I really didn’t need another wheel, having somewhere in the vicinity of 35+ at the moment. However, this one showed up on the local Craigslist, the person who had it didn’t know about wheels, it seemed a bit unusual, my compatriots on the Antique Spinning Wheel board of Ravelry were curious, etc., etc., and so, here is Bedelia home in my kitchen:
The big debate was, is this a Canadian Production Wheel or not?
The drive wheel is 25″ across. The tensioning is a bit odd, being termed “muffler strap” tensioning by the ASW people:
There is a tensioning screw knob, but no screw tension. Some nice chip carving at each end of the bench and a beaded edging on either side:
When I removed the MOA, there was no hole drilled into the bench to hold a Saxony MOA, so clearly, this is the intended tensioning device.
Her flyer had the ubiquitous mended crack on it, along with an elegant groove for the yarn. She is missing the same hooks on each arm:
Unfortunately, she appears to have been shot through the heart. Some muggle has drilled her bench, possibly for a distaff but not in the typical spot for a distaff:
Her wheel hub is in good shape, as is the crank. The footman is a replacement. Several of her spokes need to be renailed and both uprights are loose:
She has long, shapely legs and elegantly turned ankles:
And her treadle shows sign of considerable use:
Even the tip of her treadle is chip-carved:
Chip carving on the back end of the bench. There are also two small spots that look like someone many years ago tried some wood filler, one spot of which has now fallen out and left a tiny hole:
The right back corner of the bench, nearest the footman, is missing a small piece:
The uprights are nicely turned and inside the notches for the wheel axle are brass insets showing under the vestiges of green paint the owner said her mother had the wheel stripped of many years ago.
Overall, she is a nice, sturdy wheel with minimal structural problems and what she does have, like loose spokes, can easily be remedied. I gave her a quick once-over with Murphy’s Oil Soap to see what was under the grime. The seller said her mother had had the wheel professionally finished to remove the green paint, but this was a bit of a misnowmer: The wheel had been unfinished by removing the paint, but no new finish was ever put on, so she needs a bit of sprucing up in this department.
The big question was, will she spin? I got a double drive band on her and started her up. Oh, will she spin! She is fast as lightning, treadles smoothly, and did not throw the drive band. The wheel rims are in good shape with no splits. The uprights are loose, so she did have a bit of a wobble from this. But her wheel is not warped and she ran straight and true.
So, overall a nice wheel and looks to be a good spinner but the question remains: is Bedelia truly a Canadian Production Wheel?
The Wool Merchant's Daughter 
Hiya Kat – wondering, about the hole in the table… a bit small for mugglifying into a lamp-stand (dreadful horrors!)… wondering, if it might be for a water bowl, for flax spinning? It’s about the right size and position. Usually the CPWs have no distaff and seem made for wool, but as you mention, this one’s a little smaller than the usual. A stand-alone distaff plus the dish in this hole would work, if that were some past spinner’s need.
Just a thought from
Anita