It is always great to ask Ian Spark from Ertoel Wheels questions about the Roberta Electronic Spinner. He explains everything in detail and makes using Roberta a great experience.
One detail I always forget to add is that I can spin 4 times as fast with Roberta and ply 6 times as fast as the traditional spinning wheel. If I decide I need some unique novelty yarn for my abstract knitting I just set down and spin a bit.
Here is some great information I got from Ian Spark about the woods used on the Roberta Electronic Spinner. I was asked about what type of wood is used and this is what he wrote.
All the Woods of the Roberta
About
20 years ago Roberta's were constructed from Tasmania Myrtle, a timber
native to the Rain forest in Tasmania. As the price of Tasmania Myrtle skyrocketed
because of environmental concerns, other timbers took its place.
Each
timber is used in relation to its need of strength, or the purpose in the
construction. The two side feet (or legs) are made from Australian Radiata Pine.
The upright back is made from New Zealand South Island Beech, chosen for
its strength and finishing quality. The front mount of the Roberta is built
from Hoop Pine.
The deck is cut from veneered medium density fiber board. This
was chosen because it maintains the flatness of the deck. These wood choices
ensure the feet of the Roberta always will sit flat on the table. The deck is specifically
veneered on both sides in Melbourne for Ertoel Wheels with European Beech.
The Lazy Kate clamp is New Zealand Beech, again for its
strength and hard-to-split nature. The tension peg is Australian Cypress
Pine, NZ Beech, Australian Hoop pine. These timbers are
chosen for their wood turning qualities.
The bobbins are Hoop Pine. The Hoop Pine originates from
plantation timber in Queensland.
The NZ Beech is the only Rain forest timber, used in a very
small quantity. The color and grain of the New Zealand Beech is
mostly bland, but the odd board can have very interesting grain
effects. Occasionally, darker streaks sometimes can be seen under
the dark stained lacquer.
The dark
color of the lacquered finish overall may vary a bit, depending on the
thickness of each coat.
The
Roberta is protected with its four coats, with three coats having the dark
walnut stain mixed into the clear lacquer. This method gives a
more even overall color than if the stain was applied directly to the
different raw timbers. Applying the stain directly to the
timber is the more normal method - followed by clear lacquer coats. However,
this would produce a mis-match effect because of the usage of different
colored timbers. If adding too many lacquer and stain coats, the Roberta’s
appearance would gradually gravitate towards black. The dark walnut
stain, built up in a number of coats, produces more look of Mahogany.....Ian Spark -- Ertoel
Wheels