As many know or maybe not, I am building my own Swedish loom.

I have a picture here for your enjoyment. :)

 

The cross member you see not seeted are just stuck in part way while I work on the project. I have headle bars and fly-shuttle beater yet to build. Plus some beam holes to drill and lots and lots of sanding before it gets a finish. The beam shafts are not yet cut to length and glued into the beams. Also the pegs are not knocked in tight at this point, just for support. The breast beam is dove tailed onto the posts. The warp beam is held by 3/8" threaded road with those black aluminum tension rod nuts (patented fashener by Lee Valley) which are tightened with a 1/4" - 4" steel lever you insert in a side hole. Also a hidden wooden dowel is used below this between the two wooden members. The joints of each half are mortise and tenon. The treadles look elevated there, they are sitting on a  wooden plank to keep the ends off the cement floor. The corners are on blocking for the same reason. The room there in the barn is unheated so the floor could be damp, and end grain can whick moisture. My shop is heated and the door into it is just to the right.

I think Joanne Hall was right about these large looms not needing any breaking on the warp beam. :)

Enjoy the show. :)

Comments

sequel (not verified)

I'm no expert on countermarche looms, but.. judging from the geometry of counterbalanced looms, the shed could be only as tall as the space between the heddle bars and the heddle eye.  The reed should be about the same height. The heddle need not be longer than the jacks that control them. 

ReedGuy

I wanted to make a comment about the shuttle I am using. It was a prototype shuttle, some of the trouble of it clearing the shed was the length. Since there is a significant force behind throwing a fly shuttle, because it has to pass over threads in the shed, you get a little recoil happening. I plan on carving another shuttle and shortnng it 2 inches or so. Now some may think it's a shame or a time waster to experiment this way. But it's my time, and I feel I get great satifiction in this process on top of learning more things. You just have to see it from the perspective of not being a money maker, at least for now.

 

If automobiles where just meant to burn gasoline and diesel as part of their system of operation, then why are there wood gasifier folks running off wood chips as fuel? I know of a couple folks that do this. And the Germans did it in WWII. ;)

 

Sequel, your comment on the reed size and heddle length sound intuitive to me. I don't have any trouble that way. It was more like crowding and tension issues. I should have went 8 dents instead of 12 with that 2-ply I used. It was a good experiment a weaver makes notes of. ;)

TheLoominary (not verified)

Hi ReedGuy. Form, Function, Failure, and Success! They are all relative terms. If our distant ancestors were afraid to Experiment perhaps we would all be discussing the latest tanning agent to use on our animal hides, or which stone to tie to our clubs, instead of fine fabrics, and the equipment we used to make them. We experiment, we learn,we learn, than we advance! Go for it! Frank.

ReedGuy

Currently, I have some elderly members of the family wanting to see the loom and how everything functions. So I will be doing this with a short warp. I want it the whole width, especially to demo the fly shuttle. It will be a sample weave, so to speak. 8 epi this time. ;)

As my uncle once said, "I charge for tours. Leave your $2 in the bucket on the way in." :D

Have a good one. ;)

ReedGuy

Just uploaded a new video of my loom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6PFcNYCgtc

ReedGuy

I recently returned from a trip to Sault St Marie, ON and Harrison, MI. While in the Soo, I got a fabricator with a plasma cutter to make me two 8" ratchet wheels with 48 teeth and a square cutout to fit the two shafts on the rollers. They are made from 1/4" plate. I will have to apply a finish to them and cut a 3/4" thick spacer from 2" diameter water pipe, which will insert between the ratchet and turning wheel. Here's what they look like.

loom ratchet wheels

Dawn McCarthy

"My what big teeth you have!"

Keep posting about this great loom!  It is very interesting.

