The best idea ever!

I'm a frustrated DIY fanatic - given the choice and the means, I'd make everything I own and buy nothing as a finished object. However, that sort of thing requires certain resources (i.e. knowledge, workspace, tools, time) that I don't always possess, so this is a state that exists primarily in my fantasy life.

This is why when I came across this book, courtesy of TikkunKnits on Ravelry, I knew I had to own it:



A spinning wheel from an old bike? It makes so much sense! They're practically the same machine! Flip the frame over, replace the front wheel with a quill assembly using the front fork as the maidens, the rear tire with a drive band, and rig a treadle to the pedal mount and you have a reasonable approximation of a Saxony-style quill wheel! A little more work on figuring out a braking system and you could attach a bobbin and flyer. You can even use any existing gears and derailleur to approximate different spinning ratios.

Think about all those abandoned, stripped bike frames you see chained up to the bike racks at the BART station - they could be recycled into spinning wheels!

It's so punk rock, I can't even stand it.

Anyway, I feel a plan forming in my head. I found a relatively-low-cost copy of this out-of-print book in Australia that I ordered on Alibris. This may be the impetus I need to go and finally join the TechShop in Palo Alto to take advantage of their tools, space, and expertise.