Lacemaking Bobbins

Lacemaking Tools - Ebony Pin Pusher/Lifter

Peter Smith — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:41:13 +0000

I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a fairly large quantity of ebony a while ago, and in a form suitable for making Lacemaking Tools as well as Bobbins. It is a lovely quality of wood with a rich shine that seems to come from within. It’s lovely to work as well.

These Pin Pusher/Lifters are the pencil grip style and are an ideal two in one tool. Many Lacemakers seem to prefer this as you can sort out your pins either by pushing or lifting all in one session as you need to move your bobbins around rather than having to use two separate tools.

You can see more details of them here => Lacemaking Tools - Ebony Pin Pusher

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New Random Wood Lacemaking Bobbins

Peter Smith — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:53:01 +0000

I’ve written before about Random wood, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. These lacemaking bobbins are without a doubt in the former category.

This set of Random Wood Lacemaking Bobbins are made from a fairly dark wood with a close grain and fine markings, somewhat reminiscent of chocolate in color. The wood has a velvety texture and glows gently, showing off the colour variations in the grain of the wood. The wood was a joy to turn. I think it is probably a Rosewood, but it is almost impossible to identify it for certain so Random Wood it remains.

You can see more of them here => Random Wood Bobbins

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New Maple Lacemaking Bobbins

Peter Smith — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:30:46 +0000

I’ve been having quite busy few days trying out different woods - hard Maple this time. I only had a couple of blanks so there are just two of these lacemaking bobbins.

Maple is a hard wearing, heavy wood with a straight grain and fine texture. The heartwood is a light reddish brown, whilst the sap wood is almost white. It is not the easiest of woods to turn as it can have an irregular grain. These bobbins are made from the light sap wood and have a lovely creamy colour.

You can see more of them here => Maple Lacemaking Bobbins

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New Pernambuco Lacemaking Bobbins

Peter Smith — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 19:20:20 +0000

Pernambuco is a wood I haven’t turned before, but I acquired a few blanks in the bundle that Stuart Johnson gave me a few weeks ago. It is also called Brazil Wood.

It is a heavy, hard wood which is tough and very durable with a generally straight grain and a fine, even texture. The sapwood is pale, in contrast to the heartwood which is a lustrous bright orange-red that turns to a rich red-brown on exposure. These lacemaking bobbins are made from the heartwood and were a delight to turn. This is an increasingly rare wood, and is now endangered so I don’t know if there will be any more of these. I had sufficient wood to turn four bobbins, they are a lovely colour.

You can see them here => Pernambuco Lacemaking Bobbins

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Lazy Susan - Purple Heart Wood

Peter Smith — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:05:35 +0000

I’ve just finished the first of the tools I shall be making in Purple Heart Wood, a Lazy Susan. This is a tool that has any number of uses, mostly for doing sewings when it is difficult to use a crochet hook to pull the thread through. Many people prefer to use a Lazy Susan anyway because you are less likely to damage the thread using this rather than using other, more bulky tools. At present I only have one of these, but I will be making more as soon as possible.

You will find it in the Lacemaking Tools section of the shop, or you can click here => PHW Lazy Susan

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New Purple Heart Wood Lacemaking Bobbins

Peter Smith — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:57:50 +0000

You may recall a while ago I took a trip to Yandles and purchased some beautiful Purple Heart Wood, or Amaranth as it is sometimes called. I have finished the first batch of lacemaking bobbins, and even if I say so myself they have turned out beautifully. The wood is still quite purple, but will age to a lovely rich brown with purple highlights. I also have some other items in mind for this wood and have been doing a little experimenting, so there will be more items soon. In the meantime you you will find the bobbins by clicking here => Purple Heart Wood Bobbins

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Getting Wood For Lacemaking Bobbins

Peter Smith — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:03:50 +0000

There are only a limited number of sources of suitable wood for turning lacemaking bobbins. As we only use small pieces in relatively low volumes the larger timer suppliers are not too interested in our custom. Therefore we tend to refer back to old faithfuls when we need new material. Stuart Johnson, as well as being my Tutor, is also able to provide a suitable range of lacemaking bobbin blanks. I called into see him the other day to see what was currently available and to get an up to date price list.

Stuart took my down to the workshop at the end of his garden – he is a bit like a gnome hiding away down there! He was kind enough to send me off with a pile of different timber off-cuts and odd pieces that he couldn’t use. Some will need to be converted on the bandsaw into lacemaking bobbin blanks before turning, but there should be plenty to keep me going for a while and I can experiment with some new timbers at the same time.

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New Lignum Vitae Bobbins

Peter Smith — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 21:20:09 +0000

New bobbins available for sale! Made from Lignum Vitae , which is a heavy, dense wood which is slightly oily until it’s turned and polished. The color varies from greenish to a rich nutty brown as it ages. The wood is subtly marked and takes a high polish. These bobbins feel silky smooth in the hand and are a delight to use.

The bobbins are approx 4½ inches (11.5 cms) long with a neck of approx 1inch (2.5 cms) allowing for plenty of thread if required. As usual all bobbins are drilled for spangling.

You will find the new bobbins by clicking here:> Lignum Vitae Bobbins

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A Trip Out

Peter Smith — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:09:27 +0000

In addition to the occasional trip out for turning supplies, wood and tools etc there are Lace Suppliers Fairs which flaminglacer just loves to attend. Last weekend the Midlands Lace fair was at Rugby, only 30 or so miles away so needless to say we had to pay a visit.

It gave me an ideal opportunity to check out what other Lacemaking bobbin Turners were up to. I also had the chance to have a long chat and catch up with the two Turners who taught me how to make Bobbins, Stuart Johnson and David Springett whilst flaminglacer stocked up on thread and patterns for her next projects.

I am always enthralled by the variety of woods and bobbin styles that you find on the stalls of some of the Bobbin makers. Whilst they are all based on the same basic design of a thread holding tool with a head, neck and body.

My lacemaking bobbins tend to be a flowing, simple style to show off the woods, many others are far more complicated and I aspire to one day having the time to emulate some of these and extend my range further.

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A Visit To Yandles

Peter Smith — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:01:31 +0000

Last weekend was the annual Yandles of Martock Woodworkers Show. Yandles are one of the UK’s premier specialist timber and wood machinery suppliers and their 2008 show brought together many of the best equipemnt manufacturers, tool companies and other wood related demonstration stands - not to mention the opportunity to shop for wood for lacemaking bobbins and tools.

Accompanied by flaminglacer, and our friends Nick and Andrea we set off for the two hour trip to Somerset early in the morning, dodging the rain showers. Yandles is in the very picturesque village of Martock and is reknowned for the wide range of exotic woods they supply to the Turning fraternity.

I was delighted to come away with a beautiful piece of Purple Heart Wood, and some great ideas of what to do with it. This wood is a bright purple in colour until it has been exposed to air for a while when it becomes a rich warm brown with purple overtones. It is beautiful when turned and polished and you will soon being seeing the results. Nick, a fellow turner, also managed to get a new tool rest for his lathe - and with a discount!

We lost the girls for a while but they managed some retail therapy in the Craft Shop before we all had an excellent lunch in the village pub. Much sketching in notebooks was done over lunch as Nick and I started to put some of our ideas onto paper. We had both bought wood in various shapes sizes and varieties and the ideas were coming thick and fast. I have in mind a new gizmo that would be good for Quilters and Embroiderers as well as Lacemakers - I just need to work out how to do it now.

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