tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89098705209627401032024-03-13T02:47:45.283-07:00Ewespun Fiber Mill at Old Man Wool FarmAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-83401931997704917982015-08-02T10:33:00.000-07:002015-08-02T10:33:02.230-07:00Skirting! Oh, My!I've spent the last few days of my summer vacation skirting raw fleeces and listing the nicest ones in my etsy shop.<br />
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I'm finally carving a path in the shed where there was a wool explosion!<br />
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Check
out my etsy shop for beautiful raw sheep fleeces (karakul, icelandic,
coopworth, romeldale, alpaca, and some fabulous crossbred fleeces).<br />
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/OldManWoolFarm?ref=hdr_shop_menu" target="_blank">https://www.etsy.com/shop/OldManWoolFarm?ref=hdr_shop_menu</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj497_9xsd_9kRYoNtdbib6C0-7Zxpdsj2EDAHx_u30Y4LtwL9j2DLLFdrlWC5eSvXryKFlCh6r409a9RvQF35T3zcD2aSvEdnqKUAj7QZjOozcC24DaAJkNrVAjXcI7i6GTQHrgKqVilg/s1600/PICT4350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj497_9xsd_9kRYoNtdbib6C0-7Zxpdsj2EDAHx_u30Y4LtwL9j2DLLFdrlWC5eSvXryKFlCh6r409a9RvQF35T3zcD2aSvEdnqKUAj7QZjOozcC24DaAJkNrVAjXcI7i6GTQHrgKqVilg/s320/PICT4350.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Romeldale</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jkBArKCP0dx7MafjcQzKk8Y64Mh-z9aJyVCkXpg7CcBO5jdWY3KtVwdktZXnFDMp2JsiBEnuDkqjej-opGYVQ_yZr1XnEiHF59BnaSQg7w0YN9qFwEnnCXH69atU44b7A_pgssRCHaE/s1600/PICT4351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jkBArKCP0dx7MafjcQzKk8Y64Mh-z9aJyVCkXpg7CcBO5jdWY3KtVwdktZXnFDMp2JsiBEnuDkqjej-opGYVQ_yZr1XnEiHF59BnaSQg7w0YN9qFwEnnCXH69atU44b7A_pgssRCHaE/s320/PICT4351.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Belinda" Romeldale</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dorset x Ile De France</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Icelandic</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coopworth</td></tr>
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Red Karakul Lamb</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Karakul Ewe</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reddish Brown Alpaca</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Alpaca</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-54182380819694843102015-07-28T05:53:00.001-07:002015-07-28T05:54:40.034-07:00Lucy the Fabulous Karakul Club Lamb Wows Crowds at County Fair"Lucy," who was known as "Rosie" when she lived here at the farm, was one of those rare bottle lambs that I cried over when she went to her new home. She was very special and I had decided to just keep her as a breeding ewe when I received and email from a Mom looking for a show lamb/pet for her son. Hunter desperately wanted a pet lamb, not a dog, a lamb. Well, I couldn't say, "No."<br />
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It was a sad/happy day when Rosie left us to become Lucy.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz2u3i9_8SaBsPiWmoJ-Lfjy6YUU8r663JOWxMiPH31heTcQzHgfK_mbAfqMgp_v12sxALelXhfxI7a_4Wkgg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Rosie and Newton</div>
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On a Friday morning in July, Mom and I showed up early at the Isanti County Fair to reconnect with Lucy. She had turned into quite a beauty, as I knew she would.<br />
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Lucy waiting her turn in the show pen</div>
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Mom and I sat through the ewe lamb, yearling ewe, wether ewe, wether and market lamb competitions dominated by hampfolk for suffshire sheep with no wool on them (and no tails). The largest lamb won each competition. Then came showmanship with Cloverbud Lamb Lead last. Finally, Rosie, aka, Lucy, entered the ring (turn down your volume). </div>
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Lucy wowing the crowds with her handler Hunter and helper (in orange)</div>
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Lucy has a great home with Hunter. She will come to visit this fall for shearing and perhaps a romantic encounter with Granite. It was great to see how happy and healthy she is at her new home. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-25009330117658380182015-04-11T09:24:00.000-07:002015-04-11T17:39:57.532-07:00No water, again!Water stopped running last Sunday evening. I shut the valve off in the house and thanks to a huge storage tank in the basement, the house still has some water trickling from the faucets--enough to make coffee in the morning.<br />
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The sheep, however, have been scrounging for water. We had a bit of rain one evening and I collected water running off the roofs of the shed and the house for them. Friday, the last of that water was given to the ewes with lambs in the barn leaving the sheep outside of the barn without water. Feeling very sorry for them, I opened up the pen and let them out into the pasture after dark last night. They ran directly to the swamp and drank for about 10 minutes. Thankfully, Kit and I had very little difficulty running them into the pen again and locking them up.<br />
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This morning, after 8, help came in the form of a green truck with three 50 gallon barrels of water--Dad, of course. We watered all the sheep and they drank their fill. Even have some water left over that will hopefully last a few days.<br />
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The water arrives</div>
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It's been a year and a half battling unreliable water at the farm. We've been without water at least six times--in November, it was a month without water (luckily lots of rain kept the sheep watered). Now, its been a week with no water.</div>
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I met with a well driller today who provided an estimate for a new well. We talked about where to put the well, when he could start and how soon I would have water. He plans to start drilling this week and assures me that the water will be flowing by the end of the week--if all goes well.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-28952844556780392442015-03-14T12:30:00.002-07:002015-03-14T12:30:50.166-07:00Great Weather for Shearing but Doesn't Bode Well for LambingWarm and sunny this morning. Unseasonably warm. Up in the 50s today. Great weather to shear the sheep in. Today, 35 sheep were shorn at the farm which included three visitors to be shorn.<br />
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Unfortunately, I'm worried about lambing in this warm weather. The sheared ewes won't feel inclined to come into the barn to lamb. Could have quite a few cold lambs if I don't keep a close watch on things.<br />
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Just a few fleeces that need to be skirted:<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-53923953114554642362015-02-15T09:28:00.000-08:002015-02-15T09:28:04.501-08:00It's a good day to dyeThe current outside temp is about 1F with a windchill of -11F. This seems like a very good reason to stay in the house and dye. The kitchen will warm up nicely (and get messier), and some much needed moisture will be added to the house air.<br />
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And, its time to start thinking about what to card come spring. Planning on lots of colors and blends and many dyed karakul rovings to be ready in time for Shepherds Harvest Sheep and Wool Festival.<br />
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Although its Sunday, my usual day to put out enough hay for the week, I'll put that off 'til tomorrow when the prognosticators are predicting a heat wave temp of 20F. But don't worry, I'll throw out a few bales later today to tide the wenches over 'til then.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-74275049715368044022015-01-31T15:01:00.002-08:002015-01-31T15:01:55.058-08:00Oh, where, oh, where could those darn sheep be?Foolishly, I opened the barn this morning and did not walk the sheep to the paddock and lock them in. They had been behaving for the last week and with a few lambs on the ground, I thought they would stay home. They have plenty of hay and I threw a nice green bale in the barn for them to munch on. But, alack, alas, when I went out later, they were no were to be spotted. Just one lonely llama, uselessly guarding the hay feeder.<br />
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I had my suspicions.....<br />
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I looked out into the pasture toward the ridge: No sheep.<br />
