After looking at it multiple times over the past several months, today I bought a shuttle at a little antique store. It’s an end feed shuttle, which I’ve never used before, so I need help learning how to thread it and to identify what its various features might be. I’m guessing it was made for a fly shuttle, which I don’t own.
Here’s the entire shuttle, top shot. As you can see, it’s pretty long. Some of the metal parts (not stainless) are rusty, but I can clean them up.
On the top is an arc-shaped stamp showing it was made by the Penn Reed & Harness Co. in Allentown, PA. Coincidentally I bought it in Allentown, NY. 🙂
You can also see that the word RIGHT is stamped on it. I assume that means that side should always be facing one way or the other. Which way would that be? Or is that only relevant if you’re using a fly shuttle?
Here are shots of the top from each side. What’s that little clamped thread for?
Do I need to figure out how to go in and around each of these ‘pegs’ in the second photo?
Here’s a shot of the side near the bottom. Is this opening functional or just to reduce weight?
Here’s an opening on the bottom. Again, is this opening functional or just to reduce weight?
FYI, the shuttle was in their 1/2 priced section so I only paid $5.00 for it. YAY!
I’ve posted these same photos & questions on Weavolution and am hopeful of getting answers there, but if you know about this and aren’t on Weavolution, please share your knowledge. Plus your comments will get you entered in my blogiversary giveaway.
UPDATE: The knowledgeable weavers over at Weavolution answered most of my questions, and an important one I didn’t even ask. That is given the amount that I weave I shouldn’t weave with this shuttle or I’ll seriously risk carpal tunnel problems. Guess I should have asked all this before I bought a similar shuttle with 12 pirns on ebay. 🙁 Anybody got a fly shuttle and want a few end feed shuttles cheaply? I need to buy another boat shuttle, but I want to feel it first instead of buying from a catalog.
On a completely different note, go here to read about my day in birdland.
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