Dawn

 

Penn (not verified)

Can I ask what finishes you used on the fabricated metal, and on the maple?

kerstinfroberg

ReedGuy (in fact: congratulations on finding a place to make your own!!) - so, not contradicting/negating/whatever - let me remind you of a resource of old: use an old (blunt, rusty) saw blade:

ReedGuy

Tremclad anti-rust paint on the metal ratchets. The main structure of the loom was finished with shellac. The weavers shafts are bare, the rollers and their spoked wheels were treated with a mix of linseed and terpentine. The main structure of the beater was shellac, but the shuttle boxes and fly shuttle were treated with the linseed/termentine mixture. The jacks, jack pulleys, and lamms were treated with linseed/terpentine.  Wax was applied to all threaded rods....treadle rod, jack rods, pully rods, and roller mounts where there is friction.

ReedGuy

A local magazine is interested in a story. I'm not sure I'm willing to tell it. :D

Penn (not verified)

...and google just showed me that it's a Rustoleum finish available in Canada.  Will have to find our U.S. equivalent.  I'm refurbing a bunch of metal (loom and non-weaving stuff) and had just about settled on the POR-15 system--not that the loom parts need that much rust protection, I just thought I'd do a bunch of metal jobs at the same time with the same product.  If Rustoleum works, though, no reason to use the POR, which is tricky to apply, and has wicked fumes.


It warms my heart to read that you're using shellac and wax on the wood. I'm a great fan of both; a well-rubbed shellac finish with hard wax on top is beautiful, and more durable than people think.  No wonder the wood looks so warm and touchable.  Amazing project, very impressive.  I hope you do go ahead with the mazazine profile, more people should know about this!

ReedGuy

Yes, Tremclad is the best paint we can buy. I even used in on wood on my barn doors and trim. It does not peel, except it will on aluminum flashing if it bows and flexes. But I have some on the barn trim that is 25 years old.

Penn (not verified)

If you're not familiar with Andreas Möller and his blog and weavings, you might want to take a look.  He's built a counterbalance loom with fly shuttle--"Flying-8"--and is selling the plans. 

 http://www.moeller-hamburg.com/c/English

 

Sara von Tresckow

That is a countermarche loom - and in spite of its rough appearance has become quite a hit in Europe. I've read reports of classes where very experienced weavers were very favorably impressed with his concept - he's reduced the professional weavers' studio equipment to what can be reasonably built in developing countries - with high efficiency.

He has been featured in VAV a few times in the last 3-4 years. He also has some very interesting weaving techniques.

Joanne Hall

Thanks for mentioning Andreas.  He is a real innovator.  And, if you want to contact him from his website, do not be concerned about not knowing his language, his English is better than mine.

Joanne

Penn (not verified)

I've been trying to remember where I found the reference to his name, or a link to his site, and combed through all kinds of pages I've saved on weaving and could not find it.

I love his weavings--the color choices and combinations, and the fact that he's one of the few people doing--what is it called, collapse weave? differential shrinkage?--that makes sense of it.  Usually, the results just look deformed weaving to my eyes, but what he does shows the energy in the weave, if that makes sense.  That kind of mastery, combined with the incredible objective of the Flying-8 loom--ultimately attempting to improve the production and lot in life of a community of weavers that numbers over half a million--besides being unique, it's awe-inspiring.  And until I read some of the details yesterday, I hadn't realized that the Flying-8 is designed to be assembled with no power tools, no metal parts, no drilling.  Amazing.

Not to derail the thread, but for weaving and loom building, his site is really worth a visit.

ReedGuy

The thread is about building a loom. Doesn't matter what it looks like. I just happened to choose the style I was interested in. The building of it and the support equipment is a wood working project, first and formost. I think the linked site has much more detail in German, a language I can not read. I am also on dial-up so watching video is tedious. I do upload short videos, but it is an over night deal when I am fast asleep. Looks like his version of a loom has made many folks quite happy. I guess that's probably one of the goals. ;)

mindmade

Hi there I am new to this forum and am actually weaving in New Zealand. I have been in a workshop with Andreas and one of those experienced weavers who are fans of his looms. I am building two fliing-8 looms at the moment and maybe you want to have a look at my article in the lates Textile forum...

