I first learned front to back warping and prefer it.  As I warp alone, I've used alternating dowels as tensioning help.  To keep them in place, I've tied a cord from the back beam to the front beam on each side of the loom.   This isn't working well with the Baby Wolf as the reed takes up all the space and I can't put the cords through it.  Help!  How do YOU warp the Baby Wolf front to back?

Comments

mneligh

First I thread the reed while sitting in a chair at a table, with the reed propped on books and the ties on the crosses left in behind the reed (away from me).  When finished, I secure the lease sticks to each other through the crosses and transfer the whole thing to the loom.  I then take the string out of the crosses and spread the warp after attaching the lease sticks to the front of the frame in front of the reed.

I leave the loom folded. and remove the back beam.

I find the center of the warp and the center of the heddles and thread from the center out. In order to do this, if the pattern does not repeat frequently, I will have prepared a check-off sheet in a word processor and print it out, so I can check off each thread.  I work in groups of 4, or if easy, of 8.  This allows me to thread in both directions.  It also makes it easy to get a heddle count on each shaft.  I figue out how many heddles will be left over (unless the piece is narrow) and put them in between threaded heddles.  This way, I can use them to fix easy threading errors without unthreading the whole half.

I tie the threaded warp to the warp bar loosely.

When all the warp is threaded, I adjust the tension across the warp, working from center out.  All my warp chains are fairly small, and have chokes applied while on the warping reel.  This allows me to get the tension fairly uniform. 

I open out the loom.

I attach the weights to each warp chain.  These weights stay on the ground and get dragged, except at the end. Even though I have had gallon jugs burst, I use filled gallon jugs on most warps.  Sometimes I use 5 lb leg weights.  I release the first chokes.

I straighten the warp, stand on the side of the loom with the handle, step on the pedal to release the brake, and crank the warp on.  After the first few turns, I insert vinyl sheets with occasional lathe sticks as I crank.  As needed, I release more chokes and adjust the weights.

warped

thank you for taking the time to,share your warping technique.  It helps to understand how others warp.  I never thought of having the loom closed when I thread the heddles.

mneligh

I'm too tall for the Baby Wolf, but it's a nice little loom for demos.  I fit my big Macomber much better.  Even sitting on a low stool I have to stoop to thread the BW.  Keeping it folded raises the heddles for threading.

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