Fancy Kitty Kitten Drum Carder Quick start guide

Fancy Kitty Kitten Drum Carder
Anderson Originals & Fancy Kitty Products
321 East Prime Street
Downing, MO 63536
P one 660 379 2323 Mon-Fri 9-5pm Central
Email: [e-mail]
PLEASE BE AWARE!
1. This product has sharp pointed wires
2. Extreme care must be ta en in its use
3. Improper use may cause serious injury
With the exception of the screw on handle, the Kitten
will arrive fully assembled and ready to use at no
extra charge.
Handle Installation instructions
Figure A may be used to reference all parts and locations for the handle assembly.
4. Insert the screw handle & mounting screw) into the handle mounting hole. The hole is threaded.
5. Turn the screw gently to start the threading process. When the screw is screwed into the mounting
hole all the way, back it up approximately ½ turn. Check to make sure the handle turns freely. If it
is to tight or to loose adjust accordingly.
6. Place the locking nut on the mounting screw on the rear of the mounting hole. Tighten the locking
nut using the 7/16 inch wrench not included), while holding the mounting screw with the Phillips
screw driver not included), this will lock the handle in place and it will not loosen when carding.
7.

8. Please try carding on your new drum carder, before doing any adjustments. It
is pre-adjusted for optimum performance at t e manufacturer and s ould
require no furt er adjustment.
If you wish to re-adjust your carder please follow the procedure below:
Using a Phillips screwdriver loosen the four slider hold down screws as shown in figure
A.
Figure A
After you have loosened the screws, move the
swift forward closer) or rearward further away) from the licker-in as you wish. It is
easier to move one side at a time and then snug one screw on that side until you get the
required results.
When you are satisfied with the adjustment, re-tighten all four adjustment screws.
Caution….Caution…Caution
There is a break in period on all carding cloth where a small amount of
metallic dust may be deposited on your fiber. We would like to suggest the
first couple of batts you card should be of a dark or gray color fiber, and not a
bright white.
After a the first couple of batts any metallic residue should be removed and
you can continue with all colors without a problem.
All of our Drum Carders now come with a free copy of our DVD (Fancy
Kitty: Drum Carding Basics) that visually explains the set up of your
carder, various fiber preps that can be made with the carder, carding

basics, maintenance & cleaning. The DVD can also be purchased in our
shop if you purchased a carder second hand or previous to the DVD being
available.
Using a Drum Carder.
Spinners have always been impatient with carding and fiber preparation. In days past,
children were often given this job. Or if a spinner lived near a mill and could afford its
services, she would have the carding done there. Likewise, many of today's spinners bypass
carding almost entirely, by spinning mostly roving or sliver - two mill preparations originally
devised for mechanical spinning.
When spinners rely on drum carders in an attempt to streamline fiber preparation, it is
important that they learn how to use these tools well. Certain basic methods and techniques
can greatly increase the efficiency and effectiveness of a drum carder - while others waste
time and increase the amount of work.
Getting Ready to Card
A drum carder works best if you feed it a small amount of fiber at a time - or, better yet, thin
layers of fiber. If you attempt to feed a carder too much fiber at once, you may jam the
machine, bend its teeth and/or tear the fibers. With wool and other fairly long fibers, this
means that it's usually a good idea to start by fluffing up the fibers to eliminate thick clusters.
Many spinners use a picker in this time-consuming but important process, while others open
the clusters of fiber by hand.
The First Round
For best results, I suggest first teasing the fibers with a wool picker or hand cards prior to carding with
the drum carder. Because the main objects of teasing is to prevent damage to the fiber and the card
clothing, to promote a smoother end product, and to make carding easier.
Another method if you would rather let the drum carder do the teasing. here's how to tease without
working yourself into a lather.
Instead of feeding unteased fibers through the feeding chute - where jams often occur - lay
them directly onto the main drum from the top, where you can see what is happening at
every moment. Grasp a small handful of fiber or a couple of good-sized locks. Hold them
firmly, and allow a few fibers to begin catching in the teeth as you turn the drum. Let the
fibers be pulled gradually from your hand, being careful to keep your knuckles away from the
teeth. (The fibers will not feed in gradually if the wool has been abused in washing, and has
become tangled or felted so that it is hard to pull apart.) It's all right if a small cluster escapes
your hand, but if a large one gets away, stop the machine, back it up (if necessary), and
redistribute the fibers. After a few of these episodes, you will learn how large a fiber cluster your
carder can handle. When the drum is full, it is unable to process additional fiber.
How much is too much? Each type of carder can efficiently handle a different amount of fiber.
The capacity depends on the drum size and the length of the teeth. However, you can see

