Project: Making your own block spinner for millinery work

[labricoleuse]

One useful tool for milliners--particularly those who block hats--is called a block spinner or head spinner. A spinner is basically a sturdy base with a peg which supports a dolly head or hat block while a milliner works, lifting it up and stabilizing it while allowing her/him to spin the block or dolly head around the peg for 360-degree access.

You can buy new block spinners ranging in design and price--the cheapest most utilitarian are little more than a dowel seated perpendicular in a piece of planking, whereas woodworking artisans like Mark DeCou do beautiful hand-turned, stained, carved bases with wooden or brass pegs. (You can see some images of DeCou Studio block spinners here.)

I just finished a batch of my own handmade spinners made from turned pine buns purchased at a woodworking shop. Pine buns are intended for use as feet for heavy furniture like bureaus and cabinets, and range in cost between $0.50-$5. You can get buns turned from other wood as well, like ash and poplar and walnut.

I stained each bun and covered the top with a leather pad, equipped it with a spinner post, and furnished it with a cork bottom.


Left: plain bun foot, as purchased
Right: Bun foot with post-hole

I drilled these post holes using a tabletop drill press fitted with a Forstner bit, which is a drill bit designed for making a flat-bottomed hole in a block of wood.


Bun feet can be stained with wood stain or dyes for cellulose fibers.


Finished batch of spinners.


Spinner "in action" with blocked felt shape.


Spinner supporting a dolly head.


Spinner with extra-long post for a top-heavy block of mine with a deep post-hole.


So, if you're interested in expanding your millinery equipment inventory and want a quick project that you can make for under $10, try your hand at your own spinners!

Comments

[madamekat.livejournal.com]

Wow, those are *so* much better than my emergency contraption-LOL!! If you remember me, I wanted to make an hourglass shaped top hat, and we talked about carving Styrofoam to make a super cheap hat block. Well, I did it, and here is my hat (http://www.neverlight.com/~madame.s/Sewing/Steampunk/pith%20helmet%20hourglass%20hat/pith%20helmet%20hat%20front.jpg).

[labricoleuse.livejournal.com]

I totally remember you, and i had just been wondering the other day whether you had tried out that block carving idea. How fortuitous.

And wow, that worked out great! Bravo! What a lovely shape you wound up with.

[madamekat.livejournal.com]

Really? Yay, I'm so glad you think it looks nice. That means so much coming from you. *beam*

[purejuice.livejournal.com]

this rocks so hard. i want to make dolly hats -- can you offer advice on carving styro for doll hats?

[madamekat.livejournal.com]

The only advice I'm qualified to give is that styrofoam is tough to cut. Get the smallest piece you can get away with! I ended up using the larger styrofoam pieces that were cut away to smooth and shape my block like a sander. I also used an electric styrofoam cutter to very, very slowly cut away hunks (use outside or in well ventilated area. It smells terrible.) Good luck!

[icprncs.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow, I totally could have used one of these when I was working on my Incroyable headgear (both hat and wig). What an excellent idea! Thank you.

[kuki.deprada.net (from livejournal.com)]

What a super tutorial and great idea! Thanks for sharing!
I am particularly happy to learn about the Forstner Bit... when I made the holes for my homburg block I struggled to get the remaining "tube" of cork out of the hole, but this bit you're talking about sounds just right for the job.
Wonderful!