Tutorial : maintaining your drum carder

Here's a helpful visual list of things you'll want to have on hand.

I can't believe how quickly time flies by; just the other day it was spring and now we're almost into fall again. And as fall is just around the corner, I'm sure that a lot of you are getting your wheels and carders out, if you haven't done so already! So, I thought I'd make a tutorial on how to take care of your carder. And if you are looking for some info on wheel maintenance, please check out this previous post on the subject (it's been updated with pictures!)

What does one maintain on a drum carder, you ask? Well, if you're newbie (or not!) these are some everyday maintenance necessities to keep your carder in good working condition:

• You'll want to clean the carder's drums to prevent leftover fiber build-up with an official doffer brush or get a cheap pet slicker brush (you can find these at most stores that have a pet section.)
  * This is a good things to do between batts especially if you'll be changing colors; leftover light colored fibers aren't fun to pick out of a dark colored carded batt!
• You can gently tweezers out fibers that wrap themselves around the washers, spokes and whatnot that will inhibit the carder's performance otherwise. I find that no matter how careful I am in trying not to let the fiber get too close to the edges of the drum, I'll still get stuff that sneaks in there. So, this is another little area to keep an eyeball on.
• Oil your carder's moving parts; just like a spinning wheel you'll want to re-oil the washers on the spoke that attaches the two barrels of the carder to the frame. (I know there is an official term for this, I'll have to do some research as my mind drew a blank ha!)
  * Where not to oil or apply wax and finishes: the groove on the carder's bobbins in which the drive band sits. This may seem like common knowledge, but when I say moving parts I think its good to specify which parts just in case!
• What oil to use? Just as in my spinning wheel maintenance tutorial, 30 weight machine oil is considered by most spinners to be the way to go. Don't bother buying the comparably expensive bottles shops will try to sell you when you can buy the oil at hardware stores fairly cheap and just refill the little bottles. If you by any chance are thinking of trying Vaseline, I can definitely say this is not a good idea to use, as it will collect fibers and gunk up your wheel. Stick with the oil and save yourself the headache, in my opinion... (and here on the interwebs, you'll find opinions abound!)

Applying and buffing in the wax, avoiding the drive band grooves.

And for periodic maintenance of your drum carder:

• Wipe all dust and fibers from your carder's surfaces; check for and gently tighten loose screws. Check to see that the drive band isn't becoming too loose; you should store your carder with the drive band off as it will stretch out faster this way.
• Use a pair of tweezers to (very gently) remove fibers that have wrapped themselves around various moving parts of your wheel.
• To prevent your carder's wood from drying out and warping, periodically feed your wheel's wood with a wax furniture polish. I like to use Howard's Feed-N-Wax Wood Polish and Conditioner, which doesn't leave residue and gives a beautiful glow. It has beeswax and orange oil in it and smells wonderful, too. You may need to put more than one coat on if its a second hand wheel that has seen better days. (I'll also mention that I'm not getting paid to recommend these guys, this stuff is just my personal favorite.)
• Check for any worn out parts that need replacing and spots on your wheel that have seen some wear and tear and need to be refinished. The maker of my carder, Fancy Kitty, has the option of sending the whole thing to them for repairs, if I remember correctly. You may also be able to find some parts on the manufacture's website, Ebay, or a local yarn shop may carry some of the more popular brands' parts. Drive band replacement belts can vary on size, so make sure you have the correct diameter and length before you buy purchase a new or spare. Your carder's manual should help you out on this one!
• And just as with a spinning wheel, evaluate the location your carder is in when its not in use. It should be some place not too hot, near vents and or in direct sunlight as this will also dry out the wood. Placing your carder in a clammy, wet place where your drum carder will suck up the moisture and swell, which is just as bad as it shrinking and drying out.

So, this is a pretty simple tutorial but hey, taking good care of your chosen drum carder doesn't have to be rocket surgery! There are a few things you gotta do to keep these things happy and they will reward you with years of fun and wonderful fluffy batts!

A happy drum carder!