Spinning Tin Thread Part 2
The tin is dragged through a die to make a fine thread.

Dragging Tin Thread

The tin thread was produced from bars of tin or from tin melted down from pewter plates and tableware. The tin is formed into narrow bars with a knife and hammer. It is pounded and shaped into a rod or dowel and pulled through the holes in the die with the use of pliers or even teeth.
To make it easier to pull through the die, the tin is dipped in fat, produced by melting reindeer hooves.

Tin is being pulled through the die with the use of pliers.

Tin thread continues to be pulled through smaller holes in the die.
As the tin thread narrows, the fine tin thread is pulled through the die with the teeth.
Fine tin thread is being dragged through the die with the use of teeth.

Spinning with a Spin Cross

Spinning Tin with Drop Spindle

Plying the Tin Thread

The tin thread is plied around a core yarn to give it stability. The core thread should be the same thickness as the tin wire, in order to produce an evenly spun thread. The tin wraps around the core as it is spun using a similar plying technique as with other core spun yarns.

More

Part 1 – The Saami Art of Tin Thread Spinning
Part 2 – Spinning Tin Thread 2
Part 3 – Spinning Tin Thread 3

Etsy

Look for pewter thread, vadmal cloth, embroidered bags, bracelets and other Saami items in my PaivatarYarns Etsy Shop.

References:

Västerbotten nummer 2/1980, sidorna 115-128 “Om tillverkning av platt tenntråd”
Västerbotten nummer 3/1970 “Sameslöjd”
Reindeer Antler Die
Vadmal and Other Woolens

More Saami Crafts

Saami Reindeer Bracelets
What is Sami Duodji

Weaving on a Sami Rigid Heddle
How to Make a Tin Embroidery Key Chain
Vadmal

ITUNES – Saami Music

Binna Banna – Kikki Aikio
Áphi (Wide As Oceans) – Sofia Jannok
Ulda – Ulla Pirttijärvi & Ulda
The Kautokeino Rebellion (Music from the Movie) – Herman Rundberg, Mari Boine & Svein Schultz
Beaivi, Áhcázan (The Sun, My Father) – Nils-Aslak Valkeapää

AMAZON – Band Loom Weaving Books
Tape Loom Weaving… Simplified
Handwoven Tape: Understanding and Weaving Early American and Contemporary Tape
Norwegian Pick-Up Bandweaving
The Weaver’s Inkle Pattern Directory: 400 Warp-Faced Weaves
Band Weaving
Band. Vävda Band, Brickband, Flätade Band Och Pinnband Av Ull, Lin Och Bomull / Weaving Bands: Woven Bands / Table Bands / Plaited Bands / Insertion Bands
Väva I Bandgrind