We at Glimakra can answer your questions about new or used looms.   Glimakra looms have not changed much over time, but even experienced weavers who have had their Glimakra loom a long time may have questions about their loom and attachments.  Some weavers want to add shafts and treadles.  Some older looms may need parts or new heddles, tie-up cord or a countermarch added.  And we get a lot of questions about adding a drawloom to their Glimakra Standard or Ideal looms.   

I have been teaching weaving for over 40 years and have woven on many different types of looms over the years.  So, I am very familiar with most types of looms. We have information on our website for those who purchase new or used counterbalance and countermarch looms. So, if you have questions about barn frame looms, looms from other companies or just general questions, just ask. 

Joanne

Comments

Joanne Hall

You need to weave the hems with a weave with a similar take up as in the body of the twill weave.  So, if you wove a hem in plain weave, it would end up wider than the rest of the weave.  An example of this is when weavers put a plain weave hem on a waffle weave towel.  After washing the hem is actually ruffled.

So, weave the hem in the same twill weave, maybe a simple part of the treadling.  Sometimes it looks better is you weave it with a finer weft thread or a weft which is a different color than the start of the twill weave.

Joanne

Joyst

Thank you. It sounds like a twill hem is a better plan anyway!

valca85

Hi there, I recently bought a second hand Glimakra Gobelin tapestry loom in amazing condition, but I really need help warping it. I'm brand new at tapestry weaving and it is hard ot find information on this particular loom. Can you point me in the right direction?

Thank you,

 

Valentina

Joanne Hall

Congratulations.  You have a very nice loom.  And it is sought after, so you are very fortunate.  We have warp and weft materials as well as reeds, Texsolv cord, warp sticks, tapestry bobbins and beaters and other supplies that you may need.

For instructions for any Glimakra loom, write to orders at glimakrausa.com

Joanne

Toronto

 

Hi Joanne,Someone in my area is seling this loom.  Do you know anything about it? Thank youInga

 

kerstinfroberg

is not from Glimåkra (it is/was called "Göta"), but they look like cousins.

I made a "project" here, mainly to show the unbalanced sheds possible on a cb loom, but it also shows some of the potential problems with a loom of this type.

Another potential problem is to get it attached securely... one soon develop a special style when beating ;-)

Toronto

It looked a bit odd to me that there is no back support.  So, you need something to attach it to. No lams but 6 treadles for 4 shafts.  How does that work? Interesting loom, but they are asking too much for it.

Sara von Tresckow

To understand that loom, one needs to understand European homes and apartments. The "Fensterbank" or solid window sill is missing in N. American dwellings. The sill in Europe is marble, reconstituted stone with epoxy, asbestos cement or other VERY firm material and it extends more than an inch into the room. 

This loom would be attached to that extended window sill.

There definitely would be in issue if one beat too firmly that the loom might easily disconnect from the sill, much like a hand bobbin winder comes off the point of securement if you wind too vigorously.

This type of loom was quite widely sold for folks in small dwellings.

kerstinfroberg

Sara, allow me to say "I wish..." - 'cos 1. all window sills I have lived with have been way too high (as in at least 10-15 cm) for the Göta (don't know about the Glim Anna). Göta can sit at a low-ish dining table, but when I take it for demos I often bring pieces of wood to get the front legs high enough and 2. the clamps are/were ... not the best. Whatever one does, they will not hold: the table may not be the correct thickness, and/or it was not possible to tighten enough, or...

However. The Göta was very popular for weaving courses - the school could accomodate different classes every day, if they had enough looms. Had they used floor looms, the whole room would have been full with only one class. Instead the schools installed benches around the room(s), and could thus accomodate 5 times the # of students. (I taught at a place owning some 25 folding looms in the early '90ies)

In my opinion, this type loom is a compromize, but better than a table loom - and definitely better than none!

Lamms are not needed. Tie all cords in the middle of the bottom shaft (2 cords/shaft goes a long way), take them through a ring of some sort (traditionally it should be a ring made from a cow's horn, but any ring, even one tied from a piece of yarn, will do), and down to the treadles. (It can be a good idea to tie the ring to one of the cords, or to one of the shafts, just to prevent it falling down)

When transporting this type of loom (with a warp in place) it is *strongly advised* to use "security strings" on *all* shafts, to prevent the shaft bars falling out. Myself, I use this type of security strings for both shaft bars and lease sticks. Also remember to secure the reed!