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I walked to the top of the ridge and peered down into the swamp: No sheep.</div>
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I descended the ridge into the swamp: No sheep.</div>
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I crossed over the fence into the neighbor's swamp and looked to the ridge again: No sheep.</div>
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I ascended the ridge and looked to the west: Finally sheep appearing as little dots in the distance.</div>
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"Sheep," I called. And again, "Sheep." A few heads perked up and a few "baahs" responded.</div>
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"Sheep. Sheep. Sheep," I called a few more times. They started toward my voice. That is not my homestead but those are definitely my errant sheep.</div>
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"Come on, Ladies," I told them, "Its time to go home. </div>
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Leading the way, I descended the ridge into the swamp with a line of sheep trailing behind.</div>
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Through the swamp and through the fence (I really wish someone--me--would repair the fence) and up the ridge. </div>
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Finally, home is spotted and with some baahing, the sheep run past me. </div>
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Home again; home again; lickety split. And locked in the paddock until later when they will be locked in the barn overnight. </div>
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I do not know what fascination my sheep have with the neighboring homestead, but this is the third time in a month or so that I have had to go fetch them home. Yes, I feed my sheep. The neighbors do not feed my sheep. Guess its jail for them until we get a few feet of snow to curb their wandering spirits. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-25586283365092068652014-05-04T05:14:00.003-07:002014-05-04T05:18:57.591-07:00Finally, Spring Thaw After a long, snow-filled, and bone-chillingly cold winter, spring appears to be here. Twenty-seven lambs are on the ground and running races across the ridge in the pasture.<br />
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Yesterday, I dusted off the carder after and awoke it from its winter hibernation. With a little oil and a bit of persuasion, the card ran beautifully. We, the card and I, processed about 70 pounds of dyed, luxury blend rovings--wool blended with silk, soysilk, bamboo, and/or nylon. And a dash of angelina in a few.<br />
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Here are a few videos:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz_amJxcRx3gLBti6b6gbMMAbIfiIP8RW3UmHHVa4o7qAwS2-g_elCCz71r1szGOBAxIzq7ODe29IdSzLxERg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Red wool blended with bamboo</div>
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Pink wool blended with soysilk, angelina and nylon</div>
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The pink blend turning into roving</div>
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Purple wool blended with bamboo</div>
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The end product after winding into 4 ounce balls</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-50273784346344348802013-08-22T19:30:00.001-07:002013-08-22T19:41:30.538-07:00Seemed Like a Typical Day; but not quiteToday seemed to start out like a typical day working on the mill.<br />
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Dad arrived a bit earlier than usual--7 a.m. instead of 8 and set to work on the picker. He seems obsessed with the picker. Today was the day to move the picker to its permanent spot and set it down off its skids. Which we did with very little fanfare and little difficulty and not too much arguing.<br />
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After being set down, we had a visit from Jessie, my 16 year old komondor. Normally, Jessie spends 23 1/2 hours sleeping in the house--a side effect of the pain medication she is on for bone cancer (in her back leg). But, today, she came outside and ventured into the shed to pay us a visit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCoVT6uKhl5c8q-ms2m0RqPqUiJtNee4WH9JHjqPKfpnDJAh0Ir238ngo1_miGC3l_x5u67H6gq2n_lqr5k0wCOtACu-m-fgaBioZhScCKdETVawxqSLG1jXvoWbwsAyXNBQ2X3S4BugA/s1600/PICT3105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCoVT6uKhl5c8q-ms2m0RqPqUiJtNee4WH9JHjqPKfpnDJAh0Ir238ngo1_miGC3l_x5u67H6gq2n_lqr5k0wCOtACu-m-fgaBioZhScCKdETVawxqSLG1jXvoWbwsAyXNBQ2X3S4BugA/s320/PICT3105.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Jessie, resting under the picker while Dad works under the other side</b></div>
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The other dogs have their favorite resting spots, too, when they are in the shed keeping us company.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKuUZ6cvMxChj-M5Nlfy1-DqHOUV0NMU4QJC4nwPck-YbWTDS5B0DI8ZufZPr8zxAJCIeHiHyjvy88JuavP9UAT8QvTR1bR0Lj9VQWr3j8mvRjUy3P5nxWvKNpMQ5z0fAndL5BsRgLhzE/s1600/PICT3106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKuUZ6cvMxChj-M5Nlfy1-DqHOUV0NMU4QJC4nwPck-YbWTDS5B0DI8ZufZPr8zxAJCIeHiHyjvy88JuavP9UAT8QvTR1bR0Lj9VQWr3j8mvRjUy3P5nxWvKNpMQ5z0fAndL5BsRgLhzE/s320/PICT3106.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Kit, the border collie, likes to hang out under the doffer</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1cjOBo_i7eJJ0OhlBgnD0Msjkt9LLiAtMg6yQtwFMTe271ynos5WhCXiRE9WWVPIJY2mq7c7u9p3ZaOTEJ5tFO_Y1mvn5yFlpihhDErsG41S3tByzGH_61n3JZuRPPIvp1erRYFX7y9k/s1600/PICT3107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1cjOBo_i7eJJ0OhlBgnD0Msjkt9LLiAtMg6yQtwFMTe271ynos5WhCXiRE9WWVPIJY2mq7c7u9p3ZaOTEJ5tFO_Y1mvn5yFlpihhDErsG41S3tByzGH_61n3JZuRPPIvp1erRYFX7y9k/s320/PICT3107.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Newton, the puli, likes to be within touching distance of wherever I am</b></div>
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The dogs are all banished to either the house or the kennel before any of the machinery is started up. I would hate to card a dog!</div>
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While Dad picked away at the picker, I picked away at some saffron colored wool/silk/nylon blend in hopes of someday carding it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnJp5X9pBbPBsq0mAkQMVGlX2w13zhgdh1MoN8Qn_p-0_snrdbYRksadU7pC5lYMWduGqquDmxupHcYXooRWzsxtnaZq6vmfVHQLG3vaEsxHhbAfQRQq0jUGhSd3kCDcs-rScBn7bgVM/s1600/PICT3109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnJp5X9pBbPBsq0mAkQMVGlX2w13zhgdh1MoN8Qn_p-0_snrdbYRksadU7pC5lYMWduGqquDmxupHcYXooRWzsxtnaZq6vmfVHQLG3vaEsxHhbAfQRQq0jUGhSd3kCDcs-rScBn7bgVM/s320/PICT3109.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Saffron colored wool/silk/nylon going through the little picker</b></div>
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Noon came and Dad decided it was time to go home and work on the mounts for the anti static bar for the carder (yippee!). He would return in the afternoon. While he was gone, I finished picking the wool, continued dyeing wool, washing wool and then unrolled the apron for the picker and applied some belt dressing to the leather. When I was finishing that up, Dad returned with the mounts for the anti static bar. </div>
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He mounted the bar, connected it to the power source while I spliced together a belt for the doffer comb--the two final things that remained to be done before we could actually card wool. </div>
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And, then we carded. And we attempted to feed the wool through the orifice to draft into roving. Ugh! I was highly unsuccessful. Not quite, as I tell my students, frequently. I was greatly disheartened. What if I can't make roving!</div>
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Well, a break was in order. While I made brauts, Dad adjusted the doffer comb. </div>
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After we ate, we tried again. </div>
