Our tools need to be able to do the jobs required of them. Sometimes that means changing them to make them work better.
The Leclerc Fanny has breast and back beams that lift off. This is very useful if you need to sit closer to the shafts for threading. Since I have long arms, I never remove the breast beam, anyway, so when I started using the warping valet Doug added a piece of wood that fixes the beam to the loom. In this photo I have just inserted the rough sleyed reed into the beater. The third lease stick is still taped to the back of the reed, holding the loops. The warp has been centred in the beater, using the measuring tape affixed to the bottom of the beater for that purpose.
The next step is to move the third lease stick to the back beam and transfer the loops to the apron rod. Then the warp will be passed under the breast beam and over the warping valet, the loops smoothed and equalized. Then the warp will be beamed.
The photo below shows the 'bumpers' he also added to keep the beater further away from the shafts. At rest the beater was so close to the shafts my fingers would get jammed into the heddles which was not only annoying, but meant I had to weave more slowly. A block added to the castle with a furniture 'foot' did the job quite nicely. When the 'foot' wears out and needs replacing it will be a simple matter to replace it, and the loom will continue to function as I need it to.
6 comments:
Hooray for weavers who have no fear of "damaging" their loom to make it a fitter tool! And Hip Hip Hooray for spouses who are handy with tools and available to help us make improvements to the hardware (or software/firmware). Seems Doug and Mike have a lot in common. Aren't we lucky!
Yes, nothing like having an in-house loom mechanic! :D
Thanks for the snaps of adjustments to the loom. I still have problems altering my equipment because the next owner may not like the attachments but I am slowly coming around to the idea that altering the equipment to work better means the previous owner knew what was going on and will have taken good care of the loom, spinning wheel, etc.
It took me a while, much longer than it should have, to be willing to make modifications to my looms. Like steelwool, I had fears about what the next owner would think, or sometimes even what the prior owner would think, since both my floor looms have a history. Now I'm not afraid, but I often get so used to doing things one way that I don't even think about how to make it easier, and without an in-house mechanic/woodworker/problem solver, I'm slower to figure out how to make a modification that I have decided is needed.
Totally agree with the thought of modifying your loom to make it work more efficiently for the weaver. To me the loom is a tool and that means I am not afraid to try out ideas and adapt my loom to make it do what I need it to do.
Thanks for the photo of the 'bumpers.' The Leclerc I have in Cape Breton came with the residue of many sticky-backed foam pads (which we scraped off). I like that yours attach to the substantial upright piece with screws AND that they're replaceable when the rubber disintegrates. I got my husband to make a trapeze like the Gaelic College has; it holds my front beam in place while beaming, but allows it to be removed for threading.
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