Kromski Mazurka Spinning Wheel
First, thanks for choosing the Kromski Mazurka. We want your spinning experience to be enjoyable and the first thing to do is to assemble the wheel correctly and with care so that it works properly.
After your wheel is assembled we will offer a few words of advice about adjusting it and maintenance.
Finishing
If you purchased an unfinished wheel we suggest a finish of your choosing. A good wood stain and surface finish will help prevent a degree of staining from regular use and from the use of lubricating oil. Finishing a wheel prior to assembly is probably the best way to proceed.
Unboxing the wheel
The Mazurka was boxed in Poland and has traveled some distance to get to you so the first thing to do is to unbox the wheel, remove all the parts and check for any problems that may be obvious. Remove the wheel and wheel support posts last. If you observe a problem, contact your dealer.
Give yourself some room to work away from the parts so you don’t step on anything. Smaller parts are in plastic bags so you may want to empty the bags and examine these items.
Leg and treadle assembly
The Mazurka is a three legged wheel, two up front that hold the treadle and one rear leg. The easiest way to install the legs is to turn the frame upside down and hold the two wheel posts between your legs. When inserting the two front legs into the holes on the bottom of the bench you must also insert the end pins on the treadle arm into the small hole at the bottom of the front legs. There is a pencil mark at the top of the legs plus a number that corresponds to a number and mark near the holes in the bottom of the bench. Match leg to hole and mark to mark. As you insert the front legs, rotate the legs as needed to line up the marks. By lining up with these marks you ensure that the treadle rail is properly angled through the legs.
If your wheel has been factory finished you will need to match the rear leg stain marks so that the rear leg goes in the same way it was at the factory. As you assemble the legs you have two options - glue or not glue. You will find the fit to be very tight and if you use a wood mallet to set the legs, you may not ever need to glue. However, if you want a permanent assembly, use wood glue in the leg holes before you assemble. If gluing, we suggest you immediately set the base on its legs and check to see that the treadle swings freely and marks line up.
Mounting the wheel
The drive band is pre-tied and positioned between the upright posts. Loosen the band and allow it to drop to the bench and towards the front.
The wheel sits in the notches that are cut into the front and rear wheel posts. Mounting is simple. Find the brass crank bearing (about 1”) in the parts bag and slide it onto the front of the wheel crank; a similar bearing is already on the back of the crank. Now is a good time to add some oil to the crank shaft as you slide the bearings into position. Note that there is a small groove filed on the surface of the bearings. Position the groove facing up and drop the wheel/crank into the notches on the posts. As needed, fiddle with the bearings so that the groove is still facing up and lined up with the hole. Secure the wheel into position with two wooden pegs from the parts bag. These pins should be pushed in firmly and slide along the grooves on the top of the bearings.
Attaching the footman
The footman is a straight piece of wood that connects the back of the treadle with the metal crank on the wheel. The connections made with the footman need to be secure with no looseness where the footman and treadle are tied with a leather strap. Begin by connecting the footman with the crank. You do this by gently opening the “split” in the top of the footman and moving it up over the crank so that the hole in the footman pops over the crank pivot. From the parts bag take the small screw and secure the footman to the crank, making sure you squeeze the wood together as the screw enters the wood through the predrilled hole. Find the leather tie. We suggest you wax the leather with a candle or paraffin so that it does not make noise when in use. Thread an end of the leather through the hole at the base of the footman; bring the two end together and thread through the front hole in treadle. Pull tight so there is no slackness between the footman and treadle. Bring the ends up through the two remaining holes and tie off securely.
Mother of all
The mother-of-all base is supported front and rear by two threaded screws. Before you proceed you may want to consider waxing the threads on these screws (never us soap; if you will be finishing the wheel be sure to finish first). Begin by placing the rear of the mother-of-all base into the hole that is cut into the top of the rear post. Locate the tension adjusting screw. Push the screw down through the hole at the top of the rear post so that the bottom tip lines up with threaded hole at the rear of the base. Attach by screwing the tension adjustment screw into the hole of the base until the base begins to rise. Locate the mother-of-all leveling screw (tear drop shaped). This screw supports the front of the base. Screw it up through the threaded hole that is located at the front of the horizontal support that connects the front and rear posts. As the screw begins to exit this hole, you need to place on top of it the distaff support piece (so it hangs to the left). With the thread hole of the distaff support over the end of the mother-of-all leveling screw continue to screw the piece. Ideally you want the distaff support to rest right on top of the horizontal support. Refer to a picture if in doubt. Continue to screw in the leveling screw until its end supports the front of the mother-of all base. Bring the two loops of the drive band up and allow it to hang from the base down to the wheel. Place the distaff into the hole in the distaff support.
