I am going to look at this loom tomorrow. I know the photos arent the greatest, but if any macomber users read this and see the photos, can you tell me what you think of it? Do you see any glaring problems? Any advice on what to look for or check out? Thanks.
Hi, Macombers are work horses, that is why they are used by a lot of schools and universities. From this picture I do not see any jacks, could just be the picture. You can see other Macombers here www.handweaver.us .You can see the jacks on the first page of the web site and other looms under My Looms. Check to see if all the parts for the brake are there. Macomber is still in busness and you can get parts for all the looms. If you have any question email me at whpenfield@hotmail.com or call 706 453-7603
Michael
Michael,
This is the smaller, portable loom and doesn't have the jacks at the top as do the larger Macombers. These would push up from the bottom under the harnesses or shafts. However, it's pix are not clear enough to see everything that might need to be seen to comment on condition. The brake will probably be a simple ratchet and pawl, pulled loose with a cord at the top right (which may or may not be there)--not by a foot release at the front of the loom. I once had a loom like this and frequently a few nuts and bolts would work loose since it's made as a folding, more portable loom... I'd say also check about those. Also see if the harnesses (shafts), which are fairly thin and run in grooves inside the frame of the loom, are not bent. It appears to be possibly an 8 harness loom--is this the case? If so, should have 10 treadles. The serial # stamped on the label at the side may be able to be used by the company to identify the build date.
Tommye
Tommye
Hi Tommye, Thanks for the information about the "jacks". It looks like a nice loom I hope the price is right.
Michael
I thought that the blurry model number plate read "CP" for the smaller loom. I will definitely check the shafts to see if they are bent, make sure all the treadles are intact. There appears to be some rust on the reeds, so I hope the rest of the loom is in good shape. I will let you know. I hope the price is right too - not sure if they are asking too much, but wont know until I see it.
Gail
Gail... also look under the shafts at the metal parts there to sure no bending is there. The treadles will connect to those with metal hooks thru holes. There are "super hooks" sold by Macomber now that clip over the metal part... work better because they don't jiggle out of the holes. I'd expect, based on what I paid for the use 8-shaft, 24" CP a number of years ago, a price of $450 to $500 would be reasonable if the loom's in good shape. Mine wove a lot of things but I passed it on to a young university art student when I realized it had been sitting beside my tapestry looms looking sad for a year or so! An advantage is that Macomber will have parts and pieces, if you need them, if the loom is sound.
I dont know if the loom is in great shape, but nothing seemed broken. The wood definitley needs some TLC and conditioning, but nothing appeared too bad. The aprons need to be replaced, but that is probably not a big deal. I dont know how many tie up hooks there should be, but there are about 10, only one of which is slightly bent. I will probably take your advice and get the "super hooks".
It is an 8 shaft, none of the shafts appear to be bent, but some of the lamms have slipped out of the holders on the shaft bottoms. I assume, correctly, I hope, that they just slip into those slots on the shaft bars. The brake dogs seemed to hold and the little wire that slips over the dog is there and unbroken. Some rust on the shaft bars, but I think that will come off easily enough with steel wool. The serial number is CP11 2952.
They were asking $200 and that made me hesitate, so they offered it for $100. I scooped it up. Figured that was worth it for an 8 shaft workshop loom. Guess I will be calling Macomber for some advice. I dont even know how to take the treadle hooks out. I would like to take the shafts out completely to sand and oil them, but dont know how they lift out (except for the two that are no longer connected to the lamms.
I hope it wasnt a stupid move - Ive made a few of those.
Gail
Great news about the little loom! No... don't think it was a stupid move--and remember "stupid move" is all relative to the end result, isn't it?! :))
From what you're describing $100 is a bargain if all is functioning OK. Yes, the shafts should be able to be completely taken out so you can clean them... just unhook them from the lamms. When working with my 8 shaft and only using 4, I'd sometimes take the others out if the heddles were in the way. Yes, give Macomber a call and someone there should be able to help you out. For a small loom it really can work quite well. And as you can see from the size of it folded up, it can be a good workshop or vacation loom. It's a bit heavy to lift by ones' self (at least I found it to be) to carry... but I was able to either use its little rollers and the strap at the side--or to put it on a luggage carrier and wheel it away.
I think you'll like it a lot once you give it the TLC it needs. Give it a pat for me! Keep us all informed about developments.