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The video and pictures below tell all.....</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwgg3FcahBkZhDOdsYEw5Ko_MgGsZb1XZEIOHqUkvbgwYOyDR7UwefShDbfWwzNkuQkmL_YaVJbA6cLDW5MGQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdoFkI8-Ic1FC9_V3sAUpm29TCfwGpMb4L_1-jrj3psryEyRdXzdVV36H3AvYH_feMX8cyVr42BPy0hJlJnPPbUJzoLDZpFOalDzRJaNYM46qaL6mxfLS3BZRhXGK05FK9fpMmztr5Zg/s1600/PICT3119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdoFkI8-Ic1FC9_V3sAUpm29TCfwGpMb4L_1-jrj3psryEyRdXzdVV36H3AvYH_feMX8cyVr42BPy0hJlJnPPbUJzoLDZpFOalDzRJaNYM46qaL6mxfLS3BZRhXGK05FK9fpMmztr5Zg/s320/PICT3119.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Dad pulling the roving as fast as he can</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvqmbFB2ppmGTCIv9lakBzEu67kvttExxnQzTFkK5TRDOR0gjtqG3h3lzAAZhDVkWdpUjqPm6T_B7Cg_7SB0EmoV5VCrZlxT7lOWX0l_WhwUh6qtIr6ayOYgUhW9cxhHniqmEz4GALFpk/s1600/PICT3120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvqmbFB2ppmGTCIv9lakBzEu67kvttExxnQzTFkK5TRDOR0gjtqG3h3lzAAZhDVkWdpUjqPm6T_B7Cg_7SB0EmoV5VCrZlxT7lOWX0l_WhwUh6qtIr6ayOYgUhW9cxhHniqmEz4GALFpk/s320/PICT3120.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Trying to keep up</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjovxpn27bFOKf8B-FO0EDSEJ4Q1uHl1flxni7WaI7Lbyhk_BbCZ51gHB-KZml7qfDZjzuXDRiax8ORBUNbTainS8HAZ7wtNaspEODHTxJmO0NWxOSUJHorBCSYe-0dZJwCCto2qkBu7ls/s1600/PICT3123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjovxpn27bFOKf8B-FO0EDSEJ4Q1uHl1flxni7WaI7Lbyhk_BbCZ51gHB-KZml7qfDZjzuXDRiax8ORBUNbTainS8HAZ7wtNaspEODHTxJmO0NWxOSUJHorBCSYe-0dZJwCCto2qkBu7ls/s320/PICT3123.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>The garden cart full of roving</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85NDpAJhmefQS6vX0MJwf3SPiyBxkAfVYhA-5HnICxathr5dV8mBOJVadihfeFXp5F1gLcF1ij2Y9vy30g-9ORsjWXOLlvusxHEfHRaZd0zMH_QZGUjSKYsM5tq68jcH82jPtnEvHu1o/s1600/PICT3124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85NDpAJhmefQS6vX0MJwf3SPiyBxkAfVYhA-5HnICxathr5dV8mBOJVadihfeFXp5F1gLcF1ij2Y9vy30g-9ORsjWXOLlvusxHEfHRaZd0zMH_QZGUjSKYsM5tq68jcH82jPtnEvHu1o/s320/PICT3124.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>A closer view of the roving</b></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-65437344260294729192013-08-19T03:18:00.003-07:002013-08-19T04:13:25.831-07:00Busy, Busy, BusyGosh we've been busy and August is flying by. I can't believe its been a year since I bought the mill.<br />
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<b>Hidden Valley Woolen Mill</b><br />
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On August First, we flew to Wisconsin to visit Carol and Paul Wagner at Hidden Valley Woolen Mill. We toured their mill, watched Carol make a 15 pound quilt batt! Observed one of their carders in action. Picked their brains. Looked over the machinery. Saw their beautiful farm and sheep. And had a fabulous lunch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwbkeKSHL4oh1xVuEzQfS1sWZGF15OnDWBroRMWwGssVBcLEwCNU40pmzhaNC1y6G4_q2m1gN20dCZHdGc7i9bwLudHkN-98NEshHmNhMoFSqqixAM3mB38WJr_PUyBfxAy79iucOh-3g/s1600/PICT3016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwbkeKSHL4oh1xVuEzQfS1sWZGF15OnDWBroRMWwGssVBcLEwCNU40pmzhaNC1y6G4_q2m1gN20dCZHdGc7i9bwLudHkN-98NEshHmNhMoFSqqixAM3mB38WJr_PUyBfxAy79iucOh-3g/s320/PICT3016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>What 15 lbs of wool looks like on the roller</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWz7vEx9Dei2d4M-oZWy_nQZPK_mqCrJVgOqmWuGv3aR4ulIda9_6pdbZ2XtfV4JjUJqUlpdUI_XKuPpCYRsll0f0EBltPmc5daFes3bzvFbqU-6j96kQPfxDflk7OWqPhbu9rAvBueIA/s1600/PICT3017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWz7vEx9Dei2d4M-oZWy_nQZPK_mqCrJVgOqmWuGv3aR4ulIda9_6pdbZ2XtfV4JjUJqUlpdUI_XKuPpCYRsll0f0EBltPmc5daFes3bzvFbqU-6j96kQPfxDflk7OWqPhbu9rAvBueIA/s320/PICT3017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Gently removing the batt from the roller</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxh6LdS541iThlk0arhPikRyYjL-guNx06ntcCAH2r0fI-GfcMcMcxlflkGVvvo3J5TuYG7QPD5EiUiEk2olfhPnz_2HzYoddiIEg8xrpMHtXHN1pVmqfipQy9N9XWy5VEEAIggaJAhc/s1600/PICT3018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxh6LdS541iThlk0arhPikRyYjL-guNx06ntcCAH2r0fI-GfcMcMcxlflkGVvvo3J5TuYG7QPD5EiUiEk2olfhPnz_2HzYoddiIEg8xrpMHtXHN1pVmqfipQy9N9XWy5VEEAIggaJAhc/s320/PICT3018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Rolling the 15 lb batt</b></div>
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<b>And then stuffing it into a 55 gallon bag</b></div>
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One thing we really wanted to see was their picker. Our picker is now in pieces and parts and missing some parts and we needed some ideas on how to get it back together and working. Unfortunately, the Wagner's have a completely different brand, make, model and type of picker from ours. But we did get a good look at it.<br />
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We came back from Carol's and Paul's with full stomachs and lots of ideas and suggestions. Thanks to Paul and Carol for a great day and for being such kind and generous people. I highly recommend Hidden Valley Woolen Mill--they do beautiful work and I've had my fibers processed there for many, many years.<br />
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<b>Pieces and Parts of the Picker</b><br />
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The picker is picked apart.<br />
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In July, Dad picked it apart and started painting it while I picked wool on the little picker (the working model).<br />
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<b>The Picker and Blower before being picked apart</b></div>
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First the blower got the beauty treatment.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEm11nh84sSK7I_7pryWHP7UsD60oRMyID9CV6dBvZN8LCDkiO5cu3XYx496QLlEwoCxsZisNthe4pwrd2yo43SEbQu3lam_jW5dq5U5STMyuIBmLwK3K8YM4UASvODkYCUst5LnncbtY/s1600/PICT2970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEm11nh84sSK7I_7pryWHP7UsD60oRMyID9CV6dBvZN8LCDkiO5cu3XYx496QLlEwoCxsZisNthe4pwrd2yo43SEbQu3lam_jW5dq5U5STMyuIBmLwK3K8YM4UASvODkYCUst5LnncbtY/s320/PICT2970.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>The blower before treatment</b></div>
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<b>Powerwashing the blower</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96yOxJkYeLO790cSYeKkiaqDEnWwmvJAubfZY_8eRn4K1Bt8fR62_lGJSYVCzt6v76GngYggbFXY0QAAdz5BwgOYzUUwYLZ3MR6ZoJLLLDASVrTxxUErWOEFK1JjgV9TfYwJJFlbhcYI/s1600/PICT2979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96yOxJkYeLO790cSYeKkiaqDEnWwmvJAubfZY_8eRn4K1Bt8fR62_lGJSYVCzt6v76GngYggbFXY0QAAdz5BwgOYzUUwYLZ3MR6ZoJLLLDASVrTxxUErWOEFK1JjgV9TfYwJJFlbhcYI/s320/PICT2979.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b>A little bit cleaner after the washing</b></div>
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<b>Two coats of tractor/implement paint later (not John Deere green, btw)</b></div>
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Then its the picker's turn to be picked apart and given the beauty treatment.<br />
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<b>Partially picked apart and before the bath and paint job</b></div>
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<b>Two coats of paint later</b></div>
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In between coats of paint, while I was diligently picking wool on the Meck picker, Dad would pick out the wool from between the slats on the picker apron. All in all, he spent about three days working on that. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUaoBe-pNyYE-Ym-5E8DfQ58nEzGLY3SP9pLnePKICsjM-KdyD7wbCnasrlY2SzRUR6M3MYZJIYKRbdG8GGBo9LUV2d5SPosRYlI4dXs6C41zu9ugO_EkspiX0PLQyISYAyhqbsc0X1co/s1600/PICT2977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUaoBe-pNyYE-Ym-5E8DfQ58nEzGLY3SP9pLnePKICsjM-KdyD7wbCnasrlY2SzRUR6M3MYZJIYKRbdG8GGBo9LUV2d5SPosRYlI4dXs6C41zu9ugO_EkspiX0PLQyISYAyhqbsc0X1co/s320/PICT2977.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Pick, pick, pick</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjrzELkrbtja0JmAQO4OZJky5_BHGRwKrSfEP1jYvCXnXBRqic3eeuyPbfwTTv0fWu0PXenTbfPOYA9Iju9A2cBJp-uji6NKb8AZGXNAYH1IXosdniK4TnRvR8hArO-_WUmCufKr_hCg/s1600/PICT2978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjrzELkrbtja0JmAQO4OZJky5_BHGRwKrSfEP1jYvCXnXBRqic3eeuyPbfwTTv0fWu0PXenTbfPOYA9Iju9A2cBJp-uji6NKb8AZGXNAYH1IXosdniK4TnRvR8hArO-_WUmCufKr_hCg/s320/PICT2978.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>And, pick, and, pick, and pick</b></div>
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While he picked and painted and puttered about, I picked wool on the John Meck picker.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRHOm3q7JQqLV3d_uU8w_5DeAtE_HHkx-cnlacmdi9uV9MozfoZNbUPdY0do-My7dSPEuL-EuRmP1MBAEuFKUVPVGCH7RT8AVT7e_uzt8nRSs8GDVaUp2CU1XHmBJbzgAEaVJl7FkGIPc/s1600/pict2964.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRHOm3q7JQqLV3d_uU8w_5DeAtE_HHkx-cnlacmdi9uV9MozfoZNbUPdY0do-My7dSPEuL-EuRmP1MBAEuFKUVPVGCH7RT8AVT7e_uzt8nRSs8GDVaUp2CU1XHmBJbzgAEaVJl7FkGIPc/s320/pict2964.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>The John Meck Picker (working model)</b></div>
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<b>I picked and picked white wool</b></div>
