DIY Drum Carder - Full Plans on Etsy

Plans for this drum carder are here: etsy.me/2ICh2Pt Details about the build are over at knittingthesta...
If you're interested in other DIY spinning and knitting projects, I posted a DIY Niddy Noddy video here: • DIY Wood Niddy Noddy
The carding cloth we used is 90 tpi for the licker and 120 tpi for the large drum -- such ratios depend on the fiber you plan to work with. To calculate how much carding cloth you'll need, calculate or measure the circumference of the licker + the large drum. To pull the carded fiber off your drum, you'll also need a doffer. I made ours by simply bending an allen wrench (heated with a torch) and then grinding down the head into a dull point.
Feel free to post comments or questions in the notes, as I'm eager to see and hear what others are doing and thinking in the wool carding world.
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[@metaspencer]

You can download detailed plans for this drum carder here: www.etsy.com/listing/606520943/diy-drum-carder-plans?SellerListingTools&Share&Raw&share_time=1523326860000&.slt

[@wendyaustin-rawlings9311]

Fantastic video! Great instructions and clear descriptions. Awesome diagrams too. Steve has a great eye for the details and comfort ;) Great job guys!!

[@metaspencer]

Thanks for checking it out. We sure do love the carder!

[@seahorse8196]

I just bought your pdf for this drum carder. I havent read it yet. I hope i can make it with my little tool experience. I dont have anyone to help me. Wish me luck.

[@tiffannybowman6342]

Could the diameter of the licker and drum be increased to allow processing of longer wool? Would you need to keep the ratio between them the same?

[@metaspencer]

There are a lot of different dimensional ratios out there among various carding machines. Before building just make sure you have access to the cloth you want, as that can become a major expense.

[@seahorse8196]

What did you mean when you said you could use skate board wheels? For which part? I have a pair of roller blades can i use those wheels?

[@metaspencer]

I think I was referring to using the bearings on the drums… good luck!

[@greenqueen6074]

Thank you for that! Where's MY Steve when I need him lol x Well done guys - fantastic job! It looks beautiful as if machine made - store bought kind of thing. Such craftsmanship! I'm gonna try this at some point this summer =)

[@metaspencer]

Everyone needs a Steve!! Well, good luck with it

[@dongeiger2728]

The beat how to video or instructions on a drumcarder and I've been looking for a while. Thank you for the info, the walk through and the drawings. Well done. Will make one now.

[@metaspencer]

I'm glad you found the video helpful. We really love our DIY drum carder and it keeps working very well! :)

[@amboss594]

Der Kommentar hat keine semantische Bedeutung, er unterstützt nur das Video und den Autor des Kanals.

[@metaspencer]

Es tut mir leid zu hören, dass Sie es nicht hilfreich fanden

[@RosalaniArt]

thank you! this video is awesome and very informative. cant wait til i can build one of these!

[@metaspencer]

I'm glad you found it useful. This DIY drumcarder is still going strong for us. It's a super tool for fiber prep

[@mrknittle532]

I've started binge-watching your channel today and realized that I had watched this video over a year ago when I was looking to build a drum carder for my angora rabbit wool..lol. I never did build it, but am adding it to my project list for over the winter! How serendipitous!

[@metaspencer]

Oh that’s so cool! We haven’t worked with angora yet ... I hear it’s soft

[@mrknittle532]

@@metaspencer It's very soft and considered the most insulative animal fiber, too.

[@asurixe]

where did you get your carding cloth?

[@metaspencer]

Brother sells it but you can likely find it other places online

[@KineTic_VeD]

I want to work on this project ,please help me And guide me

[@maryzcorner]

Oh yay!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been trying to find someone to ask about fixing my drum carder. I have been given one but it has a leather belt that has stretched with time. Do you have suggestions to fix or replace one. If I need to I can send a pic to Melissa for you. =0]

[@metaspencer]

OH YEAH, time to get that drum carder working again! McMaster sells some yellow drive belts that I've used on ours ... but leather is nice and you may be able to make or get one like the original ... email me if you want at metaspencer at gmail

[@ButterBugBoy]

I know I'm really late to the party, but I'm looking to make a drum carder that way I can make a profit for my ffa lamb without butchering. Did you follow any online diagram with the measurements? It's hard to see the measurements on a video half as old as I am, lol

[@metaspencer]

