I haver recently acquired a 48" 16 harness Mac.  It has the imrpoved tie up rods, but I'm having trouble tying it up.  I can't see what I'm doing with the lamms there.  Is there a trick?

Thanks Nancy

 

Comments

Tue, 10/15/2013 - 21:39

SallyE (not verified)

My Macomber "only" has 12 shafts, but the problem is similar.  I also have the tie rods, that hang over the lams.   I think they are called "super hooks."

What I do, is tie up from the top.   This means that, from the top of the lams, I slip the tie rod in the proper place between two lams, and then lift the treddle I'm working with.   With the treddle raised, I put the bottom bent part of the tie rod into the treddle slot, rotate it 90 degrees and hang it on the correct lam.  If it doesn't snug down onto the top of the lam, just push the treddle down and that should do it.

It's a whole lot easier to raise a treddle than to fuss with those heavy lams.

 

Tue, 10/15/2013 - 22:22

mneligh

I have a 20-shaft Mac, and frequently have complex tie ups that make it unnecessary to think when weaving -- up to 150 or so super hooks on some.  I prop shaft 20 in the raised position with a couple of shuttles on top of the other heddle frames, put all the hooks  in for shaft 20, then release it and proceed forward.  It does mean standing up to change each shaft/lamm, but that's good exercise, right?

Tue, 10/15/2013 - 23:46

SallyE (not verified)

That would be good exercise.   But treddling a 20 shaft Macomber would be even better exercise!   Do you have some sort of assist?

Wed, 10/16/2013 - 14:29

mneligh

I don't have an assist.  I might whine about treadling, but I also whine about what the beating of heavy rugs does to my shoulders.  The only time treadling is a problem is when I'm throwing the full width and I have to step on the extreme treadle on one side while throwing from the other side. 

I am contemplating getting a countermarche drawloom, however.  My husband doesn't weave much, but he did do a sizeable krokbragd rug this spring, so I couldn't use the Mac.  I got behind, as neither his project nor mine could be done on my little workshop loom, a Baby Wolf.  He thinks that everything needs heavy beating and destroys lighter looms.  We both love rugs -- not to have, but to create.

Before you ask, I also do light textiles and lace.  I am taller than average, but far from young.

Wed, 10/16/2013 - 15:08

mneligh

I'm sure you know, SallyE, but for others reading this, I have to point out that on a Mac, you don't need to use any fixed number of shafts.  Right now I'm using the width but only 2 shafts and 2 treadles.  My patterning is all in the spin of the weft.  The treadling is lighter than the Baby Wolf's.

That's also why it's such a nice loom for structures with weird numbers of shafts -- krokbragd (true, it can be done on 4 shafts, with 2 used as one, but . . .) satin (5 or more), etc.,

Wed, 10/16/2013 - 22:51

nrmenzel

Thanks for your suggestions, especially Sally's top down one.  I removed the cloth beam so I could see what I was doing and I got all 96 connections made.  A real improvement over yesterday, when I hit my head on the secional beam trying to see what I was doing.

Nancy

Thu, 10/17/2013 - 00:30

mneligh

Are you under the front or back of the loom if you hit your head on the sectional beam?  I crawl under the front, after folding it in.

Fri, 10/18/2013 - 14:01

SallyE (not verified)

To have even more room, don't fold it up - let the front down.   You can  remove the beater and then let the breast beam down all the way to the floor.   Of course you have to have the floor space to do that, but it gives you the maximum space.

 

Sat, 10/19/2013 - 13:50

Michael White

Nancy, Macomber makes a "Lamm Depresser. Some come with it already attached and some come with a wooden dowel (useless). If you lay both the beater and the cloth beam on the floor you will have room to work. Using the depresser depress harness #16 and put on all the hooks that you will need on all the treadles using #16. Then move forward to 15, 14 etc. You can see  pictures of dressing a Macomber here:  http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/macomber-looms/2534365/1-25#10

Sun, 10/20/2013 - 00:36

mneligh

Right you are, SallyE, about opening it out.  You can also lift out the cloth beam.  Since I usually thread before doing the tie-up, both are already out of the way when I get into the lamm & hook action.  I fold it in for changing the tie-up partway through a warp, which I sometimes do to keep me from having to think while weaving.