# Loom Plans



## th_Wolverine (Apr 15, 2013)

After a lot of looking around the dark corners of Google, it irritated me to find so little literature on how to build a loom.
Correction: It irritated me how there were no FREE or EASY literature available on the subject.
So I set out on a quest to find and make available the information I myself was being denied. Now, I am no expert at all, I've only woven small items on the simplest of looms, BUT I have not done more because the next step up for me would have cost me way more money than I have to dedicate to the matter. 
So Finally I found some instructions, but they are poorly written and illustrated. So the last day or so I've taken it upon myself to decipher the mess into google SketchUp for a 3D model that I can then see, analyze, and build myself. 

So to help other people who want to build their own looms as well I am going to keep this Thread up to document my procedures, costs, and dimensions as well as gather feedback from all ya'll as I work out the hiccups! Maybe by the time I'm done I can post a cognitive PDF file that will allow those that are as frustrated as I FREE access to a set of tried and true plans.

Heres the mock up as it is now. I will be writing my plan down tonight and going to Lowes tomorrow for the pieces. In theory, you should be able to take this set of plans and make it larger if you want a bigger loom. Cheers!



:nanner:


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

Hello & Welcome, & Thank you!!

That looks really nice.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Welcome to The Fold Th_Wolverine! This will be a great thread to follow thank you. are you trying to build a floor loom or a tabletop loom?

Here some links I found that might help you.
http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/webdocs/df1_loom.pdf

http://www.pvcloom.com/?page_id=16

http://www.allbookez.com/weaving-loom-plans/


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

Welcome aboard! This could be an interesting thread...


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## sn4k3grl (Feb 25, 2014)

I have seen one done entirely of PVC pipes that Marchwind posted. I don't know how sturdy it would be though, depending on how big it was. Can't wait to see how this one turns out. What dimensions are you using?


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## th_Wolverine (Apr 15, 2013)

Hey all! Thanks for the encouragement and the links! The picture is made off a 3D model for using 1x2s and 1x4s. Unfortunately the lack of posting is due to my laptop crashing and so I've had to redesign the whole thing but I decided a small loom wouldn't be worth the hassle for the weaving projects I want to do and sell as a supplement to my income. So I'll be working on that this week provided the weather clear up


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

I've always thought a lot of the fiber tools are over priced. Although it would be worthwhile to buy a heddle or set of reeds since that would be real fiddly to make.

Are you finding SketchUp useful? I've a tendency to use AutoCAD for stuff like that, but then sharing is always difficult since so few other folks have AutoCAD. Can SketchUp show dimensions? It's hard to get an idea of scale. Although if those are 1x2s and 1x4s, then it's a table top sized loom?


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## th_Wolverine (Apr 15, 2013)

Hey! Yes I do love sketchup for its ease and you can chose to show dimensions if you wish, you can also share the file and if people click the parts they can see how long they are etc. 

Reed is the only part I'm looking at maybe buying. I saw a guy who used two threaded rods and Popsicle sticks spacing them with washers but that might be more trouble than it's worth.


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

I found a rigid heddle (which is sort of like a reed) at Paradise Fibers which fixed an old loom that was laying around here. 

They also have wires with loops in each end and in the middle of them, those are less expensive, although I'm not sure what they're called. I was thinking of getting a bunch of split rings like what fisherfolks use and use those for the center circle bit that the warp runs through. It would be fiddly and fussy to get it set up the first time, tying two ends of string to each circle and then tying them (loose enough that they will slide sideways) to a bar above and below. Hmm, might be easier to look at getting rings big enough to slide along a rod - like shower curtain rings but smaller and use those to slide on the upper and lower bars.

Hmm, could also make a jig and use the stainless steel that ocean fisherfolks use for leaders to make a wire with a loop at each end and one in the middle.

Although all that is merely a part of loom making. There's still the frame for the wires to go on.


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

Today I was at Menards scoping out wood to make a twinning loom. They have some really pretty oak and some maple that is not that expensive. I have seen some that have nails on the top and bottom and some that have dowel pegs. Not sure which would be better.


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