Flyer assembly
This consists of the flyer, a bobbin and a whorl. To start out, slide a bobbin on the flyer shaft, making sure that the bobbin end with the smallest pulley groove is closest to the threaded end. You may want to oil the shaft and the bearings that are on the bobbin. WARNING: AS WITH MOST DOUBLE DRIVE WHEELS, THE WHORLS AND SHAFT ARE REVERSE THREADED. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ATTACH THE WHORL IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. GOING ON, TURN IN A COUNTERCLOCKWISE DIRECTION. CLOCKWISE TO REMOVE. DON’T LET CHILDREN PLAY WITH THIS. Attach the smaller of the two whorls making sure that the side with the visible nut goes on the threads first. You may now mount the flyer to the mother-of-all by first placing the two strands of the drive band on the whorl and bobbin pulley, pushing the rear of the flyer into the hole on the leather bearing that is part of the rear maiden (the upright post). The front of the flyer drops into the leather bearing that is held in the front maiden. It should snap into place. Using the two adjusting screws, front and rear, raise the mother-of-all up until you have proper tension on the drive band. The leather bearings need to be lubricated liberally at first as they will soak up a lot of oil.
Tensioned Lazy Kate - see picture on parts list
Assemble as you see in the picture, making sure that the two cross supports that have holes in them (one small hole for an eyescrew and a larger hole for a thumb peg) are both on the same side of the frame - left or right, it makes no difference. Glue the cross supports if your like. From the parts bag locate a small eyescrew, spring and brake band. Attach the eyescrew into the small hole on the cross support; attach the spring to the eyescrew. The brake band comes over the top of the Lazy Kate and the end should be tied to the thumb screw. Your bobbins go on the metal rods with the brake band going over the pulleys that are at the end of each bobbins. Tighten the thumb screw as needed to create drag on the bobbins as you ply.
Finishing up
Find the short wooden pin from the parts bag and insert it into the predrilled hole on the top back of the bench. You will use this to store your extra whorls. Put a drop of glue in the hole for a permanent fit. The threading hook goes into the hole at the front of the bench. Bend the wire on the hook to suit your needs.
The brake band for scotch tension is in the parts bag with a spring attached. Attach the spring to one small eye bolt and screw the bolt into the left side of the mother-of-all base (you will find a predrilled hole on each side of the base). Screw another eyebolt on the right side of the base. Bring the band over the bobbin pulley, thread through the right eyebolt and bring to the front. Thread the end of the brake band through the small wooden thumb peg and tie off. The peg goes in the hole on the base. If you are not using the brake (when in double drive operation), drape the band under the flyer.
Wheel adjustment
As with any new wheel there will be a break-in period, not only for the wheel but for the spinner, to get accustomed to the feel and adjustments that need to be made during spinning. Follow the lubrication suggestions below and then treadle for a while without spinning. New bobbins on new flyers sometimes can be sluggish. Make sure there is nothing on the shaft that will impede easy rotation of the bobbin. Make sure the treadle/footman connection is secure. It is very important to find the “sweet spot” on the treadle that will allow you to start the wheel from nearly any position without the use of your hand. The Mazurka is a light wheel and as such it is important that you position your foot correctly; if you find the wheel tipping towards you, your foot needs to be positioned correctly, which means putting it further up the treadle. You will find this wheel has exceptional heel/toe action once you get your foot up on the treadle in the correct position.
Adjusting the tension of the drive band is done with the rear tension adjusting screw. Minor adjustments during spinning do not require that you also adjust the front screw. However, as you change from one whorl size to another, you will need to adjust both screws. Hint - if your distaff support is resting tight against the horizontal support that holds the two wheel posts, pull it towards you before turning the mother-of-all leveling screw; push it back after turning the screw. This will make adjustments easier. The mother-of-all base need not be perfectly level at all times but extremes should be avoided.
Maintenance
All spinning wheels have points that require lubrication. On the Mazurka you need to regularly oil the following points:
• Treadle rail ends where they enter the front legs;
• Leather bearings that support the flyer;
• Metal spindle shaft at both ends where the bobbin bearings ride;
• The footman/crank point;
• The two brass sleeves that support the crank shaft.
Your Kromski Mazurka comes with a handy needle nose oiling bottle. It is ideal for all these locations. We recommend that all these points be oiled when you begin spinning for the day or as needed.
One final note, your distaff can also be used as a nostepine (an old fashion ball winder) to create a ball of yarn.