Pipe loom project!

August 10, 2011

Through no fault of switching this warp from a backstrap loom to a pipe loom, I had a lot of problems with this it.  Threading sequence issues mostly.

It seems the warp was a little wonky tension wise also.  I find this to be problematic, especially on a frame/pipe loom.  In other words, one side of the loom is slightly longer than the other.  This means that to get even tension all the across the warp, you must crank one side of the loom up higher/tighter than the other.  This creates an angle in the top bar, which makes the warp try to slide to the side that is lowest, simply by gravity.  If you tighten it up enough to prevent most of this, it is too tight to warp face weave comfortably.  If it loosened to the point of comfort, on side of the warp is baggy and troublesome.  It is alot easier to have floats and missed threads in a very loose warp.  Lots of room for errors in general.  Plus it will look different from one side to the other side.

So here are pictures of what I could salvage from the project, be assured that I am back on my backstrap.  Working diligently on getting a workable system going again.  Pictures will be coming soon.

As you can see they are small and I sacrificed alot of the warp by starting over three times and trying to work out the 'kinks'.  This is the front side.

If you look closely you will see the back side of the one to the far left.  The green is double stranded with two shades of green, the white is single.  Notice how it made the white threads pull to an angle, kind of like little v's to make the design on the back.  Interesting.  I kind of like it.

These pieces have no particular destination at the moment, they are just in my box of things that will probably be gifted out, maybe even at Christmas.

Conversion from backstrap to pipe loom.

August 7, 2011

Previous set up in my new home with the backstrap loom.  Notice how I have to brace the chair with my feet to keep it from coming into my lap.  Painful on my hips to sit with my legs straight out after a couple of hours weaving.  Probably because I have to keep pressure on the chair to keep it from coming over into my lap.

So I went to storage and got out my Archie Brenan Pipe loom.  Laid the backstrap on the bed (it was already totally set up and secure), slid out the loom bars.  Slid in the pipe loom between the warp layers (this is a rotatable circular warp).  Then extended the loom to the correct tension with the nuts you see on the threaded side rods.  Easy peasy.  No more hyper extended legs, and alot less hip pain. 

Now I simply lay the far end against a table in much the same fashion alot of folks use their rigid heddle looms.

The two Home Depot sticks are my lease sticks and have been pushed to the back side of the warp.  They are usually just to the backside behind the top beam as stoppers on this circular warp.  Unfortunately I had a few issues with this warp and moved them further down so that I could organize the threads.  All of the problem areas are to the bottom of these sticks and will be fringe at the end of the weaving.  It was the only way I could keep from trashing this warp of very fine threads.  My heart is definitely not in this one.