I bought a vintage Crossley shuttle on ebay and I'm not sure how to use it or if it can be used.  The end of the pirn rests on the bottom of the shuttle which would prevent the yarn from feeding.  The pin that holds the pirn is also a little skewed and am not sure if that can be fixed without breaking  - or if it actually needs to be fixed.  I think that this might be a flying shuttle and have only seen them used online and don't know anything about the mechanics. I'm not sure of the original setup, but there is a white collar near the pirn hinge that, if removed or reduced would allow the pirn to move closer to the hinge so that the end would not be resting on the wood and would eliminate the feed issue.  I wouldn't mind keeping it as a piece of a bygone era if it doesn't work but any advice would be appreciated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

Wed, 09/16/2015 - 13:57

Artistry

Ouch! It looks like the tips of the shuttle are metal. Is that right ? If they are it's meant to be a flying shuttle . one time I made a purchase like this too, and it really hurts ones fingers to weave with one and I couldn't get up any speed because the tips were so pointy :(

i don't know enough about fixing shuttles to give you any other advice .

Cathie

Wed, 09/16/2015 - 15:07

sally orgren

Are you sure this is the original pirn for this shuttle? I am wondering if the original pirn was something else, perhaps a bit longer? I have several different brands of EFS, and the pirns are not necessarily interchangeable. Do you have local guild buddies with EFSs so that you can try out some pirns?

I received a bag of similar wooden pirns to what is shown in your photo with one of my used AVL EFS. They do not fit properly on any of my EFSs. (I think they came from industry. I know the person who sold me the item didn't realize that, nor did I at the time.)

Typically, my pirns don't rest right up against the base of the prong, they project a little more outward, toward the tip of the shuttle.

I have a Schacht EFS where the prong rides low, and if I wind too full of a pirn, especially near the tip, it drags when thrown. When the pirn has wound off a bit, and the thread is feeding directly into the tensioning device, it works well. Have you tired it with the pirn loaded and threaded?


I have to admit I am not totally familiar with Crossley's, but I know they have a dedicated fan base. Also, vintage doesn't always mean a tool works as well as later reiterations from the same maker.

 

Wed, 09/16/2015 - 15:22

MMs-and-OOs-Ha…

I don't think this is the right pirn for the shuttle. There are pirns that have a wire wrapped base and others with wooden "bumps" that make it so the pirn is securely locked into the shuttle. Also the pirn should go all the way back to the base of the pin and it probably should be longer and closer to the tensioner. A lot of these old flyshuttles are made into wall sconces or whatever. You can use a flyshuttle as a handshuttle by blunting the tips. The extra weight in my opinion is very nice to weave with which depends on your yarn weight and weaving project.

Sat, 11/18/2017 - 18:27

Irmgard

I have original pirns that luckily came with my Crossley EFS.  They have a flange that fits inbetween the hinge and the plastic rings.

 

Ooops just realized this post is 2 years old....