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Author Topic: . Which loom ?  (Read 5778 times)

RUSTYME

  • Joined Oct 2009
. Which loom ?
« on: January 29, 2013, 07:06:10 pm »
I may still be able to get the big loom and winder , but not holding my breath .
So , i have a set of instructions on making a tidy 4 shaft table loom , 28" x 21" , able to make cloth about 19" wide .
I have enough wood for this in the shed , and old wooden single bed being the wood supply .
I will most likely make this anyway as it looks a nice loom . All instructions are there , loom body , shaft runners , heddles , batten etc but it says buy the reeds . Would 19" or 50cm , be a standard size for a reed , or would i be better off adjusting the width of the loom ?
Width can easily be changed , even the heddles , which are string , 100 per shaft , just need extra ones made , is that a problem ? Am i talking sense here ?
 I can also buy a set of plans from David Bryant for a foot powered 4 shaft floor loom , a biggy one .
This is what i made years ago . The instructions were in a woodworking mag  .
I also made his upright spinning wheel from his plans , they are still available from  www.craftdesigns.co.uk .
  So , would the table loom be worth the time making ? , or should i just go for the big one ?
 I may make a peg loom too , got an old babies cot in the shed too .

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: . Which loom ?
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2013, 10:53:48 pm »
I would say go for the bigger one if you can and if you have somewhere to work on it in.  You can always make smaller stuff on a big loom but can't make bigger on a small loom.  I know you are thinking of fabric making and 19ins isn't very wide so you could end up having extra seams in garments - not a problem as you aren't going for the fashionable look but it does make extra work.

renee

  • Joined Jan 2013
  • jämtland
Re: . Which loom ?
« Reply #2 on: January 30, 2013, 07:41:10 am »
Agree with the mad goatwoman  ;) If you have room ,think big. Of course you can double weave on the samaller loom but that will mean only using two shafts on each side. A peg loom is always handy.

RUSTYME

  • Joined Oct 2009
.
« Reply #3 on: January 30, 2013, 07:22:19 pm »
Ok, confused here now . It has been 35 years since i made a loom and have no real memory of all the bits and their names .
The instructions on making the 4 shaft table loom explain how to make the 4 sliding shafts (2 bits of wood each !) and the string heddles that fit each shaft .
It also states to buy the reeds and shuttle as they are very hard to make .
So i look on ebay and type in 'loom reeds' , (i was expecting to see copies of the song 'it's a perfect day', by Lou Reed ) , and i get ' loom heddles (reeds) ' pop up ?
Does the solid reed fit in the batten to copact the weaving as you go , and the heddles lift the alternate yarns to create the fabric and the pattern  . I think i am confused !

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: . Which loom ?
« Reply #4 on: January 30, 2013, 10:10:09 pm »
Yes, the heddles lift the warp threads in whatever order you want to create pattern.  The read fits into the beater and is used to space the warp to keep the width true and also to beat down.

RUSTYME

  • Joined Oct 2009
.
« Reply #5 on: January 30, 2013, 10:48:32 pm »
Thanks Lesley , thought i had it right , but the ebay ads threw me off a bit .
£25 for a  24" reed ! Bugger that , i want the bleedin loom as well for that money , i'll make one .

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: . Which loom ?
« Reply #6 on: January 31, 2013, 10:29:12 pm »

£25 for a  24" reed ! Bugger that , i want the bleedin loom as well for that money .


I love your optimism, Russ.  How are you going to make one?

RUSTYME

  • Joined Oct 2009
.
« Reply #7 on: January 31, 2013, 11:07:07 pm »
I will make the loom first and see what's what then Lesley .
 I can work with metal ok though , and i have a complete forge , arbour press , 4 hand operated drill presses and god knows what else ready and waiting to get to work .   
Someone makes them somewhere , so if they can, so can i !
Will just have to see how things work out .

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: . Which loom ?
« Reply #8 on: February 01, 2013, 11:07:41 pm »
Didn't realise that.  I had visions of you with a block of wood, cutting slits in it at 1mm intervals.   :roflanim:

RUSTYME

  • Joined Oct 2009
.
« Reply #9 on: February 02, 2013, 12:04:06 am »
Got a saw bench , so could do that too if need be .

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: . Which loom ?
« Reply #10 on: February 02, 2013, 10:37:51 pm »
Hmmmm.

renee

  • Joined Jan 2013
  • jämtland
Re: . Which loom ?
« Reply #11 on: February 03, 2013, 07:54:23 pm »
What were reeds made of in the old days? Were they reeds? I have seen them in museums but am ashamed to say, paid too little attention. Must look more closely this summer.
« Last Edit: February 16, 2013, 08:44:18 pm by renee »

renee

  • Joined Jan 2013
  • jämtland
Re: . Which loom ?
« Reply #12 on: February 16, 2013, 08:43:07 pm »
Well, I can answer my own question  :-[
I knew I had seen old reeds somewhere. THey were in one of my barns.

The whole thing is made from wood and rope.
The "reeds" are also very thin wooden slats.
Beautiful work

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: . Which loom ?
« Reply #13 on: February 16, 2013, 09:10:13 pm »
These should be where people can see them (or in use) not in a barn so I'm glad you fished them out.  They're lovely.

 

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