Unusual Spinning Tools
Unusual Spinning Tools
In today's blog, I discuss some of the more unusual tools involved in fiber processing and describe how their use slows the entire progression of converting alpaca fiber to handspun yarn.
This is a plumbing snake. Plumbing snakes are used for removing clogs from drain pipes. If you are lucky, you own one and have used it exactly once. If you are very lucky, you don't even own one. Our plumbing snake has seen far too much use in the past couple weeks.
The snake is a long coil (or spring) that is inserted into the pipes and turned whenever it cannot simply be pushed into the pipe. The theory is that the coil of wire digs into the clog like a corkscrew into a cork so that the clog can be broken up or pulled out of the pipe. Snakes are fairly effective, if difficult to use. Unfortunately, a 20 foot snake does no good if the clog is 30 feet down the pipe.
This is a pipe wrench. It is used to remove the sink trap from beneath the laundry sink. The sink trap must be removed so the snake can be inserted into the pipe. I didn't actually use this pipe wrench, but I incluced the picture for dramatic effect.
This fearsome-looking device is a clog buster. It has a harpoon-like head on the end of a 50 foot coil of stiff steel ribbon. Ideally, the clog-buster is pushed down the pipe and punches through the clog, enabling your sink to drain.
Unfortunately, clog busters don't turn sharp corners in plumbing very well. This shouldn't be much of an issue as drains aren't supposed to have sharp corners since sharp corners tend to breed clogs.
Evidently, our plumbing has some sharp corners.
If you're a spinner or knitter and you've read this far, you are doubtless wondering how I am using these plumbing tools in my fiber processing. You've probably read this far just to find out. Please allow this blog to be a caution as to the hazards that washing fiber offers your drains.
I have been washing fiber in lingerie bags in our laundry room sink. This sink has only a rudimentary strainer. I have been under the -- evidently false -- impression that the combination of lingerie bag and rudimentary strainer would prevent fiber from going down the drain. This is not true. Fiber still goes down the drain and when it builds up on sharp corners, it creates clogs.
Let me state this a little more carefully. If you are washing fiber, make sure your sink has a really good strainer or eventually, so much stray fiber will go down the sink that you will have a clog problem.
If, as in our case, the clog is downstream from the kitchen sinks and the dishwasher, cooking becomes very time-consuming. Hauling dishes to the bathroom to be washed in the tub takes valuable time away from spinning! The time and effort involved in removing the clogs could be much better spent carding fiber. What's worse is if -- as in our recent situation -- all the effort is all for naught and the rooter service is called, the money spent clearing the drain is money unavailable for stash enhancement.
When you are washing fiber, please make sure you have a good strainer in place to catch all that stray fiber. Please! It seems like the only fiber progress I've made in the past ten days is fixing the drain.
Trust me. You don't want all that fiber down the drain and you don't want the tools pictured above to have any part in your fiber processing!
In today's blog, I discuss some of the more unusual tools involved in fiber processing and describe how their use slows the entire progression of converting alpaca fiber to handspun yarn.
This is a plumbing snake. Plumbing snakes are used for removing clogs from drain pipes. If you are lucky, you own one and have used it exactly once. If you are very lucky, you don't even own one. Our plumbing snake has seen far too much use in the past couple weeks.
The snake is a long coil (or spring) that is inserted into the pipes and turned whenever it cannot simply be pushed into the pipe. The theory is that the coil of wire digs into the clog like a corkscrew into a cork so that the clog can be broken up or pulled out of the pipe. Snakes are fairly effective, if difficult to use. Unfortunately, a 20 foot snake does no good if the clog is 30 feet down the pipe.
This is a pipe wrench. It is used to remove the sink trap from beneath the laundry sink. The sink trap must be removed so the snake can be inserted into the pipe. I didn't actually use this pipe wrench, but I incluced the picture for dramatic effect.
This fearsome-looking device is a clog buster. It has a harpoon-like head on the end of a 50 foot coil of stiff steel ribbon. Ideally, the clog-buster is pushed down the pipe and punches through the clog, enabling your sink to drain.
Unfortunately, clog busters don't turn sharp corners in plumbing very well. This shouldn't be much of an issue as drains aren't supposed to have sharp corners since sharp corners tend to breed clogs.
Evidently, our plumbing has some sharp corners.
If you're a spinner or knitter and you've read this far, you are doubtless wondering how I am using these plumbing tools in my fiber processing. You've probably read this far just to find out. Please allow this blog to be a caution as to the hazards that washing fiber offers your drains.
I have been washing fiber in lingerie bags in our laundry room sink. This sink has only a rudimentary strainer. I have been under the -- evidently false -- impression that the combination of lingerie bag and rudimentary strainer would prevent fiber from going down the drain. This is not true. Fiber still goes down the drain and when it builds up on sharp corners, it creates clogs.
Let me state this a little more carefully. If you are washing fiber, make sure your sink has a really good strainer or eventually, so much stray fiber will go down the sink that you will have a clog problem.
If, as in our case, the clog is downstream from the kitchen sinks and the dishwasher, cooking becomes very time-consuming. Hauling dishes to the bathroom to be washed in the tub takes valuable time away from spinning! The time and effort involved in removing the clogs could be much better spent carding fiber. What's worse is if -- as in our recent situation -- all the effort is all for naught and the rooter service is called, the money spent clearing the drain is money unavailable for stash enhancement.
When you are washing fiber, please make sure you have a good strainer in place to catch all that stray fiber. Please! It seems like the only fiber progress I've made in the past ten days is fixing the drain.
Trust me. You don't want all that fiber down the drain and you don't want the tools pictured above to have any part in your fiber processing!
posted by Upper Alpacas | 3:11 PM
4 Comments:
does the liquid plumber not help?? i guess not, that's why you're needing these tools?... pardon my ignorance...that's the only thing i use and as a 'regular treatment'. have been reading your blog for a while now, but had to respond to the picts you put up today!
We're on septic, so we have to be careful about putting large quantities of anything strong down the drains. Too many strong chemicals at once can kill off the bacteria in the septic tank and then you have clogged drain lines and really backed up plumbing.
In this particular case, we did try Liquid Plumber without any result. Possibly the clog was so far down the drain that the sodium hydroxide was too dilute by the time it reached the clog.
Kim
You should never, ever use anything like Liquid Plumbr, Drano, or the like... They eat away at your pipes, solving your clog problem, but creating a whole host of other issues. They are especially bad for galvanized pipes!
In short order, drano can create holes you can put your fist through, and if you don't know about the leak that can lead to mold problems, rotting wood, or a compromised foundation...
The solution I'd think would be to wash the stuff with a hose over a large (5 gallon) bucket. Then pour the water from the bucket through a colander into a commode, discarding or reusing the strained out fiber.
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