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<b>I picked and picked natural colored wool</b></div>
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<b>I got bored and started picking colored wools</b></div>
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All in all, I think I've picked about 150 pounds of wool and I now have picker's elbow in my right arm. I pieked so much, so long, and so hard, that I broke the bolt holding the handle on the picker Saturday morning. I had to make an emergency trip to the hardware store to buy bolts. </div>
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<b>First Official Visitors to the Mill</b></div>
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On Saturday, August 3, we had our first official visitors in for a tour of the mill.</div>
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Alice and Gordon Stone of Texas, formerly of Braham and Cambridge, MN, came for a visit. Gordon is my Grandmother's cousin (Dad's Mom). They attend Braham Pie Day every year and made a special stop at the farm to see the mill. It was a great pleasure to have them both here. We visited; showed them the mill; ran the carder; and greatly enjoyed them. Hope you both will come again next year!</div>
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<b>Minnesota Valley Woolen Mill</b></div>
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This past week, on August 14, we flew down to Austin, MN to visit with Tom Yates of Minnesota Valley Woolen Mill. Tom gave us a tour of his mill. We spent a lot of time with Tom talking about mills, gathering information, hints, and suggestions. We looked closely at his picker in action (again, very different from our picker). We were also able to see his carder in action. Tom has a newer carder that he was using. I believe it was built by Carolina Specialty. He also has an older, 1800, carder that he was working on. We saw Tom's retail shop full of fibers, knitted and woven goods and beautiful yarns. We also saw his wool scouring facilities in town and got a tour of the town. Tom was a great source of advice, hints and suggestions and I will definitely be asking his advice again. </div>
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Minnesota Valley Woolen Mill also does a lovely job of processing fiber. I can highly recommend them. And, he has a pin drafter!</div>
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<b>Faribault Woolen Mills</b></div>
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I thought Faribault would be close enough to drive to, but no, we flew down there on August 15 to tour the woolen mill. It was a very interesting tour and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the process of making wool into roving into yarn into woven goods. And dyeing, too. It was fascinating to me. Their woven blankets and scarves and finished goods are just beautiful. </div>
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After the tour, we walked downtown and had lunch at the "Cheese Cave." Great cheeses from the Faribault caves. </div>
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Then we flew home in time to work a bit on the mill (well, I picked wool and Dad did some work).</div>
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<b>Are We Ever Going To Card?</b></div>
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<b>YES! And SOON!</b></div>
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We are so close to carding. We just need to mount an anti-static bar and power it up, make a belt to drive the doffer comb, put the chain on the drafter, power up and get going. I am hoping this week will be the week that we actually see some wool come off the carder. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-88624493139713009892013-07-21T18:52:00.001-07:002013-07-21T18:52:13.858-07:00Theoretical Picker vs Actual PickerAbsolutely beautiful weather today. And, with a little bug spray, the mosquitos weren't quite so bad as they have been.<br />
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I started the day, after much coffee and watching the Sunday morning news shows, with the intention of mowing the entire lawn. Everything went fine, for awhile. I mowed the orchard (plums, apples, pears, and butternut trees), mowed the front yard and mowed most of the back yard before it all went to heck; the mower blades quit turning. After a bit of inspection, I found a sheared bolt on the deck holding an idler in place. No more mowing today.<br />
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What to do; what to do.<br />
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Well, I decided I must get the mower deck off before breaking into the wine. But, while I put off that job, I murdered some burdock and thistle and miscellaneous weeds around the farmstead with glyphosate. Then I took the mower deck off and determined that a trip to the dealer was in order to buy a part. Being Sunday, the trip would have to wait until tomorrow.<br />
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So, I wandered into the shed and looked at the theoretical picker.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdBVofR8gf-NlhTL5XEum6AD9EKl3FYf6306ilu23uTDCpUzQKDkVtqXA82nrKDycIINZTPZqCH_mxB6sGksoSBnr7UJjNHtSUmwnJCI0TxSuKJKV-b-zg13JYcXf3in8cr3SEU5-N40/s1600/PICT2963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdBVofR8gf-NlhTL5XEum6AD9EKl3FYf6306ilu23uTDCpUzQKDkVtqXA82nrKDycIINZTPZqCH_mxB6sGksoSBnr7UJjNHtSUmwnJCI0TxSuKJKV-b-zg13JYcXf3in8cr3SEU5-N40/s320/PICT2963.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Theoretical picker (on the left)</b></div>
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I call this the theoretical picker because, in theory, it will be working someday and picking pounds and pounds of fiber per minute. But for now, it languishes, awaiting repair and maintenance. And inspiration.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjUgQoSJG9Qxy7e9ReKW-IJuTxeCPaVI3kxB989aJW7oI8E9pwRKNQk3gaKwGBn_eguvlnC38iZWH3m0WO_g8TPd3olSKMHNuiQ2p90RW7_IPqdnXG-pl6wAvVSLsaZONvi4_yZPbovI/s1600/pict2964.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjUgQoSJG9Qxy7e9ReKW-IJuTxeCPaVI3kxB989aJW7oI8E9pwRKNQk3gaKwGBn_eguvlnC38iZWH3m0WO_g8TPd3olSKMHNuiQ2p90RW7_IPqdnXG-pl6wAvVSLsaZONvi4_yZPbovI/s320/pict2964.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Actual picker</b></div>
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This is the actual picker that I started using today. Its a John Meck and very small. I bought it from an ad on facebook. Today, I managed to pick about 2 lbs of wool before running out of steam. With about 200 pounds to pick, I have only 100 days of picking left at that rate. </div>
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Our trip to Wisconsin was delayed due to bad weather--we are flying there. Now it looks like we will be able to go the week after this coming. We hope to get a good look at the doffer comb, roving coiler and picker in hopes of gaining inspiration on finalizing some of the fine tuning on the carder and starting to work on the picker. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-52474128190577196372013-07-01T16:33:00.004-07:002013-07-01T16:33:57.266-07:00Prettying Her Up and Cleaning the ShedToday Dad arrived promptly at 9 a.m. with spray paint in hand. We started out by cleaning the pulleys with solvent then applying painting tape and newspaper--the carder was getting a bit of a paint job.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-3kmhbAtR50rdBe30QvO0qMjEJ1wdqKALRt5OxZU9MPrTb0b9ciH6ppATsC6L6812HIVsOJSzWCe94qoUnT1TALporpCHxOx1jKHPPjI-fQOafjMBjVEPbTBcXhP9HSaCZW6ImbcEVPo/s640/PICT2910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-3kmhbAtR50rdBe30QvO0qMjEJ1wdqKALRt5OxZU9MPrTb0b9ciH6ppATsC6L6812HIVsOJSzWCe94qoUnT1TALporpCHxOx1jKHPPjI-fQOafjMBjVEPbTBcXhP9HSaCZW6ImbcEVPo/s320/PICT2910.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>She looks like an 1950s housewife getting a home perm</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHQXZkWp3jrX6hyphenhyphenbE8iDBiYt2bLUdt_N5BttrQI2smikKnyn3G5TZV97JTQ1uO0PFHpMJ0_38ktd1uYrvmxg-ZjCIIfEC5T4XyCM8tWpr1QzyiqDvfnJljfXOtKmo8vzT16GbJYzRvvI/s640/PICT2911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHQXZkWp3jrX6hyphenhyphenbE8iDBiYt2bLUdt_N5BttrQI2smikKnyn3G5TZV97JTQ1uO0PFHpMJ0_38ktd1uYrvmxg-ZjCIIfEC5T4XyCM8tWpr1QzyiqDvfnJljfXOtKmo8vzT16GbJYzRvvI/s320/PICT2911.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Carefully spraying the paint</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4aUQ1giZJnfIX6yd7XidiL9ly4_pkzlLIOKd3zqSWazghVrjq04zdlriWotoGz51ynk3o0j8ejdiZeuHHz9MrGegrTZKODfFjvihki0St6rhVQ4cfTs81zHOqpA18QVGy79FJYC7vw1g/s640/PICT2917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4aUQ1giZJnfIX6yd7XidiL9ly4_pkzlLIOKd3zqSWazghVrjq04zdlriWotoGz51ynk3o0j8ejdiZeuHHz9MrGegrTZKODfFjvihki0St6rhVQ4cfTs81zHOqpA18QVGy79FJYC7vw1g/s320/PICT2917.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>The "after" picture</b></div>
