The Jumbo: A New Conversion Kit

Guess what? We've been working on a new product: the jumbo flyer conversion. Hooray! We've had some requests for a larger bobbin for a few months, and now the prototyping is finally finished. ​

A flyer conversion, for everyone who missed the original conversion kit, transforms a Singer sewing treadle base into a spinning wheel. Joseph got our Singer base from a local thrift site. In the videos you'll see with our flyer conversions, the Singer base is the metal green thing with the squeaky treadle.

​The first treadle conversion Joseph made from a broken table. It took, as has been said elsewhere, FOREVER. That table, unfortunately, sat outside all winter and warped horribly. Time for an upgrade. 

​The second treadle conversion flyer assembly he made from the standard spinning wheel we sell via Good and Basic Manufacturing on Etsy. (Don't forget that the files are available for free on Thingiverse if you'd like to print your own!) The standard flyer conversion kit includes 3 bobbins (3 caps, 3 pulleys, 3 aluminum shafts), a flyer arm and orifice, a support piece, and a steel rod. The kit also includes the hooks and tensioner hardware. 

While Joseph was putting together the new top, he also put together the jumbo conversion for spinning chonky yarn. It is HUGE. 

I love the design elements on this wheel. The holes in the bobbin make a mesmerizing pattern while the conversion is moving. It also helps to lighten the wheel while printing and spinning. The jumbo and conversion kits are available in all of our standard colors. (Heads up: we are discontinuing our traditional gold in favor of a matte gold from Hatchbox I call butterscotch, which is what you see in these pictures.)

On the left, you can see what the bobbin looks like by itself. Joseph used a piece of PVC pipe for the middle shaft. The two bobbin caps slide onto the ends. The flyer is two aluminum tubes for arms, with a wood shaft in the middle. Joseph says the wooden shaft cuts down on the clattering. Technically, though, you could still use a metal shaft for the interior. 

The tension mechanism, which Joseph doesn't really use while spinning with the standard conversion, plays a much more vital role with the jumbo. The thicker the yarn, the more you'll want to tighten your tensioner. In the pictures above, Joseph spun with alpaca fiber from our friend Julie at Dirtpatchheaven. 

Because of how big the chonky conversion is, the kit comes with one bobbin. More bobbins, however, will be available in the Etsy shop as kit extras. Treat yo'self. 

If you're looking for a dual conversion spinning wheel--meaning, a wheel that can switch between the standard and chonky jumbo--I'd highly recommend watching Joseph's video about the new method he developed for our treadle base. Good luck and happy spinning!