There is a link to my plans here ... the plans cover the full design

[@questionsforchristians]

thanks a whole lot for doing this. i feel the same way about empowering people to do this on their own and not get totally ripped off by companies charging $600, $900, even $1700 for these stupid things. the ONLY thing that actually costs anything is the carding cloth. hey could you upload this maybe again in higher quality? its just hard to read the writings on the paper. if ya can great whateve

[@metaspencer]

I really need to make a high quality video of this ... I'll work on it soon! thanks

[@terrafirma75]

My wheels are turning! (Pun intended) thank you so much for the through explanation. I am going to build this item but want to make 4 different drums with different TPI cloth on each and make it so I can change the drums and lickers depending on what fibre I’m working with. Better than having 4 carders. I’m so inspired!!

[@metaspencer]

Sounds like a great plan! Those TPI variations will make for some good options for you. Excellent!

[@AbdulHamidRezai-ro7wl]

Where can I buy one of these?

[@metaspencer]

if you can't find a used one locally, you'll probably end up ordering it online

[@NellLegos]

How did you make the grooves in the circles that the drive band is on? Awesome job, by the way!!

[@metaspencer]

We deliberated about that a bit, first thinking we'd cut them on the table saw (with the blade raised just about 1/8 of an inch and the circles held vertically). But instead we used a router. That made a very good groove and it was easy to lay the circles flat on the router table. I hope your build goes well!

[@NellLegos]

That's what I figured but I wanted to make sure. Was there any specific bit you used? Thank you for getting back to me so quickly!

[@metaspencer]

+FatBottomPurls ... a core box bit should do it. Just practice on some scrap first

[@NellLegos]

Awesome! Thank you so much!

[@mzmolly4898]

Just found this video now and thank you very much. I make just about everything I own but after watching your video I have discovered that I'm happy to pay the expensive price to buy one from a manufacturer!!!

[@metaspencer]

haha, I completely understand! it's a pretty complicated apparatus :)

[@joycethayer3156]

Got the plans downloaded... thank you! Now I need to know... what is a doffer? and where do I get one?

[@metaspencer]

The doffer is used to remove the carded fiber -- you can just use a knitting needle to start out :) You'll get a feel for it

[@brownjackpaws]

my belt keeps falling off I just bought it and it is vintage and a lot like yours do you think that I could like up grade the pulles and belt like yours?

[@metaspencer]

The first thing to do is to check your tensioner -- it should allow you to tighten the belt and keep it from falling off. If that doesn't work, and the belt is under tension, then perhaps it's tracking off the wheels (sideways). If that is the case, you may need to make some modifications. I've love to hear more and see pics, if you can post a link.

[@shanafg]

Hello, what size of carder cloth is required for this project?

[@metaspencer]

I have some plans on Etsy where I get into the exact dimensions, but the basic answer is that you can build the carder's drums to fit your cloth or order the cloth to fit the drums.

[@leenbal]

can you give me an address where I can buy the carding cloth for to make a carding drum

[@metaspencer]

+leen bal ... these guys sell it www.paradisefibers.com/collections/carding-cloth

[@uttamramjali7859]

I want to Nepal can get this machine

[@metaspencer]

Good luck! they're awesome

[@brownjackpaws]

thank you I am going to try to send you a pic

[@battyrubble]

Brilliant! I just bought an old drum carder that I want to fit a motor to and maybe add a 2nd licker, I would love your input!

[@metaspencer]

You can absolutely modify it ... finding a nice, slow motor will be key. Also probably a new drive band or two. Good luck!

[@battyrubble]

@@metaspencer i was going to use a sewing machine motor with a foot pedal, when I get it going I will let you know and would love your advice

[@baibai1717]

good job, love it!

[@metaspencer]

+Bai Bai...thanks!

[@KineTic_VeD]

Please help me to assemble the parts of this project ..

[@metaspencer]

You can do it! What question do you have?

[@barbararickman8543]

Do you have drawn up plans for this item? The drawings on Wordpress are unreadable. I want to try and make this myself but I need more details and plans I can read and understand. I need a parts list with measurments and fully written out insructions. I can't craft aluminum so I need to know where to get these parts.

[@metaspencer]

Sorry, but highly detailed plans are still on my to-do list. Others have asked for them, so I should really get busy on it!

