Posted by Michael Karsh on Saturday, 9 April 2005, at 9:40 a.m.:
Here are plans for a drum carder. The web page they were posted on has disappeared and this from the cached version on Google. It seems these are very hard to find, so I thought I'd post it again here.
This is G o o g l e's cache of
http://www.spin-list.net/resources/drumcarder.html as retrieved on Oct 28, 2004 03:19:22 GMT
Stacey's Drum Carder
Here are the instructions for building a drum carder.
These instructions are not totally clear and not totally perfect. You will have to improvise.
I used stuff that I had around the house, so I am unsure as to what you all might use, or what tools you have to make what you need.
Before starting this you should have a picture of a drum carder in front of you with a view of both sides. This is really helpful.
I do not have any specialty tools, like band saws and routers and such, so I used what I had and my imagination.
First you need two rolling pins, one big, one small. I was able to get a really big one at a garage sale. To make one larger, I used carpet under padding and a lot of glue and just kept wrapping until I thought it was big enough.
The large one is now 18 inches around and the small one is about 4 inches around. Remove the handle from the small rolling pin. You will need to attach a round disk of wood with a groove in it for the drive band. I rough cut a round piece of wood with a jig saw and then sanded it so it was round. Then I used a round file and filed a groove into the edge. (You could possibly use something else, like maybe the wheel off of a clothes line or something along that line) Drill/or have a hole in the centre. This will attach to the small rolling pin on the opposite side of where the handle will be. You will have to have a metal rod in the small rolling pin or attach a smaller rod in each end. This should be a threaded rod. You can use glue to keep the rod in place and you will use nuts to keep the disc in place. You would have a nut right against the rolling pin then leave a gap, then another nut, then the disc, then another nut.
Alternative:
You could drill a large enough hole in the disc so that it will fit over the handle and then attach the disk with glue to the handle.
The disk must remain on the OUTSIDE of the box as well as the wooden knobs.
Glue and/or nail the handles of the rolling pins so that when you turn the handle the whole thing turns. After you have made your large drum big enough, measure all of the way around each drum and buy the cloth. Glue the carding cloth onto the rolling pins leaving a one inch gap between ends on the large drum, so you can get the wool back off.
You will need large wooden cupboard door handles/knobs (round). I bought mine at Home Depot here in Canada.
You will need a large rubber drive band. This will fit over the disc on the small drum and around the door handles and the large drum handle.
Build a box out of wood that is about 8 - 10 inches deep and that will hold the two 'drums'. Make sure that the box is longer than what you need. Cut a piece of wood that is the width of the inside of the box (your feed tray) and put it in on an angle so that the wood 'tray' fits under the small drum.
Drill holes big enough in the top portion of the box and knock out the top so that the handles can fit down into the holes, but not too tight.
Just to make sure that the drums will not pop out, I bought a bracket that has a hole in one end that you put a screw into and a U shaped cut out that you can slide in under another screw and put these over where the handles fit. I don't know what these are called.
Drill hole into one side of the large drum handle. This will make a crank to turn your drum with. Now you will have to figure out what to use for the crank and handle.
I used a threaded steel rod (or a really really long bolt) and put a nut on either side of where it fit through the drum handle so it would remain in the same spot and then attached a handle.
I used an old crutch handle and inserted a large bolt with an eye in it. You know like a hook and eye lock? Except a really long one. Insert this into the handle and put the eye onto the threaded rod. Put a nut on either side of the eye so it remains in place.
You could just use a drill and drill a hole lengthwise in a 1 inch diameter dowl by about 5 inches long. Now, on the opposite side of where the handle is you will attach the door handles in a triangular shape using the bolt that comes with it and a nut and washers. This is where washers come in really handy, because you want the knobs to turn, but not undo themselves.
This is where the picture comes in really handy. Attach the drive belt according to the picture. The teeth will be facing opposite each other when turning the drums.
Footnote:
If you are using nuts against another surface or against another nut you will require washers in between them.
Also, some drum carders don't use the knobs. They just attach the rubber drive band to the large disc and the handle on the large drum. This is a matter of choice. I did not want to 'twist' my drive belt, so I used three.
I was able to get all of the wood that I needed out of a 'scrap' bin at the lumber store.
You should have several pictures of different drum carders on hand to use as reference.
I have mine almost finished. I just have to order the carding cloth.
Good Luck,
Stacey Rieger