when loaded clothing is reaching its capacity. You need enough tooth exposure to pick and
and comb incoming fibers. You can also feel and hear when the clothing becomes too full:
the handle will turn with difficulty, even though no new fiber is being added, and you'll hear a
muffled, rubbing sound.
Doffing
Taking the fiber off the card clothing is called doffing. Often a doffing rod, or similar device, is
used to left the fiber away from the drum. Most carder manufacturers provide a doffer, but an
old, long, steel knitting needle, an old ice pick, or a painted steel rod will do nicely. (Aluminum
knitting needles are not strong enough.) Be sure that your doffer is not so sharp that it
damages the backing of the card clothing. The doffing of wool, which is a typical long fiber and gives
as much difficulty as any substance you will encounter (after wool, cotton is a breeze.)
First, turn the loaded drum so that the seam of the card clothing is exposed. This is where
the two ends meet and are tacked down, and you'll most likely find a row or two of teeth
missing at this point. You might think that you can slide the doffer under the batt and lift up one end. If
this is cotton or short wool, you can - but any long fiber will present a dense mat which will not come
apart without a struggle. Start at the far edge and slide the doffer under an inch or two (2.5 - 5cm) of
the batt. Lift this, allowing the fibers to slide apart. Although you may need to pull very hard, don't
tear the fibers. If you think damage is imminent, try a smaller amount. Then work your way across the
drum until you have opened the entire batt. Now one end of the batt is free, but the rest is still caught in
the teeth. If you pull up gently on the loose end while turning the drum backward, most of the fiber will
lift away - but not all of it will. The closer you get to the end of the batt, the more fiber will remain in
the teeth - often as much as half the thickness at the end. Use the rod to lift the batt away from the drum
as you pull the free end of the batt up and back. Note that you can even do this if the teeth on your card
clothing are arranged diagonally. To lift away the entire batt, use these motions but repeatedly slide the
doffer under the batt about 4 or 5 inches (10 - 12.5 cm) ahead of where it is being lifted free. Lift with
the rod, then pull on the loose end. Back up the drum and repeat. In a few moments the batt will lift
entirely free of the teeth. A word on doffing mesh. Some people like this way of handling the task. The
mesh is an open net that fits the card clothing - you can buy or make one. It is laid into the teeth and
pushed all the way down before carding begins. At unloading time, the fibers are loosened at the tail
end of the mesh and the mesh is pulled up out of the teeth, bringing the fiber with it. However, I'd
rather doff with a rod and not fiddle around so much. When both sides are firmly held, pull apart. The
two halves will retain the original flat configuration. The idea is to separate each batt into thin sheets of
fiber which you'll feed back through the carder.
Between Rounds
You are now ready to re-card, but don't try to feed the entire batt into the carder at once. If
you do, your carder will become overloaded, the carding will be incomplete, and the machine
will jam. Finally, the poorly carded fiber will be difficult to spin smoothly. After the first carding, the
texture of the batt will be uneven, but it will have two characteristics of completely carded batts: the
layered arrangement and the lengthwise grain of overlapping fibers. You can use these characteristics to
quickly prepare the fiber for the next step. At this point, some people pull a strip from the side of the
batt and fluff it into a thin layer. Again, I don't like to spend this much time on the task. In the amount
of time it takes to pull off and spread out one strip, you can probably prepare a whole batt with my
method. place your hands on the front and back sides of a batt, and pull it into two halves - imagine that
the batt is a magazine, and you are grasping and crumpling) the back cover and about half the pages
(the classified ads) in one hand, and the front cover and about half the introductory pages in the other.
Gently pull. Repeat this with each half a couple more times, until you have thin sheets. Now divide

