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Now
that our animals have had their annual clip, they have transformed
overnight from woolly bears to stick insects! But now we need to
look after the ultimate product of all our labours - the wonderful
soft and lustrous fibre from those beautiful fleeces.
Apart
from the issues of sorting and grading, we need to get the fleeces
as clean and as dry as possible before storage. This requires a
sorting table - but where to get something suitable?
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It
needs to be large enough to handle a 2-3Kg fleece, but light enough
to move around easily, and not cost too much. It should also store
away without taking up room when not needed - for 11 months of the
year!
We
finally combined a couple of ideas we saw in US and Australian magazines,
with a few ideas of our own. It's probably not perfect, but it did
the job for us.
It's
made from standard plastic pipe fittings available from any DIY
store. The overall size is about 40"x 70", 32" high.
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The
working area is
split into 2 sections to help sort the fleece into blanket and the
rest. This also makes it more rigid and provides support for the
working area.
You'll
need 12 metres of 1.25" tubing, 4 elbow joints and 8 "T"
pieces. Just saw the pipes to length and plug together using the
push-fit joints. A strip of plastic mesh goes on top, secured with
cable ties.
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You
also could use 2" tubing instead - this is more expensive,
but will be more rigid. And if you want a bigger table, this would
be the way to go.
This
lightweight version seems to do the job - and storage is easy. The
legs just pull off, so it can just be propped up against a wall.
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And
another
tip - we use
rolls of "horticultural fleece"
from the local garden centre to wrap and store the fleeces.
It's strong enough to protect the fleece, but allows it to "breathe",
so avoiding moisture build-up.
We
first place a layer across the top of the fleece on the table, then
clip it on with shower curtain clips. They are just the right size
for the pipe at the edge of the table.
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Flip
the whole lot upside down, then remove the table. Lay
another layer over the top so the fleece is sandwiched, then just
fold over the edges and roll up. Return
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last
updated
August 27, 2008
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