Göta can still be bought new (so I guess someone is still manufacturing them!) from here.

folding gota loom

(even if this only has 4 treadles, it still is usually tied more-than-one-shaft-per-treadle. You can see the ring, probably suspended from something)

 

Sara von Tresckow

My experience with German dwellings would haved produced many situations where the sill would have functioned, and many of the ads for those looms pictured them at a window - of course, one's home needed to have that "perfect" window.

And I agree - you still wouldn't have the stability of a floor loom. I wentstraight from a rigid heddle to a Lilqvist 8/8 CM loom that was full sized after reading the literature about models available in 1981.

Joanne Hall

The Anne loom was available for only a short time in the late l970s.  It came in 64cm and 94cm weaving width, only four shafts and counterbalance.  This loom weighed only 14 and 18kgs, so it was very portable.  The wider 94cm loom did have lamms and six treadles.  Thanks Kerstin for the photo of the Gota loom.  They are very much alike.

 

Joanne

Laurie3659

i am assembling my loom after many years in storage and have forgotten:  are the clothe and warp beams identical?  Does it matter which goes where?  They seem to be the same, but also something doesn't seem quite right when I look at it.   It is a Glimakra 8-shaft Standard countermarche.

Thanks,

  Laurie

Erica J

Laurie,

The ones on my Ideal and Standard are identical. I assume they were always made identical, but Joanne will surely let us know if they were ever different. Enjoy your loom!

noblenewf

My subject line is a bit misleading because this loom doesn't really need any "setting-up" :-) 

I am wondering about the angled cut of the heddle bracket feet.  I assumed that it was to sit flush to the table surface.  However the bracket stands with the pointed end down on the table surface.  I can adjust it to work when I take the folding pins out but I am then unable to replace the pins to hold the proper position. Am I over-looking an obvious fix?  There are no instructions of course on how it should be.

Thanks for any advice.  I am chomping at the bit to warp up this little number but I would like it sitting properly on my table first.

Joanne Hall

The loom needs to have a warp on it and the warp tensioned for weaving.  Then, when you clamp the loom to the table, the loom will sit off the front edge of the table.  It is at this point that you can evaluate the use of the brackets.

The height of your chair and the height of the table are important.  You may need to put a pillow on the chair unless you are tall.

Remember, you can also set the chair further from the table, put the front of the loom in your lap for weaving, with the warp beam propped on the table.  I find this position the most comfortable for weaving.

Joanne

nieuwWeef

Hi! Working on a very simple 4 shaft jackloom (100cm) uptil now, I have the oppurtunity to buy a Glimakra countermarch. The owner is an old lady, her daughter is doing the selling for her but doesn't know anything about looms.


1) She told me it is an ideal, yet it measures 120cmx120cmx150cm (about 47x47x59inch)? May be those or the measurements on the outside...? A weaving width of 100cm would be enough for me, I just want to know which type it is.

2) The daughter told me at first it had 8 shafts, but I spoke her mother for a minute and she told me it has 4 *but* it has all the parts to place 8 in it.. (Her words: 'it can hold 4 to 8 shafts, it currently has 4'.)

The loom stood in the home where her disabled son lives, the owner was another client of the home who didn't really use it. So the mother bought it but she is getting older and does more painting nowadays. They clearly don't know a lot about the loom though, they called it a Glamacra for instance. So my questions don't really get answers..

May be I can find answers here.

The size; what loom is it...?

The shafts; if I want to place 4 extra shafts in it -and I do- where do I find those, and what does it cost? Can you make it yourself, when in need? I googled but can't find extra Glimakra shafts anywhere, let alone in The Netherlands where I live.. I'm taking  a course though, and in november I have an assignment for which I need to use 8 shafts.

