The Niddy Noddy

A Niddy Noddy is a quaint hand real. The origin of the name is unknown but in The Joy of Spinning by Marilyn Kluger list some possible ways the name Niddy Noddy came about. I have found when traveling that the Niddy Noddy is real easy to take with you. It is real simple to use and does not take up much room. I have three different Niddy Noddies one is made from a closet dowel and the other is made from a banister pole. By using things of this nature I have saved a lot of money and have made real strong tool for spinning.

A, Introduction

The purpose of this page is to discuss how to construct a Niddy Noddy. For this purpose we will say that the Niddy Noddy that you are making is 24 inches long, and made from a simple closet dowel.

1. A closet dowel 26 inches long.
2. Two 5/8 dowel rods
3. Sand paper in Crosse, Med., Fine, and Extra Fine
4. Steel Wool
5. Tung oil
6. Drill with 5/8 bit.
7. Tung oil.
8. A Dremel Tool with a sanding wheel, or lots of Crosse sand paper.
9. Wood saw

B, The body

First take the closet dowel and measure one inch from each end. This is where you will be makining your holes to put in the cross members or heads. The to holes MUST BE PERPENDICULAR and NOT PARALLEL. Drill 5/8 hole at your mark. Slide your dowel rods in to the holes make sure that you can remove the easily. Then start sanding the body with the Crosse sand paper, and work your way to the extra fine sand paper.

C, The Heads or Cross Members

Take your dowel rods and cut them to 26 inches long, the reason for this is storage. You will find that when the heads are the same as the body of the Niddy Noddy that you can store it a lot better. Pick one of the heads. On one end of the use a Dremel tool of Crosse sand paper and sand it down to a beveled eage. This helps in removing your spun fiber. Then sand to whole head starting with the med. Sand paper and working to the extra fine sand paper. This will also give you a little more space in the holes on the body of the Niddy Noddy.

D, Staining your Niddy Noddy.(optional)

If you want something a little different try using a wood stain on your Niddy Noddy. Most closet dowel and dowel rods are made of pine, and are not much to look at. So by using wood stain you can make your niddy noddy look a lot better or you can even paint something to your liking on it as well. When putting wood stain on to the body of your Niddy Noddy try not to get it in to the holes that your have drilled this may make it harder to get the heads in and out of the body. I have found it best if you take a small nail and put it in to the end of your head and hang them with string when putting the stain on this will let you put on a nice even coat of stain.

E, The Tung Oil

Now you are ready to put the tung oil on to your Niddy Noddy. The body is real easy to put tung oil on to because you have holes to hang your Niddy Noddy from to let it dry. I only use about 3 coats of tung oil when I make mine, but it is up to you on how much you want to put on. The heads are a little harder to work with I put a small nail in the end of the head and use a string around the nail when I put the tung oil on I have found that this works real well. Further more the nail in the end of the head lets you put on a nice even coat of tung oil. After each coat of tung oil use steel wool to buff the different part of you Niddy Noddy Don't rub off the coat just even out any uneven spots.

F, Summery

You have now built Niddy Noddy. This is a helpful tool in spinning, it does not take up a lot of room and travels real well. It also comes in real handy when skeining your work. Like a lot of things as a spinner and dyer I have found great pride in when some one asks me Where did you get that? And I look at them and Say I made that. So I hope you enjoy your new Niddy Noddy! Here is a little song from The Joy of Spinningby Marilyn Kluger that you can sing when using your Niddy Noddy.

Niddy noddy, niddy noddy
Two heads, one body,
Here's one, 'Tain't one
'Twill be one, bye and bye.
Here's two, 'Tain't two,
'Twill be two, bye and bye.
 


This was the first niddy noddy I every made.

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