece, dye mordants, or whatever facet of the process you need support with. We have access to a large library of references. Whether a quick question say about a step in your process or a longer question for example about complimentary color matching, we'll do our best to help you. This service is complimentary with every motor spinner sold.
How to Order
Head on over to the order form and submit your contact information. After submitting your info, I'll email or call (or whatever method you specified) to let you know an approximate shipping date. Before it ships we'll negotiate payment (checks, paypal, credit cards, gold bars) and upon receipt of payment we'll ship it.
Each one is handmade, so if there's an embellishment, custom wood, or something else you can think of, just click on the order form which sends me email. We can work out what you need and build to your tastes.