Cigar Box Charkha: Make Your Own!

This classic Spin Off how-to article has been excerpted from the Winter 1996 issue. To read the full article, visit the Spin Off *Library.*

My friend Mary Wilson told me her charkha needed some work, so I went to look at it. I decided the cotton drive bands were making it vibrate too much, and I replaced them with O-ring material. Anyone who owns an imported charkha can make it run more smoothly by replacing the belts this way. You’ll need two drive belts of different diameters. The large one connects the large wheel with the pulley on the bottom of the small wheel. The small one connects the small wheel to the spindle pulley. Measure the length of O-ring material you’ll need and cut the stuff on an angle so you’ll have more surface area for supergluing the joint. Mary’s problem was solved, but now I wanted a charkha.

My husband made one for me out of black cherry. It is beautiful. It has amber for the driving knob and for the spindle pulley. I was in love.

Then I started wondering how someone like me, without a lot of woodworking skills, could make a charkha. The box would be the hardest part, becasue it has to be square. I’m not very good at square.

What kind of existing box could I use? How about cigar boxes? If you follow my idea, you’ll need a box at least 2 inches (5 cm) deep. My box is also 7 ¼" wide and 11" long (18 x 28 cm), measured to the outside edges. Cigar boxes seem to be made of ¼" (6 cmm) stock; the insides were 1 ¾" (4.4 cm) deep, 6 ¾" (17 cm) wide, and 10 ½" (26.7 cm) long.

This project can be made completely by hand, but it’s a lot faster with power tools. If you know someone who has stuff like a drill press, sander, grinder, and other tools, visit them.

Marilyn made a one-box charkha (shown in rear and disassembled for carrying) and a two-box charkha (shown in front, set for spinning) from cigar boxes. The two-box charkha is made from two bottom sections.

The Case

I made a one-box charkha and a two-box charkha. The box has to be big enough to fit the large (driving) wheel, with some clearance on the sides—½" (1.25 cm) or so. The small wheel can be mounted so it overlaps the edges. It lifts off its post for storage. You’ll be happiest if your box has enough open space after the large wheel is installed for you to carry the small wheel, your spindle(s), extra rubberbands, and some fiber.

Marilyn’s one-box charkha plan, with measurements. Precise dimensions depend upon specific boxes. Drawing courtesy of the author

The lid of your box needs to be deep enough to close with all the parts inside. Ideally, you’ll leave the large wheel in place for storage, which means the lid needs to clear the driving knob. On one of my charkhas, I filed down the knob to get this to work.

For a two-box charkha, take the tops off the boxes and use hinges to connect the two bottoms into a box with two deep halves. It’s hard to find small enough screws to attach the hinges. After fitting the hinges, I removed the screws and cut off their tips before installing them permanently.

Most of my description will refer to the one-box charkha. On the two-box version, the mounting blocks and spindle holder need to be longer because the box is deeper.

Find the full article, which includes schematics, materials lists, and instructions for Marilyn’s cigar-box charkha, in the Spin Off Library.

Originally published November 11, 2015; updated December 30, 2024.