Reed Guy: good on you for building your own loom! I hope it goes well for you! I am impressed by the amount of work you ahve put in this and my looms will not be as perfect as yours. But I think they will work fine nevertheless. Greetings from Down Under...

mindmade

Hi there I am new to this forum and am actually weaving in New Zealand. I have been in a workshop with Andreas and one of those experienced weavers who are fans of his looms. I am building two fliing-8 looms at the moment and maybe you want to have a look at my article in the lates Textile forum...

Reed Guy: good on you for building your own loom! I hope it goes well for you! I am impressed by the amount of work you ahve put in this and my looms will not be as perfect as yours. But I think they will work fine nevertheless. Greetings from Down Under...

ReedGuy

Same to you mindmade, glad you are also having fun building your own. I have been weaving a few projects since I finished my build of the loom along with support equipment. I'm always thinking of new things to weave. :)

steve104c (not verified)

You did a fantastic job..........Steve.

silviartesana

Oh! I`m impressed. I came into this forum because I wanted to share my modest riggid headle loom plans I made myself.But what I am seeing is overwhelming, I`m not sure to participate here.

I`m a self-learning all crafts crazy maniac. I wanted to make a good r.h.loom and never found the plans, so as I`m an architect, I studied all brochures and internet info, pictures etc, and some experience of my own and finally gave birth to my "Silvia Loom"

I`m very proud of it and it works good, I`m just trying it.

So I offer anybody who wants to make one ( hubs can easily do it) my plans and pictures. my mail: [email protected], I`ll be happy to share...life is better sharing!!!! 

best regards...Silvia ( from Rio Gallegos, Patagonia, Argentine)

 

Badfaerie (not verified)

I'd love to see the pics and plans for your rigid heddle. I love rh looms too. A good RH loom may not seem as complicated as a multi shaft floor loom, but they are deceptive in their simplicity. They are all about efficency and precision in design.

endorph

I would love to see your plans for a rigid heddle loom. Perhaps you should start a new thread for your plans so they will be easier for others to find!

endorph

I would love to see your plans for a rigid heddle loom. Perhaps you should start a new thread for your plans so they will be easier for others to find!

ReedGuy

Here I am in the process of adding a supplemental back beam and warp roller. These are the end blocks that secure the beam and roller and the beam (vertical post). The blocks will be attached to the loom frame with panel connectors. :) The beam is pinned so it's height can be adjusted up and down 3 positions. There is no finish yet on these pieces. I have the roller built to, yesterday I glued two halves with a dowel, since it's 60-3/8" long and the lathe 34". I laminated the wood to get the diameter. More photos to follow.

ReedGuy

Here is the roller and new flanges I have been working on. Still some sanding to do. Includes the square dowel for the slot. :)

pammersw

I think the flanges (to keep the warp stacked up evenly, instead of falling off itself and causing edge tension issues, as discussed in another thread) is ingenious!  Let us know how it works for you. :)

ReedGuy

Yes for sure, on both counts. I should be ready to mount everything on the loom in a few days. Big storm coming, so I'll be weaving some tommorow before I get back at this project. :)

ReedGuy

Today I fitted the beam and blocks to the loom and attached the pawl. Need a piece of chain and a 2-1/2" long 1/4-20 bolt with a lock nut to finish the assembly. Then apply some finish. Enjoy.:)

 

ReedGuy

I added the brake circle, spring and turnbuckle to tighten the brake drum as needed. I used an existing bolt to the pawl of the main warp roller. Also, added a couple hand crafted plastic washers to the ends so the rachet and brake drum don't rub on wood. All ready to apply the finish. :)

gartenweber

Just found this thread.  All I can say is...amazing!  you are a true craftsman.  The evolution of this loom is great to watch.  I am planning on adding a flying-shuttle to my current Glimakra.  Any hints where I may find some plans? Or at least good fotos as a guide.

 

Keep posting your up-dates.  This is really inspirational.  thanks for sharing.

 

Jamie