each layer in half lengthwise and you are ready to send the fiber back through the carder.
Second Round
You will now be feeding the fiber through the feeding chute, in the "normal" way. But don't
completely rule out the possibility of feeding from the top again - some fibers card better from
the top, while some do better from the bottom (the chute). Try both techniques and see what
you think. Remember to keep the layers thin, and take the time to pull apart any sections of the divided
batt that seem to be too thick. A second invested here can make a big difference in how
thoroughly your machine cards. Slide a narrow edge of the fiber layer under the licker-in until you feel
the machine begin to draw it in. Now you need to retard the fiber's progress slightly, to keep it from
being drawn in too rapidly. But don't hold it back too firmly, or the fiber will wrap around the licker-in
(the little, feeding drum) instead of being transferred to the swift (the big, carding drum). To get an idea
of how much to hold the fiber back, just do it wrong a couple of times. Then you'll know exactly what
is required. Some people lay a hand lightly on top of the fiber layer in the chute, but I like to give each
layer a series of quick, light tugs, which both slow the progress and thin out the layer being drawn in.
Both methods work.
Fiber on the licker-in
Even when you are feeding the fiber correctly, some will stay on the licker-in. Curiously, it will
probably load to a certain level and then stay there for a long time. If you conscientiously
clean it out, it will quickly reload again to that point. So don't spend more time than is really
necessary keeping it free from fiber. In any case, unless you have already carded the fiber several times,
the stuff on the licker-in will be real junk, dirt, second cuts, and other uglies. Don't be frugal. Pitch it.
Cleaning a drum carder
This job is even more bothersome than cleaning hand carders, because it takes longer and is
more frustrating. Of course, you can leave bits of fluff embedded in the teeth, especially if you
always process fibers of similar color and texture. But I advise against this, especially if you
have been working on protein fibers-which attract wool moth larvae and carpet beetles.
These pests can be transferred in turn to everything you run through the machine.
You might as well clean your carder, starting with the licker-in, because it's hard to clean that
part without transferring a bunch of stuff onto the swift. Remove the junk batt from the licker-
in as you would a regular batt, while doing your best to keep the swift from taking it. Get most
of the trash off, but don't bother to get it all - you will have to clean this part again at least
once. Now clear the swift of clumps or wisps of fiber by lifting them off with the doffer. There
probably will not be enough residue to form a complete layer, but keep sliding the rod deep
into the teeth so you can remove as much as possible. Keep pulling the fibers out of the teeth
with your free hand - the third one, which is not turning the handle. Or you could use a flicker-
like drum rake, sometimes supplied with the carder or available for separate purchase. If
there is any noticeable amount of fiber in the teeth, however, the doffer is probably the fastest
at this point.
Now look at the licker-in. What did I tell you? Ignore it for now, until the swift is cleaner.
The rake works well at this point for combing through the teeth and lifting out stray bits of
fiber. Always comb with the grain of the teeth, and go as deeply into them as you can. Pull
the bits of fiber out of the rake as you retrieve them, so they don't get redeposited.
When the swift is fairly clean, go back to the licker-in; then repeat your efforts on the swift,
and so forth. A drum carder is a bed that never stays made, but eventually it will be quite
clean. And the whole mop-up operation will take only three or four minutes in all.
If you want the card clothing really clean - for example, if you are changing colors - there is