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The rest of the morning we threw stuff out of the shed and made room for maneuvering both the picker and the feeder. The picker will be at the far south end of the shed. The feeder will be placed against the middle of the west wall--this is actually as far out of the way as we could think of putting it. In the afternoon, I cleaned out the little garage to store the lawnmowers in since I was told they could no longer be in the carding shed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKqksuNyxDYi3KZngOY-ScYXlJi5fIJ4fSvaAdhtUWLAm-TvlD3hw9SQpT1KSUwo-9_GtMLusQvWBpdEBK1j_HIkRSR0gpxjOUgRiMtsWR1wxDgVs7-o2d5lnuhsn2gd-mAHmWWI4yzs/s640/PICT2918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKqksuNyxDYi3KZngOY-ScYXlJi5fIJ4fSvaAdhtUWLAm-TvlD3hw9SQpT1KSUwo-9_GtMLusQvWBpdEBK1j_HIkRSR0gpxjOUgRiMtsWR1wxDgVs7-o2d5lnuhsn2gd-mAHmWWI4yzs/s320/PICT2918.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Here's the picker which needs to be moved then renovated into working condition</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgOhpV8QaCCI4UsXg1_7JUd_jJoN9N6X8zZj2qrZhX-YQD-raC1xMDc3emrBHOUvaw0Zgj5aatDmW1S3DxdTb_3zbMK2qc76RTZWNkE0Bv6Zcha0I54w8KLaZzAuiMpAujR_SL26XsRQ/s640/PICT2919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgOhpV8QaCCI4UsXg1_7JUd_jJoN9N6X8zZj2qrZhX-YQD-raC1xMDc3emrBHOUvaw0Zgj5aatDmW1S3DxdTb_3zbMK2qc76RTZWNkE0Bv6Zcha0I54w8KLaZzAuiMpAujR_SL26XsRQ/s320/PICT2919.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Check out the teeth on this picker!</b></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-53128123405801000262013-06-26T05:17:00.003-07:002013-06-26T05:17:16.747-07:00The Apron Turns! We Feed it Wool! We Eat Pizza! We Drink Beer!Picked up the new shaft for the apron yesterday. I went to a different machinist from the first one and it was about half the price this time.<br />
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We picked the apron apart, took out the previous shaft, put in the new shaft, and put it all back together again. Then we turned the machine on and watched the apron move---oh so slowly you could barely discern movement. But, that's how fast it is supposed to feed. So its working!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEz0jgua6pldG14PN-DFclnDtkZk_yFyOAuwzCGYj2N84cvR_r7-cGe2-9RmsUiXIZMTH_cwqRy8oYoE6lV19lvP0IIwAG-3suNo0o7bSAhHOWig-_yqLe1kneBwaVS4R_nwdCXrUzfU/s1600/06-25-13_175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEz0jgua6pldG14PN-DFclnDtkZk_yFyOAuwzCGYj2N84cvR_r7-cGe2-9RmsUiXIZMTH_cwqRy8oYoE6lV19lvP0IIwAG-3suNo0o7bSAhHOWig-_yqLe1kneBwaVS4R_nwdCXrUzfU/s320/06-25-13_175.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Here I am waiting for the wool to feed</b></div>
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Fed a chunk of wool through the carder. Not much came out the other end. And, without the doffer comb running, its not possible to get it off the doffer. Well, actually, the shop vac helped remove what little there was from the doffer.<br />
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Afterwards, we had pizza and beer and planned out trip to Wisconsin, tentatively scheduled for next week, to visit the Wagners at Hidden Valley Woolen Mill.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9u7aH8FBP1LN15ijYdIg211w5l_krfQQo7xJGzCKn6iwy_hmTlGitSYz6Z0iq8TmV1VBFJAMryVDnKqDsmQhR1QdTL0Tx364p8ZRNnJIOlYyVzk9eU4lQ-C3C-N95gtnEuWz53NVJRY/s1600/06-25-13_182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9u7aH8FBP1LN15ijYdIg211w5l_krfQQo7xJGzCKn6iwy_hmTlGitSYz6Z0iq8TmV1VBFJAMryVDnKqDsmQhR1QdTL0Tx364p8ZRNnJIOlYyVzk9eU4lQ-C3C-N95gtnEuWz53NVJRY/s320/06-25-13_182.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Pizza and Great Beer on the Apron</b></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-18854545154006911952013-06-19T18:04:00.001-07:002013-06-19T18:04:43.842-07:00Watching the Carder RunToday we worked on putting the finishing touches on the feeder. We put the apron on, added a chain and then fired the carder up only to find out that the apron would not turn! DRAT!<br />
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Turns out we need to drive the apron from the front shaft, not the hind shaft (which apparently worked fine for the previous owner, but NOT FOR ME). So, I'll be off to a machinist tomorrow to have yet another shaft machined with a longer end so that we can hang a sprocket on it to turn it.<br />
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In the meantime, sit back and enjoy the video below of the rest of the carder running! We did.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxMMvUQY30BafENdcRUfusW4hCnVtPhvutQ_IPiOjK53SIEBBvUtHgZIulAqSM1iJ3Jo_OLcUYubwlgSjJPTw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Things we need to do:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Get a new shaft machined for the feeder</li>
<li>Set up the doffer comb</li>
<li>Set up the drafter</li>
<li>Set up the can coiler</li>
<li>Set up the picker (monster project from Hades!)</li>
<li>Tour Fairibault Woolen Mill</li>
<li>Tour Hidden Valley Woolen Mill and pick Carol's and Paul's brains</li>
<li>Have another beer or two or three</li>
<li>Wash up another 300 lbs of that 500 lbs of wool I bought last fall</li>
<li>there must be more but I just can't think of it</li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-52655974120153880462013-05-31T16:33:00.000-07:002013-05-31T16:33:11.417-07:00ContemplationIt seems we spend more time contemplating the machine now. Looking at it; measuring; sitting; staring; contemplating. Wondering what to do next.<br />
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Next on the agenda is to put the feeder on the front and somehow attach it. That was the source of much contemplation today. Of course, never quite so easy as just plug and play. When we brought the feeder up from the barn we noticed a 12 inch crack in one side. So, off to a welder it went last week. Made of cast iron, not just any welder would do. Fortunately, there is one in Ogilvie who can handle the job.<br />
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I picked up the welded part today and happily handed over $15 for the job!<br />
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While Dad puttered about putting the feeder back together--kind of--I skirted some more of the 500 pounds of fleece I bought last winter. I need to get more and more of that washed since its looking like soon the machine will be ready for practicing.<br />
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After some skirting on my part and puttering on Dad's part the contemplation began with much measuring, remeasuring, sighing, and then a couple beers were drunk. What to do next? How to attach the feeder to the breast? In actuality, the feeder is meant to be attached to a feedbox, not the breast, but the previous owner had it rigged up to the breast and so shall we, somehow. We have ideas! It will get done!<br />
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I'm hoping the carder will be up, running and in the mood for practice runs by the end of June. That's my new goal. Hopefully, teaching summer school will not get in the way!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-54175063793198596042013-04-30T10:41:00.001-07:002013-04-30T10:41:59.950-07:00Burning the Wild HayWhile the farm fields are rented out for crops, Dad and I still hay the wild grass. Each spring we burn off the old grass to make for a better hay crop. Last night we burned.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvU25kv6NGBCWSSP0KxPD8QnyEHCO98j2Vc2jf_hOvFGgoFFY8OG1fetfoYGIjioJNO2Cm3FcBRtJHvA_M0hMVy0hArIaJQsf0jSYbKRLo9IP_nJKGctzSZP-Ev68EP4LaU2dQ3CJn7VE/s1600/04-29-13_190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvU25kv6NGBCWSSP0KxPD8QnyEHCO98j2Vc2jf_hOvFGgoFFY8OG1fetfoYGIjioJNO2Cm3FcBRtJHvA_M0hMVy0hArIaJQsf0jSYbKRLo9IP_nJKGctzSZP-Ev68EP4LaU2dQ3CJn7VE/s320/04-29-13_190.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-10489617698236302972013-04-09T15:21:00.002-07:002013-04-09T15:22:24.367-07:00She Turned! Wow! Today the carder turned under its own power! Very exciting!<br />
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We did some rewiring and then turned on the converter; turned on the carder and watched her slowly start to turn; faster and faster she turned until she got up to full speed. And then the clanking of a bad bearing and we shut her down. She slowly came to a stop. Not a machine that you want to get caught in. She will not shut down immediately. And, yes, she is a she. The bearing is nothing to worry about. Its not on an important part so nothing is broken. Just a little noisy for now.<br />
