I recently found a eight shaft portable floor loom with four levers like a table loom on the front four shafts and four direct tie up treadles on the back four shafts. Anyone ever seen such a thing?
I see Ashford has a new loom out with the same configuration, but why? It seems complicated to use levers and treadles to weave an 8 shaft draft treading
There is good reason for this - there is simply not room for 8 treadles under a table loom - and if the loom maker tries to put them on, the treadle closest to the pivoe is hard to depress and doesn't swing nearly as much as the one farthest away. To avoid disappointment, table looms are sometimes made with 4 treadles and 4 hand levers.
It is a brain teaser to translate an eight shaft pattern unless you just use a lift plan treading. Some times a pattern will require three even four treadles depressed at one time.. Draft selection would need to take this into consideration.
