Processing flax. Tools were excellent. Then dried for another two weeks on a rack in the garage. They were bolted to a work surface in a series from coarse to fine. Coarser grades are used for the manufacturing of twine and rope, and historically, for canvas and webbing equipment. If sufficient quality in a single board is not guaranteed, plywood may be substituted - except on the blades of the brake which should be of single hardwood boards. While many flax spinning wheels have a built-in distaff, this creation permits the spinner to sit on the flat board and position the flax in a most comfortable and efficient location. Clothing, … Clothing, … Our objective is to design, prototype and manufacture small-scale equipment for processing flax into long line and short line linen yarn for machine sales domestic and export. Elizabeth purchased her flax break in New York. From the planting of the seed to the wearing of the shirt could take more than a year or two. 5 out of 5 stars (7) 7 reviews $ 275.00. Turn the flax once a week, so that it rets evenly. Flax processing tools dried flax plant with seed pod: removing the seed pods with a dowel : seeds ready to winnow: Once the flax is retted and dried, we break the flax. Check out our flax tools selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. On a perfect late July Saturday, the Home Textile Tool Museum (HTTM) in Orwell hosted Johannes and a small part of his collection of tools and artifacts relating to flax and linen. They are both quite old and I use them with great respect of their age and their potential to hurt me (I only got one hackling injury this time!). The bundle of fibers are flipped over the teeth and pulled though, much the same as combing hair. A flax dresser who could gain the largest amount of spinable fiber from a crop of flax was very highly paid. By the time of the American Revolution, Pennsylvania was the biggest linen producer – with the entire process being done by hand. Those tools were brought to the Americas by various waves of conquistadores and immigrants starting in the 14 and 1500s. Sometimes the flax would be roughly hetcheled and then twisted into a knot and put away into an attic to dry further, thus resulting in even finer flax fibers. Altogether a very satisfying and inspiring day. The bundle of prepared flax fibers were tied to the finial on the top. Discover (and save!) This week I present my last, and most rare tool, the flax brush. We picked it up as it was the only wooden tined ripple we had seen. Tow was also used as tinder to start fires or used in guns. Previous presentations have been about my hackles, flax break and scutching knives and scutching board. Flax is "broken" when forced to bend into the shape of a W. A central pith-like core falls from the stalk. Explore. Plans for a mangle board complete the set. A set of initials are carved in front of the duck indicating that this may have been a gift between a man and his true love. Usable flax fibers are on the outside of this central core much like fibers in celery stalks. Some of the seed was set aside for planting next year and the rest was pressed for linseed oil. To prepare stricks from flax straw requires a set of tools - ripple, brake, scutching board and knife, and a set of hackles. This mangle board is a simple functional one, though decoration could always be applied. In-person course. The mangle is a device for cold pressing linen fabric to give it its characteristic sheen. Saved from woolgatherers.com. The harvest season begins about one month after the flax begins blooming. Since the flax fiber are up to three feet long, the cloth wears better than the shorter one-inch cotton fiber fabrics. The ripple with wooden tines is as we found it, tines broken and snapped off. Spinning flax is generally associated with work of women and for centuries all women, regardless of status, spun. If the weather is dry, water the plants with a watering can. Some breaks have a large and heavy head which can be used to crush the fibers prior to using the break as shown. A flax break is a set of intersecting wooden blades that force the retted flax straw to snap into short sections which then fall away from the fibers. Dew retted flax was spread in the fields for six weeks, while water retted flax was submerged for up to a week. This hetchel is unique because of the way the square nails are attached to a rounded piece of wood and then … First, the upper part of the flax bundles are drawn through coarse combs to remove seed in a process called rippling. A flax brush history. While this particular distaff may be ornate, some versions are nothing more than a tree branch. Flax is the plant that linen is made from, and the collection at the Amherst Historical Society at the Simeon Strong House includes some antique flax processing tools. Distaffs vary from a long pole to the cage model shown above. Jul 24, 2014 - Plans for Tools to process home grown flax. Flax Processing by Hand This flax has been retted. To prepare stricks from flax straw requires a set of tools - ripple, brake, scutching board and knife, and a set of hackles. (Factoid: The Declaration of Independence is written on a hemp based paper.). These plans are based on traditional tools using contemporary materials. Plans for Tools to process home grown flax. Watch; Antique Primitive Flax Hetchel Artisan Hand Made Farm Tool Hatchel Comb . A rare tool for flax processing is the flax brush. This detail showing people processing flax is from the 16th century wool and silk tapestry known as I Mesi Trivulzio: Novembre (The Months: November) made by Bartolomeo Suardi between 1504-1509. Oct 9, 2014 - This Pin was discovered by Colleen Keegan. Also, retted and rippled flax straw is available for handspinners. The word "dis" means flax while "staff" means stick. Flax is an annual plant that produces long, strong fibres that have been used to make linen textiles for at least 8,000 years. We arrived for the flax processing course and were warmly welcomed with tea and coffee. Flax Strick is currently unavailable. 1 Obtaining 1.1 Foraging 1.2 Farming 2 Recipes 3 Processing Flax can be foraged from flax plants by clicking on them using the Forage tool. This keeps the almost three-foot fibers from tangling during the spinning process. While this particular distaff may be ornate, some versions are nothing more than a … In this summer series of short blog posts I will present my flax processing tools. These words combined--distaff--means a stick used to support flax which has been combed and now ready for spinning. While some may be available through antique stores and auction sites, it is not easy to purchase a set. In early America, hemp was used more than flax because of the amount of fiber that could be obtained from a plant. Once dry, the flax was rippled to remove the valuable seed heads. Plans for Flax Processing Tools. 4. 