I would love to get some answers. The lady just left on a 7 day trip, when she get back they'll call me and I have to decide if I'll buy it. I love the deal they offerend (200euro/224usd), so yeah....please help me out here :)

Beneath is the only picture I've got, the mom isn't computer savvy ;) 

nieuwWeef

I live in Holland, always had a 'vensterbank'! They're often form stone or wood, my current ones in the livingroom are about 8 inches deep, which isn't deep at all for a 'vensterbank'. They are strange things, I actually take pic's of  sills, because we dutch people put such silly things on it!

Joanne Hall

Hi Sien,

Please write to me at [email protected]

and I will respond to you.  I am having some computer problems here.

I know a couple weavers near you who can tell you about the used Glimakra loom market in your area.  So, please do write.

Joanne

Joanne Hall

Hi Sien,

From the photo, I can tell you that it is a G limakra Ideal loom.  It is a very old one, from the early 70s or even older.  The older looms can be upgraded to 8 shafts and since this loom does have the countermarch tie-up in the photo, then you know that it has the place to attach the second set of lamms.  However, for these older looms, you need to ask how many wooden jacks (thin moving parts about 40 cm long) there are in the top of the loom.  It can be expensive to add them later.

You will also want to replace the lower lamms if they are not at least 90cm long.  Before the 80s they are a bit too short and were improved in the early 80s.

But other than that, the loom looks very nice.  The only thing you need to check is that the price is low enough so that you can add the extra parts you may need (8 lower lamms) or replace any parts which may not be with the loom.

It is a loom that weaves very nicely and it does not take up a lot of space.  And, you can even add a drawloom to it if you like.

Joanne

Greta G

Hi

does anyone regonize this loom?

It is for sale, and the only information is, that it Swedish loom and is 100 cm (39"?) and then the price, which is about US 600, with a warping mill and a umbrella swift  winder.

I do not know the condition, and it is not assambled.

Would that be a good bargain?

I was wandering if I should get it as my second loom. I have Bergå Savonia, 120 cm, that I converted to countermarch.

Thank you

Erica J

That looks like a Glimakra counterbalance 2 shaft loom. I hope that helps!

Dawn McCarthy

It is an Ideal loom by Glimakra with counterbalance 

Dawn

 

Greta G

I think it is 4 shafts, and yes it is counterbalance

Greta G

Yes, I had come to that conclusion my self, that it would problaby be, Ideal.

Now is the decision : to buy or not to buy?

best regards

Margrét

Erica J

My Ideal is a horizontal countermarche. I love it! I love both my Glimakra looms! So this is a completely biased opinion. :)

Joanne Hall

You need to ask for photos of the actual loom or the parts of the loom.  This photo is from the instruction booklet and is not a photo of the loom that is for sale.  The instruction booklet could perhaps be the instructions that originally came with the loom, which would then possibly be an Ideal loom, but this booklet was printed over 30 years ago and may not even be the one that came with the loom which is for sale.

So, you need photos of the actual loom.

If it is an Ideal, yes it is a great loom.

Joanne

 

Greta G

Thank you Erica,

Well, I am going now to look at it, I think I will take, if everything is in order.

Even change it to countermarche later, as I did with my Savonia loom, it is so much easier to treadle, even though a bit more thinking (at least for me) when doing the tie up.

regards

Margrét

 

Greta G

yes, i learned that the loom was bought 30 years ago, assembled, but never used, and therefore taken back into pieces.

so, this has, perhaps, become a mystery loom ;-)

so glimakra looms, 30 years ago, 100 cm, would probably be Ideal loom?

were there any other kind, at that time?

 

nieuwWeef

Thank you! 

If there aren't enough jacks, and I need to add these extra jacks for the 4 new shafts, is there something else that needs replacement before I can add those jacks? 

Joanne Hall

Glimakra has always made the Standard looms, among other looms, including the Ideal.  Some of these other looms have been discontinued.  Check the GAVGlimakra.se website as well as the glimakrausa.com website for information about looms made today.

The Ideal loom is a smaller loom than the Standard.  The Ideal used to have up to six shafts and treadles, later up to 10x10 and the Standard up to 10x10.  Today the Ideal is not made and the Standard can be up to 16x16.

If you find a used loom in Europe, the prices will be lower than in the US.  Check the factory in Sweden for prices on adding jacks, longer metal rods to hold the jacks, extra shafts, lamms and treadles.  You can also get Texsolv tie-up kits and heddles from them, as well as accessories.

