# Weaving Loom - but what kind is it??



## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Nick and I found this old loom at a local resale shop, fell in love with it, saved our pennies (okay, DOLLARS), bought it, and brought it home.

Trouble is, we have no idea exactly what kind of loom it is. Whilst looking for directions on how to use it, I discovered that there are more kinds of looms than I'd ever imagined - and, I daresay, many more ways to create with them.

Can anyone help us solve this puzzle? Here are the pics:
























(oh, look! Al E Katt got in the picture!)

TIA for any help and suggestions!


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

Wow! I have never seen a loom like that before, but it is awesome! Looks very nice and compact for keeping next to the wall, and I would daresay, looking at how it is warped now, that you weave from the top down. Does the upper beam move at all? Is it a rigid heddle type loom?


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

I dont know what it is, it looks like it would be a lot of fun to play with, or just clean up and have on display. Congratulations!


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## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

I think is is not a loom but part of a loom. 

You should go on Weavolution.com and post the picture there.

There are a LOT of loom geeks there that will tell you what you have.

Have a good day!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Does it extend at all, Pony?

I'm thinking it weaves from the bottom up, with the finished cloth on the upper beam. It does look to be a rigid heddle. Does the handle on the right side move the top & bottom beams or does it make the shed wider?


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

It looks like it is folded to me. The reed in the first picture is facing up and should be horizontal. But it does look like it is warped strangely. It must be folded up some how. Weever will come along and maybe set us and it straight.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Svenska Flicka, God morgon! Hur Ã¤r det? The upper beam moves forward/back, as well as up/down on springs/wheels.

Pearl: Isn't it cool?? But I really do want it to be functional; if I can't figure it out, we'll sell it. This place is so cluttered already.... 

Rabbitgeek: I am overwhelmed by Weavolution! Intend to go back there today, but when I found it last night, I was loomed out. SO much info!!

Cyndi, yes, it weaves from bottom up, and the finished cloth rolls on to the upper beam. Now that I've figured out what a heddle is/are, yeah, the metal bars with holes in them are fixed.

It appears that the shuttle is passed through the warp, then that bar on top is pulled toward the operator; shuttle passed again, and bar pushed back. Then, the whole bar gets pushed downward (it's on springs/wheels) and you do it again?

We know precious little about weaving, but that's the way we have it figured so far based on what we have in front of us.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Marchwind said:


> It looks like it is folded to me. The reed in the first picture is facing up and should be horizontal. But it does look like it is warped strangely. It must be folded up some how. Weever will come along and maybe set us and it straight.


Hey, Marchwind! Long time no see!

Who is this Weever of whom you speak? Sounds like a mystical sort... 

What is a reed? (Yeah, I have only enough info to be dangerous...)


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

I don't know, Marchie. I can't see where it extends at all. See the first pic? It looks like the legs are pegged into the frame.

I'm thinking the handle moves the upper beam changing the shed of the heddle.

Looks like we were posting at the same time, sister!

The reed is another name for the heddle.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Okay I see what you are saying. Hmm the only type of loom I know of that weaves that way is a tapestry type of loom but this doesn't look like one of those.

Now I have never done it but supposedly you can take a picture and post it on Google as an inquiry. Maybe give it a try.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

I posted over on weavolution, see what they say.

Thanks, Everyone, for the suggestions! I'll check back in later! 

(I am so excited about this....)


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

Ive been looking around on this sight. And somehow to me, your loom looks kinda like this.

http://www.villagespinweave.com/
Floor loom, 4,8,or more shafts









http://www.villagespinweave.com/IBS/SimpleCat/Shelf/ASP/Hierarchy/0402/pg/2.html


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## ariesgoat (Jul 27, 2010)

I am by no means an expert about looms, but it looks like this is a rigid heddle loom. It appears that the heddle is actually fixed in the frame of the loom and the shed is changed by moving the handle back and forth. It seems to be a floor model rigid heddle loom and you can actually sit on a chair and weave on it. It's awesome. Do you have a wood shuttle that you can wind the yarn on to weave the weft?


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Pearl, it's not set up for treadles at all. That's a cool looking loom, though.

Ariesgoat, I think you're right. I'm going to google rigid heddle loom. 

Yes, we do have shuttles to weave the weft. There's also a sort of handle thingy I'll have to take a pic of yet. Can't figure out what it's for. Heck, it may belong to something entirely apart from the loom.


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

Pony: Jag Ã¤r mycket bra! Hu mur du? Once you get everything set up and weaving, do you think you could take a video or series of pictures of how it works? I would be very interested to see!


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

SvenskaFlicka said:


> Pony: Jag Ã¤r mycket bra! Hu mur du? Once you get everything set up and weaving, do you think you could take a video or series of pictures of how it works? I would be very interested to see!


Tack, skapligt. (I grew up in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood; love the culture, and remember a very few phrases. I think we've run the gamut of my conversational skills.)

Once I get up and running, I'll do a vid or at least pics. I've had mixed responses in various places, one person on another forum was rather... well, negative. No idea where her head is, but I'm still excited about the possibilities with this little loom.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

I just realized that it really can't go up, b/c that would be backwards...