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Still a lot of work to do. The workers were not yet "chained" up so we did not get to see them turn but the strippers moved very nicely along with the breast (the front portion), the main drum and the fancy. <br />
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We worked on putting the chain on the workers and the doffers later adding the three idler pulleys. It took about 25 feet of chain for this portion of the machine. We then tried to find a leather drive belt to fit but could not find one the right length. We will have to make one.<br />
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Before the end of the day, we ran the machine one last time. Still without the workers and doffer running since we didn't have a belt for that portion yet.<br />
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A very fulfilling day seeing the machine run under her own power!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-17847457717792796252013-04-01T13:39:00.000-07:002013-04-01T13:39:17.448-07:00Finally! Lambs!Came home from work to find one yearling ewe outside with a newborn lamb; one yearling ewe inside fighting with a haggy old ewe over a newborn lamb.<br />
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Got everyone situated in jugs (small pens for ewes with newborn lambs). Threw the haggy old ewe out (the lamb belonged to the yearling) and took a couple photos. All are doing well. Except the old hag who still wants the lamb (she was due to lamb three days ago).<br />
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<b>Karakul/Romanov/Romeldale ewe lamb</b></div>
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<b>Karakul ewe lamb</b></div>
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I have a baby monitor set up in the house so I can hear what is going on in the barn. One day it was the geese honking for an half hour. Another day, all I heard was the male llama fornicating. Today, all I hear is that old ewe baaaaaaaaaaaing at her would-be lamb. She's very vocal!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-32067469551090934392013-03-29T16:09:00.002-07:002013-03-29T16:09:12.980-07:00Warm March Day Means Time for Electrical WorkFinally! A day spent with the carder!<br />
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Today we worked on wiring.<br />
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The motor that runs the carder is three phase so we have a converter that we moved into position today and wired. We also wired the very large air compressor I bought last summer off craigslist and tried that out. We spent the day running a bunch of wire around the shed to various boxes and stapling it in place, connecting it into boxes and to circuit breakers. All around, it was a very productive day, despite not being able to find a single roll of electrical tape.<br />
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Meanwhile, the geese were outside enjoying the warm day and the shallow pond in front of the shed.<br />
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Tonight should be the night the lambs start arriving.<br />
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<b>Adding the air compressor to the main board</b></div>
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<b>Meanwhile the geese enjoy the "pond" outside the shed</b></div>
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<b>This big guy is showing keeping one eye on me and one on his mate</b></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-83906850866811993702013-03-09T12:34:00.000-08:002013-03-09T12:34:02.569-08:00Shearing DayToday it was just me, the shearer and 28 wooly sheep waiting to be shorn, vaccinated and wormed.<br />
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My faithful helper was at a quilt retreat and refused to leave to help with shearing this spring--I don't know why. My back up helper was having a good time in Wadena. So, just the two of us to do all the work. We managed quite fine.<br />
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<b>Before shearing. The CVM/Romeldales are wearing coats to protect their fleeces from vegetation</b></div>
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<b>Jim Peterson, from Wisconsin, shearing a karakul ewe</b></div>
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<b>After shearing, all fleeced out and contentedly munching hay</b></div>
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About 18 of the sheep are ready to lamb starting the end of March.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-55756837334565465202013-03-06T16:04:00.001-08:002013-03-06T16:04:23.001-08:00The Mill is Not ForgottenIt's just languishing in the cold and snowy winter we've been having.<br />
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Today, I actually looked at it. Gave it a pat. Dad turned the drive wheel a few turns just to see it go (by hand and foot since it is still not wired to electricity).<br />
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Spent the morning plowing snow around the yard and sheds in preparation for Saturday's shearing. According to the weather reports, we received about nine inches of snow yesterday. I can well believe it. Very fluffy stuff. I didn't attempt to do the driveway. Since my mishap with tipping the tractor over, I've been hiring someone to plow the driveway.<br />
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Dad came over with plans to help move a bunch of mill equipment from its "temporary" storage in the lambing barn up to its permanent home in the "mill" shed. Unfortunately, the sliding door on the mill shed would only open about five feet--not nearly enough to fit most of the equipment through. So, we had to make do in the lambing barn by rearranging the equipment. We shoved and piled and moved and piled and shoved and finally made enough room for a lambing pen.<br />
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Wiring is the next phase of mill work but the weather has been very uncooperative. Then, there was that little cog in the plans when I took a permanent (half-time) teaching job that is a bit more than half time for now. But, when the weather warms up, we plan to be back in the shed, wiring, working, and getting 'er done.<br />
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Sorry, no pictures today.<br />
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But, lambing starts the end of March, so expect to see pictures of lambs when they arrive!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-18630169558415943152012-12-12T13:19:00.002-08:002012-12-12T13:19:50.505-08:00Please Return Your Seat to Its Full, Upright Position<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's been a productive few days. We put the main drive pulley on and lined it up with the motor; we moved the breast and aligned it with the card; and we moved the doffer and aligned it with the card. </div>
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Dad fidgeting with the main pulley to get it just right</div>
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The motor is three phase electric and will need to be bolted to the floor</div>
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The breast in place (on the left of the card)</div>
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Here we have the doffer in place on the right of the card</div>
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A better picture of the doffer</div>
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Dad left about noon to have a nap so I thought I would finish plowing the driveway. I spent nearly five hours on the tractor on Monday but wanted to plow a wider path. Fortunately, I fed the sheep and the animals before attempting to widen the driveway.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-9pBnaHjdwsdBZQEBO8JHKF3pP2F1UGQbacyRIx1CQtPjh281QQfTnj7HuUht2Wz8Og2KMLilf1U4G5qTe0ATlDVxeucXzRNUxYnPD-UUqsPsc490hFTKZ3ZycFHp6yq87-0q5im7OQ/s1600/PICT2652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-9pBnaHjdwsdBZQEBO8JHKF3pP2F1UGQbacyRIx1CQtPjh281QQfTnj7HuUht2Wz8Og2KMLilf1U4G5qTe0ATlDVxeucXzRNUxYnPD-UUqsPsc490hFTKZ3ZycFHp6yq87-0q5im7OQ/s320/PICT2652.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Please return your seat to its full, upright position</div>
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<b>Please return your seat to its full, upright positon</b></div>
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I'll do that later, after I've had a lot of wine and slept it off. For now, it can sit there. </div>
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I felt the tractor sliding into the ditch, then starting to tip, I jumped off and was very lucky it only tipped on its side. I'm fine--hopefully the tractor will be okay when its upright again. </div>
