I tried another kind of spindle: a Mayan spindle. It uses a paddle on an axel to generate spin, and I’ve read that it is easier to use in confined spaces.

I sanded down the end of a dowel for the axel, sanded a scrap piece of hardwood, drilled a hole in one end, and drilled a hole halfway through a wood ball. The ball is friction fit onto the end of the axel to keep the paddle from flying off.

I think I made the paddle too large. It was fairly easy to spin the paddle, but it is heavy. Since making this, I’ve also seen other variations where the paddle is slid onto the shaft, rather than being fixed.

The Mayan spindle doesn’t build up as much twist as fast as a drop spindle, so it is not my current go to spindle, but it was a fun experiment!