In the US, you can get prices for these from Sarah:

[email protected]

I am sometimes having trouble getting to this page, so if you don't get an answer from me, write to me at:

[email protected]

Thanks,

Joanne

 

Joanne Hall

While I am out of state in October, I hope to check in now and then, but my replies may not be the same day.  But do write if you have questions. 

I will be teaching workshops near Bellingham WA at the Jansen Art Center and in Richland WA.  There are still places available in these workshops, so if you are interested, do write to me.

Joanne

Greta G

Yes, I have both looked at the Swedish and US Glimakra sites, for further information.

I ended up buying this loom, Ideal 100 cm and it is the same as the picture of the booklet, that is, Ideal, then an older version. The height to the breast beam is about 84 cm.

I do find the wood dusty and dry, but did see on the US Glimakra site, that I could wash it with water and vinegar, and I will try that.

I was wandering if there was a possibility to upgrade it to countermarch - I had a plan of sending GAV Glimakra email to ask them, but I will not be able to do that until December - but on the other hand, I am used to weave on counterbalance.

Best wishes

Gréta

RFruiterman

I'm about to beam my first warp on my brand new Glimakra Standard. The instructions are lacking to help me attach the tie bar to the warp beam. I understand the concept and how to thread the texsolve, but am uncertain as to how close to the beater (coming from the back beam) I need to get the tie bar. Is there a desirable distance to create, with respect to the tie bar vis a vis the  warp beam?

Joanne Hall

First, congratulations on your new loom.

When someone in the US gets a new Glimakra loom, they get my two books with the loom, one on warping and one on the countermarch.  Both have instructions for making the beam cords.  If you use method number 1, a more traditional single cord method, you will want the beam cords longer than the other two methods.  This extra length will help to minimize the disadvantage of this method, the necessity of adjusting the cord to get the tie-on bar straight.  The other two methods do not have this problem, so they only need to be long enough to bring the tie-on bar up to the shafts in the back and up to the reed in the front.  The beam cords on the warp beam are shorter than on the cloth beam, where the cords go over the knee beam.  So, you just need to measure the loom.

I prefer method #3 and the Texsolv company used to send instructions for this method in their tie-up kit.  I don't know if they still do.  But this method keeps the tie on bar straight and the cords wind on all across the beam, rather than in one position, which creates a bump.

Joanne

ccarinee

Hello Joanne

I recently bought a old aktiv loom but I can't find any information on it and it's the first time I use contermarch so I feel little lost with tying up... Could you help me? I can only see how to tie with loom with march and contermarch on different level but on this one all are on the same line. (sorry I'm french so it's not easy for me to explain in english)

So I don't know what lenght of cords to use for tie up the threadles and when I try to do it, it's moving... I can send pics to show you. If you got information to help me it would really be helpfull. 

thanks

Carine from Belgium

Joanne Hall

Hi Carine,

All your treadle cords will be the same length.  Every other lamm will be attached to the  center bottom of the shaft, in the center hole of the lamm.  The other lamms will be tied to the cord which comes down from the countermarch through the center of the loom.  As you tie up the treadles, always note which lamm you are tying and whether it is pulling the shaft down or lifting the shaft.

Do ask for more help if this is not enough to get you started.

Note that you need to put a warp on the loom to get the treadle tie up correctly adjusted.

Joanne

ccarinee

Hello Joanne,

thanks for your answer. I did all you said but I can't understand which lenght I need.... And also if both lamms (which pull up and down the shatf, march and contermarch) needs to be horizontal or if they need to have an angle. I tie everything and once I free the piece of wood where shafts are attached (I'm sorry I don't know the name in english), the shafts are going too down and all the lamms going to high or too down. 

so I can't have good opening and all shaft are at different level. 

I try to order your book but I can't find it for europe...

thanks

Carine

Joanne Hall

Carine,

Are you weaving with four shafts or eight shafts?

Do you have a warp on the loom?  It is the tensioned warp threads that hold the shafts in place.  The loom will not make good sheds until you start to weave.

