– 6 – – 7 –
our wheel have been nished with Dan-
ish oil which penetrates into the wood,
protecting the wood as well as the surface
area. If you need to touch up parts of your
wheel that have chipped or dinged, you
can lightly sand the worn area and apply
a small amount of nish using a soft, lint-
free rag. Use either Deft or Watco natural
color Danish oil. Both are available at
most hardware stores. Follow the direc-
tions on the container. Because of the dan-
ger of spontaneous combustion, be sure
to clean and dispose of the applicators and
oily rags according to the manufacturer’s
instructions.
LUBRICATING MOVING PARTS
Before leaving the factory, your wheel was
lubricated and tested. It may have been
awhile since then, so it is a good idea to oil
your wheel before starting to spin. Use a
drop of a medium weight oil such as 20 or
30 weight motor oil on the following parts
every couple of hours while spinning:
■footman cranks (gure 19)
■yer shaft where it touches the bobbin
ends (gure 20)
The front and rear maiden bearings are
self-lubricating and do not require oiling,
although oiling will not damage them.
When spinning with Scotch tension,
the amount of take-up is controlled by
the whorl and the tension you put on
the Scotch tension cord—the greater
the tension, the greater the take-up.
FOLDING THE SIDEKICK
To fold the Sidekick, reverse the unfolding
procedure. Here are some folding tips:
■After you remove the yer, position the
drive wheel so that the cranks are parallel
to the ground, then loop the Scotch ten-
sion cord and the drive band on the Scotch
tension peg on the right side of the wheel.
■Secure the footmen by placing them
behind the treadles and in between the
legs of the wheel sides.
■When you store the yer on the left
treadle, be sure to turn the yer so that
the yer hooks are toward the treadle.
Insert the whorl end of the yer shaft into
the leather storage strap, then insert the
orice end into the hole on the treadle
support bar (gures 2 and 1).
THE WOOD IN YOUR SIDEKICK
We use hard maple and maple apple ply in
the nest grades available. All our wood
is kiln dried to assure its stability under
a variety of conditions. Maple is a strong
and beautiful hardwood that varies in color
from pale cream to biscuit brown. It has a
very ne grain that takes a high polish and
is extremely resistant to abrasion.
Wood is a natural breathing material, and
like any natural material, it is affected by
its environment. Avoid placing your wheel
near direct heat sources such as heat
vents, wood stoves, space heaters, and
direct sunlight. Likewise, place your wheel
where it will be free of damp, moisture-
laden air, as this can make wood swell
and cause the moving parts to stiffen and
function inefciently.
THE FINISH ON YOUR SIDEKICK
The yer has been lacquered to protect it
from oil and moisture. The other parts of
*
FIGURE 19
FIGURE 20
**
* oiling point