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I'm off to a hot bath and a bit of wine.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-50326071532232704872012-12-05T15:50:00.000-08:002012-12-05T15:50:00.672-08:00The Card is Coming Together!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Numerous and many in-depth google and bing searches have convinced me that the woodruff keys I need are $30 to $35 each. Outrageous for a half moon shaped hunk of iron approximately 5/8" x 3.5" long. So, being innovative (at least my Dad is), we decided to purchase some 5/8" keystock and make two keys. The keystock was a little over $12 and we could make THREE--count 'em--THREE keys from it. Only made two, for now.</div>
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Today was a very productive day. That isn't to say we've been slacking off since the last post--in fact, we continued to clean, repair and replace many parts on the carder. However, at the end of the day, today, I could see some real progress. The carder is finally coming together--literally.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAS5qdUpYx1LK02AUghhAbJBsSTuPZXw1qiKOwqEA1BlEH2xERoBH4oH0MAefkyEZkQMePufk6g68Q8535g1f7eTHNtjiWGSnaGmk2eQLd-Fao7heOO5nhyp0Nn9xxl9nmYwTIZopdPvk/s1600/PICT2629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAS5qdUpYx1LK02AUghhAbJBsSTuPZXw1qiKOwqEA1BlEH2xERoBH4oH0MAefkyEZkQMePufk6g68Q8535g1f7eTHNtjiWGSnaGmk2eQLd-Fao7heOO5nhyp0Nn9xxl9nmYwTIZopdPvk/s320/PICT2629.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Dad grinding down a key to make it fit perfectly</div>
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While Dad was grinding and fitting the keys, I adjusted the fancy. This is done by chalking an area under the fancy on the main cylinder, placing the fancy back on, turning it swiftly, then removing it again to measure the width of the area where the fancy brushed out the chalk.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZBiHHqt-ckD9ASGniyunWm9QSzymPcB3DPQ9ioN2df848W-3bqWqOwXFEvLxzdRjgRbSDZ7Dz4q4zf47TiBSdcYU9R61T1QHGSP5AtRZt3vcvdak0tw9NnZyZBxLk8FT_q65xNuB7js/s1600/PICT2633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZBiHHqt-ckD9ASGniyunWm9QSzymPcB3DPQ9ioN2df848W-3bqWqOwXFEvLxzdRjgRbSDZ7Dz4q4zf47TiBSdcYU9R61T1QHGSP5AtRZt3vcvdak0tw9NnZyZBxLk8FT_q65xNuB7js/s320/PICT2633.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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You can just see the line where the fancy brushed the carder</div>
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The fancy is readily adjustable depending on the fineness of the wool being processed. I decided to set the width at 1" for medium wools. It started out over 2" wide and needed several fine adjustments to get it down to 1". </div>
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While the fancy was off, we decided to check the distances between the main cylinder, the workers and the strippers. There should be about 15/1000" distance between each item. One stripper was way too close (we could hear the teeth on the cards interfering). We reset that stripper. The other workers and strippers were "close enough" for the time being. In actuality, the distance is supposed to be checked with the belt on. We were just doing a preliminary check.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUsBACAB_tKSkmk97CwOrj8RHls978PhzSEkWxR5vHLkZ8M-gk6m7KppKqVfcPM512pvGIiA5WmamwQ7K0qQHs8rUfYx1Mb6IN87dYSRNEHxAs3RYrEj5tWl3lHIbqdOmhaelCCTEgV8/s1600/PICT2635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUsBACAB_tKSkmk97CwOrj8RHls978PhzSEkWxR5vHLkZ8M-gk6m7KppKqVfcPM512pvGIiA5WmamwQ7K0qQHs8rUfYx1Mb6IN87dYSRNEHxAs3RYrEj5tWl3lHIbqdOmhaelCCTEgV8/s320/PICT2635.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Dad checking the distance between a worker and the main cylinder using feeler gauges</div>
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By mid-day, I was very chilled and Dad was ready for a nap. We agreed to meet back in the shed in a few hours.</div>
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Later in the day, we started to move the breast and align it with the card. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Mbz4RLA-ZMcBSK5v6Yja0n0QhjqdctP7peLU1KZjLci2e93-2ThGNoSXKsiSfoNg6ducgCKEIRIZLzL6tNVMlpQ6D6WHXDR-7BeUd4XbK0x4q3oKa5INLfsQzW1mjQ-VBYZNIlheKjQ/s1600/PICT2636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Mbz4RLA-ZMcBSK5v6Yja0n0QhjqdctP7peLU1KZjLci2e93-2ThGNoSXKsiSfoNg6ducgCKEIRIZLzL6tNVMlpQ6D6WHXDR-7BeUd4XbK0x4q3oKa5INLfsQzW1mjQ-VBYZNIlheKjQ/s320/PICT2636.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The breast, on skids, is a fair distance from the card</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTS0Oijsol2-N5cGciOZ7l1HXbNB1clQXjDDmiCR5J8qpuiFdQOJdgs5-euWkwfeuymrLQ6HGeqK3oPAwbvuoFd4SVuW8HG1k3JEVSJ2oXaG-NFfkTk2-9nDhblENDdQKgYD6bdeBQH1Y/s1600/PICT2637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTS0Oijsol2-N5cGciOZ7l1HXbNB1clQXjDDmiCR5J8qpuiFdQOJdgs5-euWkwfeuymrLQ6HGeqK3oPAwbvuoFd4SVuW8HG1k3JEVSJ2oXaG-NFfkTk2-9nDhblENDdQKgYD6bdeBQH1Y/s320/PICT2637.JPG" width="248" /></a></div>
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Look familiar? Yep, back to jacking up a bit on each side to remove the skid without twisting the breast</div>
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The breast is on four steel rollers. Dad welded 1/2" square tubing onto 3/8" x 4" steel plates to make a track for the breast to roll on. The square tubing is a guide so that the breast will not fall off the plate. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglDkxVMabyOgsBEWZNRtDVCPRWVm1Wn0Q02-d2KzU-9khN8ymAHGXUYvGDOvSnios5gFc1ds35xiPgWpqOB-8Ajm6FN87w-Ld3FQO8unCUbvmXhaV4aaRLBLohjDrs-FMQBtpmpLx7410/s1600/PICT2638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglDkxVMabyOgsBEWZNRtDVCPRWVm1Wn0Q02-d2KzU-9khN8ymAHGXUYvGDOvSnios5gFc1ds35xiPgWpqOB-8Ajm6FN87w-Ld3FQO8unCUbvmXhaV4aaRLBLohjDrs-FMQBtpmpLx7410/s320/PICT2638.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This shows the track that the breast will roll on</div>
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We set the rollers on the track and then moved the breast closer to the card. But let me back up a moment. When the breast was still on skids, we adjusted the steel pipes under the skids in order to align the breast with the card. Slight adjustments to the angle of the pipe and we were able to get a fair alignment.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJQwYnuPwOeXlKXIOCo4Plo_71DfJ8h18aHUUqTXPaPRQwziVHL5Rb1MAkfT22C0jdnUx25k2cOCbMRjx9ze5B9NF5DzRbJWyhanlKrwZQoAwwz3v6N9-pa-iwo4ebMiH7AMJKR6LMDI/s1600/PICT2639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJQwYnuPwOeXlKXIOCo4Plo_71DfJ8h18aHUUqTXPaPRQwziVHL5Rb1MAkfT22C0jdnUx25k2cOCbMRjx9ze5B9NF5DzRbJWyhanlKrwZQoAwwz3v6N9-pa-iwo4ebMiH7AMJKR6LMDI/s320/PICT2639.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is where we left the breast for now. The bolt in the middle needs to line up perfectly with the card. We are about 1/2" out of alignment at the moment--plan to fix that using dueling jacks (one on each side of the breast to move is just a slight amount at a time). </div>
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But the day was not over. The main leather drive belt was in the house warming up. When it was cold, it was about 2 3/4" too short. Warming it up gave us just enough stretch to get it on the card. The belt drives the main cylinder, the strippers, and the fancy. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1bVkcHHjkFJbng9bPtnx_NbXsZ2VFhpIUp3gw4z40ABKcrdQG7Uc_odtrpWF6TfRadG-GG6SVi0n-QGhIOvSTKRoZ5qWKHo1MqCt0saKFXp0Mb19t6PpDJtD1LbDUK0aQsO8k-HZ21I/s1600/PICT2640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1bVkcHHjkFJbng9bPtnx_NbXsZ2VFhpIUp3gw4z40ABKcrdQG7Uc_odtrpWF6TfRadG-GG6SVi0n-QGhIOvSTKRoZ5qWKHo1MqCt0saKFXp0Mb19t6PpDJtD1LbDUK0aQsO8k-HZ21I/s320/PICT2640.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Success! The belt is in place. BTW, the fancy is the roller on the far right--it has much longer teeth than the other parts of the card and is the only piece that meshes with the card. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4zyBx32yd7UKku79b2N5AbZvOf4OnN_UkcMl_BpsSetYrF1LEHPqhF0PfJ5_IMd46hYo5ogYIv1Xen0PXP-3RkpmmzbgiXoGBXQBTPantLYPDRUz-YbJ0AKcVLar9CHKz_vrewo7ufA/s1600/PICT2641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4zyBx32yd7UKku79b2N5AbZvOf4OnN_UkcMl_BpsSetYrF1LEHPqhF0PfJ5_IMd46hYo5ogYIv1Xen0PXP-3RkpmmzbgiXoGBXQBTPantLYPDRUz-YbJ0AKcVLar9CHKz_vrewo7ufA/s320/PICT2641.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's the other side of the card with another leather belt placed successfully</div>
