Mini Drop Spindle

I've been spinning for about a year now, and am gearing up for this year's Tour de Fleece on Ravelry. Having collected a large supply of kulfi ice cream sticks, and already having a disc shaped resin mould, it seemed obvious I should give making my own mini spindles a go!

• 6mm diameter dowel/repurposed kulfi ice cream stick
• epoxy resin and colourants
• resin disc mould - my discs measured about 4.35cm across
• optional: metal beads (must be heavier than resin) and needle and thread, for rim weighting
• resin mixing supplies - I used 2x mixing cups, silicone mixing stick, and latex gloves for protection
• pin vice
• electric drill
• epoxy glue
• wood stain in as many colours as you like
• linseed oil
• sandpaper
• pencil sharpener
• a premade metal hook or:
• 1mm copper wire
• anvil
• chasing hammer
• pliers (I used snips, needle nosed pliers, and nylon jawed pliers)

There are plenty of options for making your spindle whorl pretty. What I went with was chameleon flakes painted into the moulds, and with one I threaded a circle of beads that fit nicely around the outer edge of the mould. This will affect how long the spindle keeps spinning for when flicked. I just used needle and thread, picked up enough beads to go all the way round the edge, and closed the circle by knotting and hiding the ends in the beads.

Mix up your epoxy resin according to instructions, being sure to protect your hands, and work in a ventilated workspace. I was working on a few projects at the same time, so I ended up dropping some alcohol ink onto the poured resin to have a couple of whorls darker.

My resin cured in around three days, but your resin's curing time depends on the type of resin and the ambient temperature. Resin doesn't like it too cold, so make sure your workspace is warm enough for a proper cure.

I put a point on one end of each dowel using a pencil sharpener. This means you can spin it supported if you want to, and since it's an easy step I recommend doing it.

I then sanded with a couple of grits of sandpaper to get a smooth finish. I gave each dowel a quick go over with rubbing alcohol to get any grease or dirt off of them, then dyed them rainbow with wood stain. For this I just used paper towels and rubbed the stain into the wood, overlapping the colours to give a gradient.

This step is completely optional, but for me it was the most fun (it was my first time hammering copper and I loved it!).

First I cut a length of wire from the reel, around 25cm to make it easy to work with. I sanded down the end until it was rounded and didn't feel sharp. Then I smoothed the wire with the nylon jawed pliers, and bent it into an angular hook shape with the needle nosed pliers. You can do whatever style of hook you like, but it will be nicest to spin with if the bottom of the hook is directly aligned with the uppermost bend of the hook, so your spindle will hang in a direct line from the fibre.

I tried out a few different shapes before I found one I liked best, then cut it off the length of wire and made a few copies.

The fun bit: hammer time! I held the hook down on the anvil, and hit it all over with the chasing hammer, doing both sides until it was flat and textured. Apart from looking cool, this also strengthens the metal so it's less likely to bend out of shape. I didn't use any special techniques as this is a new skill to me, but I really enjoyed it so it's something I'll explore again.

Another new skill to me: using an electric drill. Before drilling, I used a pair of callipers to measure the whorl's diameter, then divided that number in two and used the callipers again to scratch some lines on the underside of the whorl. The intersection of the lines should be the middle, and you can then make an indent using a centre punch or awl.

Because I had four whorls and no electric drilling experience, I got my partner to show me a couple of examples before I tried it myself (the beaded rim weighted one is all my own work!). We found that starting with a 3mm bit, then going up to 4mm, 5mm and finally 6mm was the best way of making the hole.

If I make more drop spindles, I will probably use a friend's laser cutter to cut out a circle blank with hole in the middle, and then make a silicone mould so I can cut down on drilling.

I made the hole at the top of the shaft with a pin vice (if I ever get a Dremel multitool I'll be using that in future), making sure the hook fit ok with a bit of room for glue.

I put the whorl onto the shaft, pushed up higher than I was planning to glue it. Then I mixed up some epoxy glue, and put some into the hook hole, followed by the hook. I also put a band of glue on the shaft where I wanted the whorl to be (I made bottom whorl spindles, but a top whorl spindle is equally valid. You might want to make a little notch in your whorl for the yarn to rest in if you go top whorl), and pushed the whorl down onto the glued section.

I then waited impatiently for the glue to set.

I oiled the shaft of the finished spindle with linseed oil, and wiped off any excess (make sure to dispose of linseed rags safely outside, they've been known to spontaneously combust). I then immediately found some fibre and started spinning!

As a first attempt I'm really happy with my spindles. If I make more in future I will: make a custom silicone mould so I don't have to mess around with an electric drill, and experiment more with weighting. I think they turned out really cute though, and perfect for Pride month!