Welcome to the Macomber loom group site

My daughter is graduating from the Art Institute of Chicago's art therapy program, and I want to get her a Macomber foldable floor loom as a graduation gift. Does anyone out there have one for sale??? Thanks so much, K.J.

Hi there,

Thought this might be the place to ask...I am considering the purchase of the above loom. I sold my Artisat (which I didn't care for - felt flimsy) some time ago, and haven't been weaving since. I keep going back and forth between starting again with a tabletop (like Jane or Ashford) or going straight for another floor loom (I have a bad shoulder, and wonder if using my arm to "treadle" would be uncomfortable). This Baby Mac came for sale and it seemed like a good compromise. Wondering though, if it would not have either the sturdiness of floor loom or the true portability of a tabletop loom, making it not a very good purchase? Also, could the wire heddles be replaced with Texsolv? One of the things I disliked about the Artisat was the noise.

Thanks for any input. Jennifer

I have a chance to buy a Macomber loom, 10 harness, 12 treadles Type B Ad-A-Harness, and was wondering if anyone can tell me if I can weave rag rugs on it? Right now I am weaving rugs on an old Sears 2 harness and it seems to be ok., it is a sectional warp, whereas the Macomber is not. Any help will be appreciated.Thanks

I am planning to buy a 56" 16H Macomber loom this weekend. I need to know the dimensions -will it fit in my Rav4 or will we have to take a utility trailer (or rent a large van) to bring it back? 

Thanks!

Karen

Thanks for the message and the link - I was hoping we didn't have to drag a trailer with us to pick it up, but I guess we'll have to! It'll be a long day, but I'll have a new-to-me loom at the end of it!

Does the 56" 16H loom fold? If so, what are the folded dimensions? We're still trying to figure out what vehicle to take or whether we should rent a truck. Thanks! Karen

The B5's front and back beams fold in, but the whole loom is solid and quite heavy.  It's roughly the size of an upright piano when folded.  In nice weather you could take a flat trailer with lot's of rope for securing the loom, or you could rent a small truck.   Even with a tall camper shell, mine is too tall for my F-250 pickup.  Check Michael's link for dimensions.

This helps a lot (especially since we have a piano!). 

If a newbie  does more than take the shafts & beater off, they should take photos before taking it apart.  How to reassemble things may be obvious to those of us that have us that have used these looms for 30+ years, but putting the slot of one end of the beater on the wrong peg may mean a crooked fell line, and turning the lever on the front brake the wrong way means it doesn't work.  And these are things I take off every time I thread my loom!

Failing photos, though, we're here to help.

Need four used ad-a-harness harnesses to add to my 56" Macomber. 

We drove ~ 5 hours to see the 56" 16H Macomber loom yesterday and it was no good - all rusted and in pieces. Strings and cords were rotten. So I didn't get it. 

If you know of anyone selling a smaller loom with 16 or more harnesses, I would be very interested. I'm thinking a 36" would be a perfect size with 16H.  Thanks! Karen

Thanks, Michael.  It's a 56" Macomber.

     Please any advice on buying a used Macomber loom.  What are the pitfalls?  What parts should I look for excessive wear or what might break the deal?

hello group,

     I bought my used 32" B5 Macomber last November and have only woven one project on it (house remodel and limited room). It has 4 harnesses and I would really like to add 4 to 6 more. Any ideas on how to find some used ones, or do I pretty much have to buy new from Macomber? I live in Oregon. Are there loom frames in bad shape with good working parts out there?  Thanks for any suggestions.

Kathy

I am soon to be the new owner of a 1977 built B5C 40" 8S/10T Macomber! I just have to go pick it up next week. Thank you to everyone who has and is posting helpful information about Macombers, refurbishing them and learning to weave on them. I am grateful. Michael, you're so great to host/moderate. I'm very appreciative. I'm looking forward to chatting with you and getting answers to my questions. Happy New Year to you all. Judy

oops - hit the submit button three times (sorry)

Submitting my greeting three times.... ooops. will do better next time.

Hello, I don't have a Macomber loom, but it's certainly one I'm considering purchasing. I notice some models are very wide indeed. At what width does it become too hard to use an ordinary shuttle and instead use a fly shuttle? Are fly shuttles available to purchase for the Macomber looms? I haven't had any experience in weaving on a wide loom. My current loom has a 24 inch weaving width but I would really like to weave wider cloth, but I'm just not too sure how wide to go. Many thanks for a very informative forum.

Depends on how tall you are . . . Macomber makes a fly shuttle, but without one you need to be able to throw the shuttle from one edge and catch from the other while depressing a treadle.  If your treadles go out to the edge of the frame, you should consider treadles as part of a stretch test, and the more the shafts tied to the extreme treadles, the harder it becomes.

Most adults should have no problems with 48" unless it's because > 10 shafts are tied to the outside treadles.  Even 60" should be reachable, but they are harder to move indoors. 

You never have to weave full width, after all.

Hello, I am also a Macomber owner. I have a 40" 10H, 14T with a sectional beam. I have owned this loom for about a year and I just love it. I have woven many, many, dish towels and currently I have a rag rug on the loom. This Mac handles both beautifully. 

I recently bought a 4H, 4T counterbalance loom with a pulley system instead of the bars. I have no idea what brand or the age but its almost restored. Does anyone know a website or somewhere within Weavolution re this type of loom? I bumped into a reproduction of a loom with the same pulley system on Weavolution but no info on it.