I have offered to help a friend restore her double drive spinning wheel. I knew nothing about spinning wheels when I accepted this project and know only a bit more now. With great effort I have determined that she has a double drive spinning wheel. I understand the basic concept of the double drive system and I can see that her wheel has one pulley on the bobbin and two different circumference pulleys on the fly, one choses one or the other depending on the ratio desired. What puzzles me is that the main drive wheel has two channels of different circumference. What is the function of that? Obviously I can't string one drive band around the wheel twice at different circumferences! Does one use one or the other depending on the speed one is looking for or is it designed to use two separate drive bands?
Hi, my name is Jerry and I might be able to help. You are correct about the whorl for the flyer as it relates to the ratios. I have not seen a wheel with two grooves on the main wheel that are deep enough to make two different diameters on the main wheel. I might suggest that the groove is an aid to keep the drive band from slipping off the main wheel. If the 2nd groove is on the front of the wheel it will feed the bobbin and be yet a little faster than if it were the same size as the other "channel". Don't know what advantage it would have, slight at best. My last thought would be that the wheel was originally designed as a dual band and single band system and the second groove was used with a now non-exhistent scotch or other brake system. Well, I hope this helps some. I've run out of ideas now. I have been spinning for 35 yrs so I'm a little familiar with wheels but certainly not an expert! My best, Jerry
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