FAQ's

The Twisted Sheep eSpinner has been designed with portability in mind and that means being able to power it on the go. We use both Cynett and INIU 20,000mAh battery banks and they will easily power our eSpinner for several days of demonstrations during the various shows we attend. Over time though, product offering change as manufacturers bring new products to market and retire old models so the specific models we use are no longer available.

Here are some suggestions as of Oct 2025....note that prices may vary based on your location and current offers provided by the sellers. These are not affiliate links and we do not make anything from these products:

When selecting a battery for the Twisted Sheep eSpinner purchased before Sep 2025, please ensure that the USB-C output supports 15v / 3A / 45W minimum.

For eSpinners purchased after Sep 2025, you may need either 15vdc or 19vdc depending on which USB-C elbow adaptor was supplied with your spinner as we transition from 15vdc to 19vdc adapters. Typically though, if a battery bank supports 15vdc it also supports 19vdc so we don't expect this transition to cause any issues for our users.

If in doubt, please contact us. We're here to help.

For those wishing to travel by air, to the best of our knowledge, current regulations allow batteries of at least 20,000mAh to be carried in your carry on baggage. Please note that it is the responsibility of each individual to check with their airline prior to flying to ensure you comply with their current rules regarding the carrying and use of battery banks on aircraft or other mode of transport.

The Twisted Sheep eSpinner uses the Scotch Tension system. This system employs a spring to apply tension to a band that is in contact with the bobbin. Once the spring tension has been set, the spring will work to maintain the set tension thus making the Scotch Tension system self regulating.

To work as intended though, the position of the spring in relation to the direction of rotation is very important. When viewed from the front of the eSpinner, if the direction of rotation is clockwise, the spring should be on the left hand side of the eSpinner. When the direction of rotation is counter clockwise, the spring should be located on the right hand side of the eSpinner.

To make this easy for our users, the tension knobs have been designed for easy removal for swapping them from side to side. Note that the tension band should always go up to the bobbin from the rear of the knobs to ensure the centreline of the tension band is aligned with the bobbin.

We supply 2 metres of spare tension band with each eSpinner as the tension band will inevitably wear out. For those who have run out completely, the tension band we supply is simply 40lb fishing line. After much testing we found that the strength, durability and wear resistance of fishing line was ideal. It is also pretty easy and economical to purchase.

There is very little maintenance required.

Cleaning - A soft slightly damp cloth is likely all you will need to keep the dust off your eSpinner. Note that the electrical connections are not sealed against moisture.

Oil - we've used self lubricating bronze bushings in the bobbins and sealed bearings on the flyer so technically they don't require any oil. If you are concerned about the bronze bushings in the bobbins, you can apply a very small drop of sewing machine oil to the bushings however applying too much may result in oil being thrown outwards which could potentially make its way onto your yarn.

The Twisted Sheep eSpinner has been designed to be able to spin and ply. On the side of the eSpinner there is a forward / reverse switch to change the direction of rotation as needed.

For correct operation it is very important to have the tension spring in the correct position. Please read the "Tensioner" faq if you have not already done so.

The supplied foot pedal works as an on / off switch and requires the user to maintain pressure to continue operation of the eSpinner. When you lift your foot off the pedal, the eSpinner will stop.

We have taken this approach for safety reasons.

For people with a disability who are unable to use a foot pedal, please contact us to discuss options.