Oy.

I'll keep playing with it.Going to the library Monday to see what books they can get in for me to read.


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## weever (Oct 1, 2006)

Chiming in late to admit that I haven't a clue! But I can't wait to see what you get worked out. 

Never seen such a thing...


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## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

my dh is asking if you can move the lever back and forth?
it also looks like on the top is something that would be like the reed on the rigid heddle loom. so if the lever can be moved and that this would create the shed for the weft???

disclaimer.... we are absolute no weever, just a rigid heddle loom with very little time spend on it


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## maude73529 (May 10, 2002)

Pony i don't know what kind it is but i have one just like it. If you find out what kind, please post it here or pm me. I would love to know what kind it is. I want to weave on it but i can't figure out how to warp it. If anyone knows please let me know. thanks


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

maude73529 said:


> Pony i don't know what kind it is but i have one just like it. If you find out what kind, please post it here or pm me. I would love to know what kind it is. I want to weave on it but i can't figure out how to warp it. If anyone knows please let me know. thanks


Sweet! Is yours an old one, too?

I've just received an email from Joyce at http://rigidheddleweaving.com/

She's never seen a loom like ours, but she's doing some looking around, too. She's a very helpful and positive person, and her site shows all sorts of things - especially how to warp your loom! 

I'll keep you posted as to what I discover, Maude. Hey, could you share some pics of your loom?


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## Susan n' Emily in TN (May 10, 2002)

Hi all, it has been ages since I have been on this site. I just had to chime in on this on. This loom has a sectional warp beam. The pegs on the back crossed pieces are for holding the spools of yarn. You can search online for tutorials on that. I actually did a couple of posts late last year on my blog.
I am not sure how the rest of it works, but it does look like a rigid heddle, which has the reed and heddle in one. I would bet that arm swings back and forth, and that the heddle either raises to meet the woven cloth or I have even seen one where the woven cloth falls to meet the stachionary heddle. 
Good luck, and let us know.


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## Susan n' Emily in TN (May 10, 2002)

Sorry for the double post, but I was just looking at the first picture again. There is a slot along the side below the arm. I think that you push the arm down so that the woven cloth meets the heddle. There may be a pin locking it in place, so check for that. That little wheel may have something to do with changing sheds.
Can you tell I would love to get my hands on it to try it out!


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Yes, the arm moves back and forth as well as up and down. I'm still confused about how the piece is rolled, though. It looks like it goes up, but then how would I do subsequent rows of weft?


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Susan n' Emily in TN said:


> Sorry for the double post, but I was just looking at the first picture again. There is a slot along the side below the arm. I think that you push the arm down so that the woven cloth meets the heddle. There may be a pin locking it in place, so check for that. That little wheel may have something to do with changing sheds.
> Can you tell I would love to get my hands on it to try it out!


I wish you were closer, so you could get your hands on it and give me some assistance!

I know absolutely nothing about weaving. The librarian is ordering some books through interlibrary loan for me.

Hey, Maude - where are you? Close enough for us to put our heads together on this thing?


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## Susan n' Emily in TN (May 10, 2002)

Ok, let's think about it. You have the arm towards you, opening the first shed. Run the shuttle thru the shed (it may run across the heddle easily), push the arm down, beating in the weft, now at the same time push the arm away from you, changing the shed. Run the shuttle thru again, push the arm down to beat in the weft, and then towards you, changing the shed. 

I would do it first without any yarn in the shuttle. Up and down, back and forth til you get a rythym going. Try to catch the shuttle in such a way so that you can easily just throw it back again, thumb on top, fingers below, pointer finger on the tip ready to push the shuttle back. You use the empty hand that threw the shuttle to do the beating. First one and then the other, make both of your hands work equally. Just try it out, you don't have to beat hard. 

*Be sure and oil/wax any moving parts*. Clean it up with murphys oil soap and wax it with Howards Clean and Feed, (I think it is called that)

I would use a yarn that is similar in weight to the warp, for an even weave. I have seen some beautiful scarves done on a fixed heddle loom, but you won't get there in a day!


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## maude73529 (May 10, 2002)

Hey Pony i live in south central Okla. If i could post a picture on here i would send you pictures of the loom. but it looks exactly like yours.


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## maude73529 (May 10, 2002)

I don't know if i can do this or not but here they are. I guess i can't do it sorry.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Maude go to the sticky at the top of the forum. Karen put one there about posting Photos. If you do or can't use Photo bucket, try Flickr.com and I can guide you through that. It's really easy, really


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Been feeling a little crummy the past week, and I'm performing in a play, but I am following this thread = and becoming more excited about the possibilities with this loom!

Maude (love your name, BTW), if you can't figure out how to post pics, I'll shoot you my email in p.m., you can send to me, and I'll get them up for you.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

maude73529 said:


> Hey Pony i live in south central Okla. If i could post a picture on here i would send you pictures of the loom. but it looks exactly like yours.


South central OK... well, not exactly neighbors, but sorta kinda in the neighborhood.


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