5. Flax is a Resource found uncommonly across the world on flax plants and is used for making String, Rope, and Oil. After spinning, the term linen is used, or more specifically flax linen. Watch; Primitive Antique Hetchel Hatchel Wool Flax Wooden & Iron COMB TOOLca 1800's. Buy It Now +$26.70 shipping. While some may be available through antique stores and auction sites, it is not easy to purchase a set. Flax stricks for dressing the distaff are practically a thing of the past - or the result of our own flax cultivation. Lunch was very good. The supports for the ripple and hackles are styled so that they may be used by placing a foot in the lower hole, or supported on a wooden frame or pair of sawhorses. Throughout Medieval and Early Modern England the growing and processing of flax formed an important part of agricultural life, and linen clothes were a significant feature of people’s attire. your own Pins on Pinterest DIY And Crafts. Julia Best - 3 years ago - #11493. Jul 24, 2014 - Plans for Tools to process home grown flax. I'm saving the seeds. Buy It Now +$12.75 shipping. A flax break or brake was used to break the inner core or boon of the flax plant into pieces that would readily drop away from the fibers. Nails and screws are standard "penny" sized nails and standard wood screws found at building supply stores - exact sizes given for each tool. A lively, engaged audience of 26 participants learned about the history and processing of the flax plant – the raw material used in making linen. Commercial grade fiber flax seed is readily available. By the time of the American Revolution, Pennsylvania was the biggest linen producer — with the entire process being done by hand. The wooden item is a flax break. Our break has a few splits which need repair and we need to replace the hinge pin. This keeps the almost three-foot fibers from tangling during the spinning process. Flax was one of the first European plants cultivated in America. Traditionally the long flax fibers were dressed on a distaff. Elizabeth is shown here breaking some of her flax. They'll have the hackles, drop spindles/spinning wheels, etc. Fabric Crafts. Antique flax cutter linen tool (would Be Used With Comb )primitive 18th c. $49.00. Greater access to tools will help the experiments get closer to flax fibre extraction operations from the Middle Ages. The massive ripple on the left is almost 3 feet long and a foot wide. From the earliest settlements, each ethnic group brought its own types of tools to process flax. your own Pins on Pinterest After the flax was harvested it took considerable effort and a number of specialized tools to separate the fibers from the flax plant in order to spin it into linen thread. Most persons with access to a garden can grow their own flax straw. Aug 22, 2017 - This Pin was discovered by Kathleen Unger. Discover (and save!) This meat tenderizer works okay but I'd like to have some more heavy duty tool for breaking up the pith. $65.00. The leftover cakes of pressed seed were used for cattle feed. The retting process introduces microorganisms that help break down the plant structure. TheWoolery.com is a good place to get supplies. Pulling is very strenuous work, and harvesters often injured their backs. This is a restoration project for warmer months. Yarn Ribbon And Thread. A Bronze Age factory dedicated to flax processing was discovered in Euonymeia, Greece. 2449 Flax Processing Tools. Flax must be properly retted for this stage to be accomplished properly. By the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the basic flax processing tools that are still used today had been developed. The bundle of prepared flax fibers were tied to the finial on the top. A lot of the pith has broken away and I'm pounding it some more. Retting broke down the plant structure to separate the fiber from the inner core or boon. This begins separating the boon (chaff) from the fibres: The flax is then scratched using a wooden sword and board to remove more boon from the fibre. After retting the plants were once again put out to dry. Fiber left in the hetchels is called tow and was collected and spun to make rough clothing or sacks. There’s a special tool for automating the process called a flax break. Industrial-scale flax fiber processing existed in antiquity. Jul 24, 2014 - Plans for Tools to process home grown flax. A scutching (wooden) sword and board helped scrape away the boon before combing with the hetchels. Industrial spinning mills require a type of roving rather unsuited to the hand operated spinning wheel. The methods used in processing differed from area to area and not every step is present everywhere. SMALL SCALE PROCESSING We are processing Nova Scotia linen for sale and offering custom processing for wool and flax $37.00. The Germans, French, English, Swedes, Scots, all had tools in the style of their homelands. It’s kind of like a big paper-cutter, only with multiple blunt wooden blades It turns out, there actually is a flax break not too far away, owned by Five Mile House, a historic homestead just south of Charleston, Illinois. RIPPLING FLAX. The brake is fashioned after an antique brake owned by The Woolgatherers. The four pictured ripples all preform the same function. Knots or stricks of flax could also be sold as a cash crop. Jul 10, 2014 - Neat flax processing tools and info on the process. Materials needed are listed on each sheet. Processing flax is an extremely labor-intensive process, providing skilled and unskilled employment for both adults and children. Buy It Now +$11.90 shipping. From shop LyonMountainAntiques. My first flax processing tools were two hackles, one for rough hackling and one for fine hackling. Therefore it seems a good idea to try to share some of the items in the Society’s collections in this space from time to time. Our break has two blades pointing down and three pointing up. Mondadori Portfolio / Hulton Fine Art Collection / Getty Images. Those tools were brought to the Americas by various waves of conquistadors and immigrants starting in the 14000s and 1500s. Elizabeth discusses spinning flax with a spinner at Mannings in Pennsylvania. Spread your flax thinly on a lawn or grass field, so that you can still see the grass through the flax; make sure all the roots point in the same direction. They spun when ever they had an idle moment. Spinning flax is much less popular than spinning wool is in America, so it's a little harder to find flax tools, but luckily you can often substitute wool tools. When one says they are from the distaff side of a family, it implies they are from the woman's side. The spinner is drawing down flax fibers that have been dressed on her distaff. Also, when the roots are left intact the plant withstands being stooked better for a period of time. These plans are based on traditional tools using contemporary materials. There are also differences in the order of the steps within each process. Hetchels, also known as flax or wool combs, were used to clean the flax from the seeds. Persons with access to tools will help the experiments get closer to processing. 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