Making a Table Mounted Yarn Swift

[morpheus83uk]

Hello,

If you have no idea what I am even trying to make that's probably because neither did I when the other half asked me to make one. She shown me pictures of them and decided she wants one like the link below. I can do the majority but I have never had to make anything move before or clamp to a desk before. I have tried googling for all sorts of things but I am not being very successful in my searches for how to clamp it or how to make it move. It goes around in a windmill motion so I was thinking maybe some ball bearings but as I have never worked with them before I wouldn't know where to begin but I presume its fairly simple? (well isnt everything once you know anyway!)

As for the clamping action to the table I was thinking something like an L Bracket and then something like These for the tightening mechanism and maybe These to screw them into? So then I thought maybe screw them into a block of wood? Or maybe a bit of rubber or something to prevent marks but as I have never made a clamping type device I dont really know what I am searching for to find the right sort of thing.

Yarn Swift

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

James

 

[Phil Pascoe]

You could get a small cheap F clamp , take the top end off it, drill the back and screw it to the side of the upright - or even better use two and bolt them through . Small bearings are dirt cheap on evilbay or the wide river - with a forstner or even a decent auger you should be able to epoxy a bearing in and make something smooth running. Decide the design, get the appropriate sized drill bit if you haven't got one already and buy the bearing to suit the bit. Cheaper that way.

 

[AndyT]

Well, she's being gentle and not asking for this superior type of 'umbrella swift'

(Image from Wikipedia)

I don't think you need bearings - it only gets turned slowly by hand - so a simple screw or bolt in a clearance hole will do. And like Phil says for the clamp.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Certainly - I was just thinking to make it run sweeter for a cheap bearing.

 

[bourbon]

for the 'axle' I would use a bolt with a shoulder on it so that the thread doesn't chew into the wood. and couple of washers between the wood with a little beeswax on them for lubrication

 

[morpheus83uk]

Thank you.

For the exam are you referring to the part through the bearing? If so do you mean something like coach bolts?

I have shown her the f clamp idea and she isn't keen. She would like it to have a single piece on the front of the base and be clamped at the bottom.

Would the setup I said before be able to do that? Or would I need to do something different?

Thanks

James