Tommye
Oh... also, about tie-up hooks. You probably want about three or four per treadle, so you should have 10 treadles; I'd say 40 would be a gracious plenty. Don't know the cost but will add up to a bit. About the aprons, Macomber may have that size--or you could consider replacing with texsolv, maybe.
And... one more thing and then I'll hush and let you work on your loom!
There's a great blog about Macombers and a section of it is devoted to the Baby Macs, the CPs:
http://macomberloomsandme.blogspot.com/
I just looked quickly but there's lots of info about all things you'll be wanting to know about there, I think.
Tommye
Definitely look at this blog. Also, you can email or call Sarah with any of your questions. It's much easier to reach her than Macomber. They're a very small shop and don't answer the phones when they're working on building looms.
You got it for a great price. Way less than I paid for mine.
Sara's great to work with.
I have a 16 inch Add - a - Harness (which sadly, you *can't* add to) that I got for $125 earlier this year. This is a wonderful loom -- tremendously easy to work with and I think you both got a smoking deal AND will be very happy with it.
If your reeds are too rusted/corroded, you can either get a new reed from the company via Sara or you can get one custom made.
From my experience, it seems to be a loom that is easy to work on, work with, and is very forgiving of less than ideal treatment. A real plus is that it folds up, and you can haul it places -- I've taken mine to many classes, project in place, and it takes very little to get it back in place.
Gail, sounds like a great buy. 10 hooks on a 8 shaft is too few. Two per shaft min. I would say, 4 per is better. It all depents on the pattern you are weaving. To remove the hooks, pick up on the treadle (pedal) and let the hook drop, pull it forward and up and unhook it from the lam. The super hooks Tommye talked about slip over the top of the lam so you do not have to hunt for the hole. The whole loom can be taken apart, take pictures or good notes. For advise or parts you will be better off emailing Sarah at sarah@sarahhaskell.com or going to the web site Tommye gave you. Sarah is the Macomber sales rep. Here is the price list for the CP http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zF80bd8NRiw/SkzqwkoonjI/AAAAAAAAAUA/fCCeViGCloE/s1600-h/pricelist.3.jpg
I hope you are sitting down when you look at the price for a new 24/8 loom.
Enjoy weaving on your Macomber,
Michael
Thanks so much to all who answered my questions. I havent had time to do much with the loom and it has been too hot to even think about working on it. I did out of curiosity take some fine sandpaper to the beater (which looked in the worst shape finish-wise) and it appears that a few coats of watco oil will really help this loom.
I will definitely contact Sarah about parts, how-to's, etc. I see on her blog that she has a photo of a loom with wheels - I would love to add that.
Michael, you are right about the price of the new looms compared to this one. From the model number plate, though, I can tell that this loom is from pre-1976, so has seen some wear and possibly neglect. It also looks like it is made from some type of laminate wood and Im not sure if the new ones are the same or if they are a solid wood now. Either way, I guess I cant argue about the price I paid for it. I was going to ask if they would take a lower price, but the sellers made that offer before I had to.
Thanks again.
Gail
Gail, I do not know about the wood on the CP. I think all the Macs are Maple wood. I do not think any oil is going to do you any good. You can try it. I think the finish is lacquer. I would not take sandpaper to the rust. I would look under rust in the search block (top right) If the rust is light and you remove the finish with your sandpaper you will always be fighting the rust. Try WD 40 and a rag to see if it is just surface rust.
Have fun,
Michael
Oh Michael! I am so glad I just read this old post of yours...I have been struggleling for about 2 hours trying to tie up my treddles...I am doing a 8 harness twill, with another two harnesses dedicated to plain weave...and this is the first time I have used my newly aquired B5 Macomber. I had enough of the old style hooks to do the 8 treddles in the twill (32 hooks, but needed 5 more to tie up the plain weave treddles...and I found that I had some of the new style hooks...so I have had my pliers out, and a wire cutter, and totally mangled one hook trying to get the darn thing into the little hole that the old style hooks go into...really I feel so foolish...and then I read your sentence that says they hook over the entire bar....and I was composing a letter to Macomber in my head..quite a strong letter it was too!...so totally humbled! But now I'm all tied (or hooked) up and ready to thread my reed! I will try to put a picture on this site!
We love pictures. So glad you found what you needed on Weavolution.
