I am thinking about buying a used Glimåkra Standard with a 150 cm (59') weaving width. There are quite a few used looms on offer at reasonable prices in my area, but they are all counterbalance looms, most of them with four shafts and six treadles. I understand, though, that I could easily get the parts to upgrade to eight shafts from a Glimåkra dealer.
I have tried to understand the limitations of a counterbalance loom compared to a contramarche, but being a complete novice, I'm finding it difficult.
I have read about the importance of weaving with a balanced shed on a CB loom, but I don't really understand what a balanced shed is.
I've also read that a CB loom is not as suited for weaving with more than four shafts as a CM is. Others have said that the Glimåkra Standard handles this well. Does anybody have experience and patience to enlighten me on the issues of balanced sheds and shaft count?
Could I use a pattern for eight shafts from the Hand Woven magazine and warp as shown in the pattern on a counterbalance loom, or would I have to adapt it?
Sorry if I've mixed up the weaving terms here, I hope it is legible. I am reading up on floor looms in Norwegian, Swedish and English, and trying to work out which terms correspond in the different languages.
Most of my experience is with jack looms. You should pick your loom based upon the kind of weaving you would like to do - but that's easier when you've been weaving for 20 years. When you are beginning, you don't know what you like to weave.
With a counter balance loom (CB) when one shaft raises another one sinks. There are ways to weave with an unbalanced draft on a CB loom - but I have no experience with how satisfactory those fixes are.
So to determine if a weaving draft is balanced: when you look at a 4 shaft weaving draft - it is a balanced weave if it raises two shafts at a time. If it raises one shaft or three shafts at a time it is unbalanced. To be balanced ( no matter how many shafts) for every shaft that goes up - one must sink.
CB looms have simple tie ups and are probably easier for a beginner to learn. Countermarche looms (CM) require more tie ups - but do give you more flexibility. It is not hard for a beginner to work with a CM but it does require a few more steps to complete the tie up.
There is no perfect loom. My advice is to pick one and enjoy it. If you outgrow it or if it doesn't fit your weaving interests sell it and buy one that does. Weaving is an adventure and exploration. Enjoy.
Stephanie S
Stephanie's advice is good. I'm a beginner, too, but I will put my "two cents" in. I have owned 2 vintage folding CB 4 shaft looms. I did unbalanced weaving on both. The shed was not as good as on balanced weaves, but it worked. Because they were folding, they weren't sturdy enough to handle the tension of weaving rag rugs, which I wanted to do and I soon got "greedy" and wanted more than 4 shafts. Jack looms had too many limitations for me, so my only choice was a CM loom. I found a sweet 8 shaft 10 treadle 39+ in. Varpa CM loom (very similar to a Glimakra Ideal) for a good deal a couple of months ago. My remaining 4 shaft CB will be going up on Craigslist soon. I am only setting it up as a 4 shaft 6 treadle for now until I get more experience. I am finding getting it all set up and balanced is quite a challenge, but I am confident that once it is set up that I can weave anything that I will ever want on it.
Often a used, older 4 shaft CB loom can be purchased for really cheap and it is a great beginner's loom. It's an inexpensive way to see if you really like weaving. If you find that you want more shafts or a different type of loom later on, you probably could sell it for close to what you paid for it. If you really feel that you would LOVE weaving, go ahead and get a CM loom like a Glimakra if you can afford it. They are convertable from CB to CM and more shafts can be added, but be alerted that the Glimakra parts are expensive. A good woodworker might be able to make them for a lot less.
In a larger city, 4 shaft older used CB looms can often be found for under $300. Both of the ones I purchased needed some repair. One was $30 and one was $150. It would be rare to find a Glimakra for under $1000. A Glimakra Standard is a great loom, but they are REALLY big and you need several feet in front and behind it to warp it properly.
I don't think that an 8 shaft pattern can be made to work on a 4 shaft loom.
One last piece of advice. If you do go shopping for used looms, take an experienced weaver with you if possible. It is very easy to buy a loom that needs expensive repairs if you aren't very familiar with them. New looms are lovely but the same in used can cost fractions less.
Good luck and happy weaving
Candace
Yes, it is possible to add more shafts to a counterbalanced loom. It also requires more patience in balancing the shafts... Look up dralltrissor (there should be dots over the a, but I'm borrowing both account and keyboard :-) Dralltrissor used as meant are easy enough to handle (and can take up to 10 shafts on the easily available standard dralltrissor), but there is a limit to what kind of drafts you can use. On my blog, here, I try to explain differences and possibilities about cb looms with more than 4 shafts.
That said - go for a countermarche! Once you have tried one, you will not want to go back to other types! (Biased, me? just a little, having had mine for over 30 years now...)
Kerstin in Sweden, currently borrowing Laura's account
Since used Glimakra looms cost less in Norway and they do here, getting one is a nice way to start weaving on a floor loom. And yes, you can get parts. I would visit a couple used looms and choose the one that looks the best to you, or is the right weaving width for you. And I am sure that there are weavers in your area who can help you to get started and tell you sources for yarns. And you can always write here for help.
Joanne
Thanks to all of you for taking the time to educate me.
I understand what a balanced draft is now, that was a real mystery to me.
I'm glad to hear that it is possible to tweak the CB to handle unbalanced weaving. I will certainly try it, and hopefully learn more about weaving from it.
Joanne, you have hit the nail on the head. It is a lot cheaper to get a used CB loom than a CM here. I live in Norway, close to the Swedish border, and will probably buy one from Sweden. As far as I can see, it is cheaper to buy a used CB and a kit to upgrade it to a CM, bought from a Glimåkra dealership, than to buy a used CM.
Many of the used looms that are available have 4 shafts and six treadles. I would probably upgrade with more treadles first, and wait with converting it to a CM until I really feel the need for it.