one more thing to do. Nothing is more frustrating than to go from black wool to white and
then discover that the first batts have dark fibers mixed in. To prevent this, I use my secret
weapon. As a standard accessory for your drum carder, get a strong, stiff, long-bristled hairbrush. It
will pick up the last fibers that have resisted your previous efforts: keep brushing up and lifting out,
working with the grain, and watch more fiber come away from the drum.
That should do it. But if you are, indeed, switching colors, check again in good light - it pays
to be paranoid.
Spinning from a batt
For speed and ease of spinning, I don't think you can beat the little batt from hand cards.
That's why I like to hand card my drum-carded batts. However, because I see spinners
struggling to spin drum-carded fibers, I want to offer some tips on minimizing the trouble.
As in other fiber preparations (such as sliver and roving) where the fibers are laid out in a
continuous, overlapping strip, it's difficult to get the fibers in a drum-carded batt properly
attenuated before they lock up. There are several ways around this problem. Some spinners work with
short pieces of roving or sliver folded over the ends of their index fingers, retaining and controlling the
fiber supply with the rest of their fingers. This technique diminishes fiber overlap and makes spinning
easier, because the fibers are pulled off the tip of the finger and enter the twist zone folded in half. You
can use this method to spin drum-carded batts of medium to long fibers. Pull a narrow strip from the
side of the batt and divide in into 3 to 4 inch long segments (7.5 - 10cm), depending on the length of
the fibers. Fold a strip over the end of your index finger and hold onto its tail, just as you would a
roving. You will have slightly less control than with the standard long draw, and your spinning will be
slower, but this works reasonably well if the
carding was very thorough. You can also take these segments of a narrow strip and spin them from their
ends. Draft off the side of the fiber segment and not straight off its end. This will keep a moderate
amount of fibers feeding into the twist and will help prevent clumps from locking up the drafting zone.
It's possible to divide the fibers across the grain, instead of with it. Lay a hand or a ruler across the end
of the batt, about 3 to 4 inches (7.5 - 10 cm) from one end (again depending on the fiber length).
Carefully pull away a strip across the end grain. Divide this into two or three parts and you will have
fiber groups that look like hand carded batts- not quite as good, but manageable. If you want to spin
with a long draw, you can use either of these divisions - lengthwise or crosswise. As with roving or
sliver, however, do not try to attenuate fibers from the middle of the fiber supply. Instead, tilt most of
the fibers away from the twist zone and spin off the bottom or side of the mass. Because the fibers
overlap, you will probably need to work father from the twist than you would with a hand-carded batt.
And work with a small amount of fiber at first until you are familiar with how fibers interact in a batt.
Especially with protein fibers, which have "smooth" and "rough" directions, you will find that each batt
has a "grain" and that it spins more smoothly in one direction than another. If you
keep all your segments aligned as you divide them from the batt, you will be able to work
"with the grain" throughout your spinning.

Product Warranty
Your new product is warranted for one year for all parts and labor. This warranty covers any defects in
workmanship or manufacture.
All hard parts, including the frame, points, bearings, and screws have a limited lifetime
warranty. They are warranted for defects in parts and workmanship to the original
purchaser for normal wear and tear.
The manufacturer will have the final decision on normal wear and tear.
It will be at the option of the manufacturer to repair or replace the defective part s).
Damages caused by abusive use of the product, are not covered under
this warranty.
Satisfaction Guarantee
If for any reason you are not satisfied with your purchase, you may request a return authorization to
return the product to our location within 14 days of receipt of the product.
The product must be returned postage paid in new condition, in the original shipping
boxes, packed in the original packing, including all instructions.
Upon receipt of a product returned in new condition with a proper return authorization,
you will be refunded the full purchase price less shipping.
Please telephone [phone] Mon-Fri 9-5pm Central time....ask for Kris) or email
[email protected] and request a return authorization number prior to making a
return shipment.