Joanne

Joanne Hall

The lamms should be level.  With a warp on the loom, they should remain in place when you take the locking pin out.  However, this is a older loom with all the lamms the same length.  With a warp using four shafts, usually the shafts will not fall, or they will just fall 1/2 inch.  Newer looms have longer lower lamms and this gives a better balance.

If you have 8 shafts threaded, the shafts may fall an inch or so, especially the front shafts.  But, when you are weaving the sheds will be good.

The treadle cords should be cut a little long so that they will be adjustable.  You should be able to tie up the treadles very low and still not have the cord too short. 

Joanne

ccarinee

Hello Joanne,

thanks for your answer. I did all you said but I can't understand which lenght I need.... And also if both lamms (which pull up and down the shatf, march and contermarch) needs to be horizontal or if they need to have an angle. I tie everything and once I free the piece of wood where shafts are attached (I'm sorry I don't know the name in english), the shafts are going too down and all the lamms going to high or too down. 

so I can't have good opening and all shaft are at different level. 

I try to order your book but I can't find it for europe...

thanks

Carine

ccarinee

Hello Joanne,

thanks for your answer. I did all you said but I can't understand which lenght I need.... And also if both lamms (which pull up and down the shatf, march and contermarch) needs to be horizontal or if they need to have an angle. I tie everything and once I free the piece of wood where shafts are attached (I'm sorry I don't know the name in english), the shafts are going too down and all the lamms going to high or too down. 

so I can't have good opening and all shaft are at different level. 

I try to order your book but I can't find it for europe...

thanks

Carine

Joanne Hall

If there a warp on your loom and do you have it tensioned tightly?

And are you cutting the cords yourself or did you order a tie-up kit with cords already cut, or are you trying to use the cords which came with the loom?

Do you have the cords from the jacks to the top heddle bar attached?

If all the cords are put on the top of the loom, and you have cords left over, those will be the treadle cords.

If you have to cut the treadle cords yourself, tell me how far along you are in the tie-up.  Do you have just two treadles tied up?  That might be your problem.

How many shafts do you have threaded with your warp threads?

The answers to these questions will help me to determine what your problem is.

Joanne

 

Linda Soranno

I have a Glimakra countermarch loom with a fly shuttle beater. During my last project I was weaving with 6/2 tuna yarn and found that the thread got hung up in the bobbin - sometimes the yarn was difficult to pull out of the shuttle and others it got completely stuck.  I am a new weaver so I'm guessing I either have the wrong bobbin or my winding technique is off. I am using straight cardboard bobbins, winding them tightly and making sure not to have them so large they touch the inside of the shuttle. I tried winding the bobbins with slight flanges on each side and then filled in with yarn and also just straight.  Both seemed to have the same issue. I also noticed that because I was having difficulty with the bobbin tension I had significant draw-in of the cloth.  

Also, I haven't figured out how to manage selvidges with the fly shuttle beater (my guess is the bobbin issue is a big contributor to the issues) - if there are any videos or tutorials on best practices with this type of beater I'd love to see them. I haven't found anything online that is particularly helpful.

Any insights would be appreciated!  Thank you.

Linda

Joanne Hall

If your blanket is less than 60 inches wide, you might try the longer Glimakra boat shuttle.  When I developed my blanket kit, I used a 6 inch quill so that I could put more yarn on the shuttle.   I think that you can get more yarn on the 6 inch quill than the fly shuttle pirn.

I have thrown a boat shuttle on a 60 inch blanket, but I was younger then.  I might not want to throw a shuttle on that width today.  But it might be better to throw a shuttle for a blanket so that you don't run out of yarn so frequently.  Some even use a ski shuttle.

A fly shuttle pirn needs to be wound differently than a quill for a boat shuttle.  There always has to be a downslope for the yarn to come off easily and smoothly.  So, you start on one end and build up to the maximum thickness and then wind a downhill slope, back and forth over an area of 1 to 2 inches until you are winding only on the other end of the pirn.  And that is the end that will empty first.

Joanne

macjory

 I am trying to spread the warp on my first ever weaving project on my Glimakra Ideal. 

I have your books (Learning to Warp Your Loom, and Tying Up the Countermarch Loom).

