Dave has created this bead whorl spindle with a cobalt blue 34mm glass bead from India. The holes of these large beads are fairly on center but you can expect some slight wobble in these spindles since the glass whorl cannot be shaped for balance on the shaft while turning on the lathe like wooded whorls.
Dave turned the spindle shaft which measures about 10 1/2 inches and weights about 1.9 ounces, from Brazilian Cherry wood.
Bead whorl spindles are designed and widely used to spin fine yarns. They are the most efficient style spindle for cotton and other short staple fibers such as cashmere and camel down.(Ref: Handspindles by Bette Hochberg).
