Like it or not, fiber gets EVERYWHERE. On all chain drive carders, it’s important to keep fiber off the idler shaft and the sprocket. As fiber accumulates, it pushes on the small sprocket and will eventually cause the carder to jam or actually force the chain off the large red sprocket. The two blue arrows show where to be careful to keep the area free of fiber.

With the motorized carders, cleanliness is even more critical than with the manual machine. It’s important to keep fiber off the idler shaft, the sprocket and the white tension roller. As fiber accumulates, it pushes on the small sprocket and will eventually cause the carder to jam or force the chain off the large red sprocket. The three blue arrows show where to be careful to keep the area free of fiber.

You can see helpful videos on using Strauch Drum carders, ball winders, and swifts on the Strauch Fiber Equipment Youtube Channel.