Rope Twister
Gairloch Museum

Rope was an essential commodity, used for everything from fishing to thatching to simply tying things together. Before the days of man-made fibres, rope was made from natural materials such as straw, marram grass, horsehair, or hemp. Individual strands would be twisted together to give strength to the rope. 

This machine can twist three strands of rope together at a time. Each strand would be attached to one of the hooks.  Turning the handle would twist the strands together. The machine has been hand made from pieces of wood and iron. It is simple but effective.