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What a great day. It feels like the card is finally coming together.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-46242829155316023242012-11-11T16:06:00.001-08:002012-11-11T16:06:29.058-08:00Drinking Beer and Cooking ChiliI could lie and say we'd been hard at work all day in the cold but we weren't. Instead, I spent my Sunday morning, as many Sunday mornings, watching and listening to the political pundits analyze the week. It goes in one ear and out the other but makes for quality knitting time.<br />
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I spent a bit of time feeding the sheep and talking to them, giving some cookies and scratching ears.<br />
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Later, Dad showed up about 4 to "sit around the fire and drink beer." It was awful windy up here on the hill so we started a fire in the kerosene heater, put a pot of chili on top and drank some beer. Two bowls of chili (each) later and a few beers and we were done for the night. Tomorrow is another day to get some work done.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0armwW2i4le7tjRvSyXC_cvWKipuujdHi-HdOQiBZwxoaPrHhxPTOPNwx0_KkWYRmB7wB5w7Zj87y0tQTBwWc52mih-fqXORIlLHfe-RPWRGH7MGXbt-etU_PK3Cqn5I_EQkAWGWSXTY/s1600/PICT2619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0armwW2i4le7tjRvSyXC_cvWKipuujdHi-HdOQiBZwxoaPrHhxPTOPNwx0_KkWYRmB7wB5w7Zj87y0tQTBwWc52mih-fqXORIlLHfe-RPWRGH7MGXbt-etU_PK3Cqn5I_EQkAWGWSXTY/s320/PICT2619.JPG" width="311" /></a></div>
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Drinking beer and cooking chili</div>
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It wasn't a wasted week. We took the vacuum off and shined it up a bit. That's the two pipes running across the upper part of the carder. The mechanism between can be hooked to a vacuum source and helps to clean the main cylinder. It rides side to side on the two pipes. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6jV6Nl5I-JQ13GKVC8touuSVcYV6qGIJHaCoVuzf-VYpZlg7hlFePmwFfbZ2tU1o5v7bpxHf9uuNlEWgmYeC_NOQLz38e3YlKeNjEChdXcx4BIKaCWs6GDjA2fFwWnR1PP5uBrBdE6E/s1600/PICT2618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6jV6Nl5I-JQ13GKVC8touuSVcYV6qGIJHaCoVuzf-VYpZlg7hlFePmwFfbZ2tU1o5v7bpxHf9uuNlEWgmYeC_NOQLz38e3YlKeNjEChdXcx4BIKaCWs6GDjA2fFwWnR1PP5uBrBdE6E/s320/PICT2618.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We set the main card down on the concrete by removing the skids under it. We did this a little bit on each side at a time so as not to twist the card.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlRF2wabTejaAnf8cuqNA6ux-8OPaH6nzxt941DI517kggKX5ByYi_dM7NTngKxp1PacMLPezRmihh-l9CT75ALAVh9koaDjceKWg-I4aA3Tu4aJhwsXLSUaBaz1qthqMH-54iu2jHig/s1600/PICT2616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlRF2wabTejaAnf8cuqNA6ux-8OPaH6nzxt941DI517kggKX5ByYi_dM7NTngKxp1PacMLPezRmihh-l9CT75ALAVh9koaDjceKWg-I4aA3Tu4aJhwsXLSUaBaz1qthqMH-54iu2jHig/s320/PICT2616.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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No skids!</div>
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I'm a little afraid to clean much more. It seems like when the grease and dust are removed, we find cracks in the hubs of pulleys or worn parts or missing woodruff keys--more and more that needs to be fixed, welded, shimmed, or replaced. This week it was a 16" pulley that had a crack in the hub and was worn so that it was too big for the shaft. Had it welded and then a machinist put a shim in the hub so it will fit the shaft perfectly. Now we need to smooth out the shaft a bit. Also need to replace a 3 7/16 bushing! Not a cheap item but fairly easy to find on ebay.<br />
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Still planning to have it up and running by spring. 8-)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-61538468941847607692012-10-18T17:51:00.001-07:002012-10-18T18:00:19.880-07:00More Cleaning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Its been awhile since I posted but we've been busy working on the card. </div>
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Last week, I spent a day cleaning the grease off of the front of the card and discovered it is painted green! Also, found a date, "1929," stamped on the front. So, the carder was made in 1929, not 1918, as advertised. It is much younger than expected!</div>
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I tried 409 to cut the grease but it did nothing. Then I tried sudsy ammonia, that, too, was ineffective. Finally, I used gasoline. That worked well but after spending 6 hours inhaling gas fumes, I had a headache that lasted 24 hours. Ugh! The carder looks much better--well, the part I cleaned, that is. Still a lot more to clean with gas. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASNYV-3pn95pvoUSRXq7DKPZRWj7Jq8DoQe3zItG28OnKgNj3iFdz6-tm2L_n2DWBz6G2-0ZeTyTWGjwYJSBCYJtQYEkrzB0P4Bi0YAmBU7xGDcYp7zT9qhvaqCPlTqUPb1GzQMhp6AM/s1600/PICT2594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASNYV-3pn95pvoUSRXq7DKPZRWj7Jq8DoQe3zItG28OnKgNj3iFdz6-tm2L_n2DWBz6G2-0ZeTyTWGjwYJSBCYJtQYEkrzB0P4Bi0YAmBU7xGDcYp7zT9qhvaqCPlTqUPb1GzQMhp6AM/s320/PICT2594.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Just enough cleaned of her to show the date, "1929" and the name "Davis and Furber Machine, Co."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPCjFDcmewy3S8UrU6mbWER44YDOgI_D_aoIMn9EaPUwo6ZbDxS1K6SZElcWSu_J4u1tdwz1EC9hvxmog13_WCD6tLdC-cjBIhe8emn-6RyqUKRrvnS20DBwyXuJhqaafSR6lMIAdOis/s1600/PICT2596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPCjFDcmewy3S8UrU6mbWER44YDOgI_D_aoIMn9EaPUwo6ZbDxS1K6SZElcWSu_J4u1tdwz1EC9hvxmog13_WCD6tLdC-cjBIhe8emn-6RyqUKRrvnS20DBwyXuJhqaafSR6lMIAdOis/s320/PICT2596.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Six hours of cleaning with gasoline yielded a green machine! </div>
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Meanwhile, Dad has been working on a track system that is set up above the carder. Its to lift the rollers up and off the card and set them on a stand for easy cleaning.<br />
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Today, we tried it out and it is ingenious! Worked perfectly. We lifted four of the rollers off; I managed to clean two and a half of them. Need to get up early tomorrow morning to finish the remaining 1.5 before Dad shows up!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8eNgaDsTlmololDeq2QBVZBPcvsOxoEQk23tAioP81KCjl05WZWHYgpsq1jjQ6fxr-OasmXVpxXvbPjviD4I1gkKIt8eoGt1_qliLwbFq-HAfFn_uTBTBI9iWAzmrrNDYX1pdP-DVGGc/s1600/PICT2599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8eNgaDsTlmololDeq2QBVZBPcvsOxoEQk23tAioP81KCjl05WZWHYgpsq1jjQ6fxr-OasmXVpxXvbPjviD4I1gkKIt8eoGt1_qliLwbFq-HAfFn_uTBTBI9iWAzmrrNDYX1pdP-DVGGc/s320/PICT2599.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Painted Allis Chalmers Persian Orange, the track system worked great!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2eTnPkrGQgvONWej12YLoq1Quc3mONUpr-GsLj2_Oo1jA3-JfpaY5LjfHk9i7b3DqM5GQC1NDFUMtOEg5aVB_uNuQeFTxlu34bVgpNwg_py68e3DpEBWZPeSAtXtPkCagSfmMPXn42IA/s1600/PICT2601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2eTnPkrGQgvONWej12YLoq1Quc3mONUpr-GsLj2_Oo1jA3-JfpaY5LjfHk9i7b3DqM5GQC1NDFUMtOEg5aVB_uNuQeFTxlu34bVgpNwg_py68e3DpEBWZPeSAtXtPkCagSfmMPXn42IA/s320/PICT2601.JPG" width="217" /></a></div>
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Two rollers ready to be cleaned</div>
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Dad has also been cleaning and checking the sprockets and gears. So far, I've ordered six weld-on sprockets, 50 feet of roller chain and various bushings, collars, nuts, bolts, etc., etc.<br />
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I was very naive in thinking that we would bring the card home, do some wiring, hose it off a bit, plug it in and be in business! However, my initial goal of having it up, running, and in business by May, 2013 is still in place. But it may take a month or two before the initial start up and practicing with the wool I bought begins.<br />
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Oh, well, it gives me something to look forward to on the days I'm not subbing.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893195002893354028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8909870520962740103.post-10044372214594643022012-10-03T17:11:00.001-07:002012-10-04T06:17:41.985-07:00Cleaning the Card<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Today was very exciting. I spent a few (felt like several) hours cleaning the card with a slicker brush and a linoleum knife! Woo-hoo!</div>
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I didn't finish--there is at least a month of work to get all the rollers and cylinders clean. Years of dust and dirt and accumulated wool are caked into the teeth of the card. Its dirty and dusty work. </div>
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