I am attempting "My First Towels" (p. 9), but I have an 8 dent reed. I don't understand why the 12 dent reed would be pre-sleyed as 4-0-4-0, so I can't work backwards to figure out what I would pre-sley my 8 dent reed at.

I tried to follow the directions on the bottom half of the box on p. 18.

1. If I'm using an 8-dent reed, the number of dents available to me in 18 inches of weaving width is 18 x 8, or 144.

2. Yet the second step asks me to divide that number by the number of units (#2 from first half of box), which for this project would be 432 divided by 2, or 216. But wouldn't result in a fraction? How does that help me figure out how to pre-sley my warp?

I apologize for being so dense, and I'm sure I must have misunderstood something somewhere! But can you help me understand?

Thanks in advance for your time!

Marjorie

 

macjory

 I am trying to spread the warp on my first ever weaving project on my Glimakra Ideal. 

I have your books (Learning to Warp Your Loom, and Tying Up the Countermarch Loom).

I am attempting "My First Towels" (p. 9), but I have an 8 dent reed. I don't understand why the 12 dent reed would be pre-sleyed as 4-0-4-0, so I can't work backwards to figure out what I would pre-sley my 8 dent reed at.

I tried to follow the directions on the bottom half of the box on p. 18.

1. If I'm using an 8-dent reed, the number of dents available to me in 18 inches of weaving width is 18 x 8, or 144.

2. Yet the second step asks me to divide that number by the number of units (#2 from first half of box), which for this project would be 432 divided by 2, or 216. But wouldn't result in a fraction? How does that help me figure out how to pre-sley my warp?

I apologize for being so dense, and I'm sure I must have misunderstood something somewhere! But can you help me understand?

Thanks in advance for your time!

Marjorie

 

kerstinfroberg

Not having thee book, but having pre-sleyed for some 35 years - 

the sleying pattern 4-0-4-0: to me, that suggests the warp was wound with 2 ends, giving a (pre-sleying) cross with 2 ends. Thar means the loop of 2 ends, in the cross there are 4 ends to a unit. It is Very Important never to divide the loop (a divided loop will make it imossible to transfer the cross).

So, 4-0-4-0 in a 12 dent reed suggests a final sleying of 2-2-2-2, for a final 24 epi.

With the 8 dent reed, you will get 24 epi with a final sleying of 3-3-3-3.

Assuming you did warp with 2 ends (thus having an un-dividable "loop" cross holding 4 ends), you will need to pre-sley 6 loops (6x4=24) per inch - say 4-4-4-0-4-4-4-0 (8 dents with a total of 24 ends, somewhat unevenly distributed.

Remember that the idea of pre-sleying is to get the warp to the correct width om the beam. If (or, more correct: as) there is a space between the pre-sleyed reed and the beam - some of the unevenness will correect itself just by that. The thicker the  yarn, the more important it is to beam the warp with an even distribution, but myself, I would not hesitate to use a slight unevenness in the pre-sleying.

Hope this helps?

Joanne Hall

That was perfect.  We were out fishing today, so I did not see this message.

Joanne

macjory

Thanks, Kirstin: I really appreciate your help. I want to understand how to pre-sley so I can do it on my own (without the hyphen, I keep reading "Presley," as in Elvis!). I wound the warp one thread at a time: does that mean I actually have 216 units to presley across an 18" weaving width (x 8 dents/inch, so there are a total of 144 dents to use). Maybe I don't understand what an "end" is: whether taking a thread from the cross counts as 1 or 2. 144 x 3 = 432, the total number of threads. A weaver friend said to presley 2-4-2-4, but didn't explain how she arrived at that number.

 

macjory

Thanks, Kirstin: I really appreciate your help. I want to understand how to pre-sley so I can do it on my own (without the hyphen, I keep reading "Presley," as in Elvis!). I wound the warp one thread at a time: does that mean I actually have 216 units to presley across an 18" weaving width (x 8 dents/inch, so there are a total of 144 dents to use). Maybe I don't understand what an "end" is: whether taking a thread from the cross counts as 1 or 2. 144 x 3 = 432, the total number of threads. A weaver friend said to presley 2-4-2-4, but didn't explain how she arrived at that number.

 

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