[@metaspencer]

Okay, now working on plans. Thanks for the encouragement

[@metaspencer]

Hi again! You inspired me to draw up a detailed set of plans for the drum carder. You can find them on Etsy here: www.etsy.com/listing/606520943/diy-drum-carder-plans?SellerListingTools&Share&Raw&share_time=1523326822000&.slt

[@akabga]

Awesome! Thank you for this video!

[@metaspencer]

+Adam Karelius ... you betcha!

[@violainealfaric767]

Thank you very much

[@metaspencer]

Absolutely. It's great to have a drum carder around

[@questionsforchristians]

for the large and small drums i would consider getting just a 8 inch piece of PVC and a 2" piece of PVC

[@metaspencer]

that would be great if you could affix the cloth to the pipe. a good solvent might adhere to the pvc and cloth, though you'd be unlikely to get the cloth off in the future

[@Spazmasic]

Thank you for sharing!

[@metaspencer]

You betcha! Happy carding

[@cassiemacleod3634]

Can you mechanize the carder with a motor system? I already built a carder.

[@metaspencer]

I think you can. Look for a low RPM motor or one with a variable speed.

[@cassiemacleod3634]

@@metaspencer OK, I have the items to motorize the carder, how do I do this? Also how did you make the carder pulley belt?

[@metaspencer]

@@cassiemacleod3634 With the belt we used, you just cut to length and plug it together -- that is detailed in my plans. As for motorizing, you'll need a hinged mount to tension the motor

[@jacobopstad6400]

Looks great. I feel inspired to make one of my own. Though I want one made of plastic so it's waterproof.

[@metaspencer]

Plastic would be great ... you'll just have to figure out how to attach the carding cloth to the drum. Good luck!

[@jacobopstad6400]

It has to be waterproof because I want to use it for coconut fiber. Obviously, I'll have to make some other modifications, too.

[@metaspencer]

Jacob Opstad coconut! That’s awesome

[@alexisroberts1871]

So cool

[@metaspencer]

It's been a good one ... and lots of others have built them now using the plans. It's been cool to see it happen

[@caroledantonio9040]

What direction do the teeth on the carding cloth go?

[@metaspencer]

The teeth oppose each other on the two drums. So on the licker (the small drum), they first push the fiber down (not catching it up too much). Then the big wheel pulls it off the licker. I hope that makes sense

[@WestAustralianadventures]

@@metaspencer Big drum rotates to the right. small drum rotates to the left to lick in the fibre.

[@gantz4u]

What carding cloth scraps are you left with? a 2 inch strip and a 6 inch strip off the slicker? If they sell the carding cloth by the foot?

[@metaspencer]

Yeah we bought the carding cloth online to match the circumference of each drum

[@gantz4u]

@@metaspencer At 7" diameter and 2" diameter Im seeing some scraps left over if you're buying the cloth by the foot. 24 inches minus 21.99 inches and 12 minus 6.2. I guess you bought it by the inch? or something is wrong with my math somewhere.

[@metaspencer]

@@gantz4u yeah, I bought it by the inch ... expensive stuff!

[@gantz4u]

@@metaspencer By the inch?! all the inch prices I found where stupid expensive. I guess you got enough scraps off the licker to make some hand cards if youre buying it by the foot or an extra licker's worth if you add a fastening plate on the joint. You should see the machine that makes the cloth. Its pretty complicated. You'd need at least a lathe, Iron casteing skills a mechanical engineer and a big box of springs.

[@metaspencer]

I recall paying about $125 just for the cloth

[@SolangeKM]

Thank you! Muito obrigada !

[@metaspencer]

de nada!

[@canoe-shelburne]

I am having trouble finding a source for carding cloth. Do you have any suggestions?

[@metaspencer]

I believe we bought our carding cloth from this outfit: brotherdrumcarder.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=79&products_id=260 ... these guys also have it, but I haven't ordered from them: www.paradisefibers.com/collections/carding-cloth

[@canoe-shelburne]

metaspencer thanks

[@metaspencer]

+Dan Peacock ... you bet!

[@canoe-shelburne]

I have started work on one for my wife and I have a question. How wide is the cloth? On Brothers website they describe it as 8". If so does that include the edge for tacking it to the drum?

[@metaspencer]

+Dan Peacock ... I would wait until you have it in hand because it can vary some. Mine is 8" total.