Using a Drum
Carder
Spinners have always been impatient with carding and fiber preparation. In days past, chil-
dren were often given this job or. if a spinner lived near a mill and could afford its services,
she would have the carding done there. Likewise, many of today's spinners bypass carding
almost entirely, by spinning mostly roving or sliver
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two mill preparations, originally devised
for mechanical spinning. When spinners rely on drum carders in an attempt to streamline
fiber preparation, it is important that they learn how to use these tools well. Certain basic
methods and techniques can greatly increase the efficiency and effectiveness of a drum
carder
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while others waste time and increase the amount of work.
Getting Ready to Card
A drum carder works best if you feed it a small amount of fiber at a time
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or better yet, thin
layers of fiber. If you attempt to feed a carder too much fiber at once, you may jam the ma-
chine, bend its teeth and/or tear the fibers. With wool and other fairly long fibers, this
means that it's usually a good idea to start by fluffing up the fibers to eliminate thick clus-
ters. Many spinners use a picker in this time
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consuming but important process, while others
open the clusters of fiber by hand.
The First Round
For best results, we suggest first teasing the fibers with a wool picker or hand cards prior to
carding with the drum carder. Because the main object of teasing is to prevent damage to
the fiber and the card clothing, to promote a smoother end product, and to make carding
easier.
Another method if you would rather let the drum carder do the teasing. Instead of feeding
unteased fibers through the feeding chute
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where jams often occur
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lay them directly onto
the main drum from the top, where you can see what is happening at every moment. Grasp
a small handful of fiber or a couple of good
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sized locks. Hold them firmly, and allow a few
fibers to begin catching in the teeth as you turn the drum. Let the fibers be pulled gradually
from your hand, being careful to keep your knuckles away from the teeth. (The fibers will
not feed in gradually if the wool has been abused in washing, and has become tangled or
felted so that it is hard to pull apart.) It's all right if a small cluster escapes your hand, but if a
large one gets away, stop the machine, back it up (if necessary), and redistribute the fibers.
After a few of these episodes, you will learn how large a fiber cluster your carder can handle.
When the drum is full, it is unable to process additional fiber. How much is too much? Each
type of carder can efficiently handle a different amount of fiber. The capacity depends on