Claudia
Rebecca, glad I was able to help. If you look at the Mac. web site (blog) of Sara (Their rep) http://macomberloomsandme.blogspot.com/
It states that you should not mix the old and new hooks. Well we mix hooks on all of our Macs. and never had a problem. I have read that sometimes the new hooks will catch on a adjoining frame. Also the slot in the treadle sometimes will close up which will cause that pedal to lift when a other one is lifted. I am off this weekend (weather permitting) to pickup a B4 48 inch 8H Mac from NC. EGR? Enlighten me. Sent me a IM
We would love to see pictures of your weaving.
You will fall in love with your Mac, enjoy it
Michael
I have almost finished refurbishing this loom. I didnt have many hooks to tie up the treadles and didnt want to invest in a new supply because I have heard so many complaints about the hooks coming off. So I tried several hare-brained ideas with nylon rope and beads and jump rings, none of which worked or would be easy to change tie ups. Finally, I broke down and ordered some texsov cord and pegs and will change the tieup to texsolv.
As a test, I used the few hooks that I have for plain weave towels on all 8 shafts. The harnesses are all raising easily and smoothly, the beater is pretty even and I think the loom is working well with two exceptions - I am not sure if it is the idiosyncracy of the loom or if something needs to be adjusted.
The exceptions to perfect working involve the brake release and the cloth beam ratchet. The original chain for the brake release was broken and replaced with a cord that has also broken. I am not sure what length of chain or cord I should install - should it just be enough to make it taut when I pull that little wire loop thing? I dont know how well that will work because right now I need to pull with extreme tension on the remaining piece of cord to get the dog to release from the teeth.
I have almost the opposite problem with the cloth beam. When I advance the warp, the dog does not catch the teeth of the gear on its own - I have to push it down into place each advance of a tooth.
Advancing the warp on this loom is, therefore, not easy or pleasant. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks.
gail
Gail. Can you sent picture of the brakes? You can get a piece of chain at any hardware store. Since I don't have a baby Mac. I can not write from experence. But it sounds to me like the angle of release is wrong. On the big Macs I have notice that the cloth beam will move over and the dog will not catch. I added washers to the shaft and eliminated this problem. You should not be having this kind of trouble with your Mac. It sounds like it just need a little adjusting.
Michael
Thanks, Michael. I think you are right about the angle of release being wrong - I was trying to release the warp beam brake by pulling on the remnant of cord that was still attached to the pawl. When I put on a new (temporary) cord and pulled from the point of attachment at the castle, things went a little smoother. Still difficult to release the brake, but if I let some tension off the warp by releasing the cloth beam a little, I could much more easily release the pawl from the warp beam ratchet.
The cloth beam issue still has me stymied. I am adding photos here of both ratchets.
Cloth beam:
Warp beam ratchet:
Try losing the screws a little, Move the dog/pawl by hand they should move freely. I would put a nylon washer on either side of the screw. I think you have the dog/pawl jammed too tight.
Gail, I've got a Baby Mac and I just took a look at the brakes. First, you need to release the tension before pulling the cloth beam brake release. It's one of the quirks of the Baby Mac. If you don't, when you release the brake, it will spin on you. I think Mike's suggesion to loosen the screw holding the pawl on the cloth beam brake will do the trick. On the warp beam, the chain should extend from the pawl to the little finger pull release in the top right side of the castle, once the tension has been released from the front beam, the brake release for the warp beam should behave normally (coincidentally, the holes in the castle on both sides, below the brake release lever on the right, are for a pin that goes through when all shafts are lifted so they remain up and it makes it much easier to thread. These can be easily assembled from coat hanger wire if they're missing). Also check your springs on the pawls to make sure they are providing enough tension to snap the pawl back onto the ratchet brake for you. You've got a lovely loom and it was a steal at $100! Good for you!
Well preacher, thanks for your input. We will get Gail's loom working smoothly. How many snow blowers have you worn out this Winter?
Michael, a former NYer
HOORAY!!! Thanks, Michael. I did loosen the pawl screw a little and that, combined with bending the little spring holder (I figured I could always get a new one if I messed it up) seems to have worked. I will put another test warp on and see if the cloth beam works while actually weaving.
Gail
Thanks so much for your advice. I actually discovered by accident that I could release the brake more easily if I let the tension release from the cloth beam, but I wasnt sure if that is how it was supposed to be. Its good to get the reinforcement that it is, indeed, an idiosyncracy of the loom.
Bending that spring a little to increase the tension on the front pawl did the trick - combined with Michael's suggestion to loosen the pawl screw, the pawl now drops back into the teeth of the ratchet on its own - at least when I just turn everything by hand. I will have to test it with an actual warp on the loom.
I did know about the lower holes for the pins to hold the shafts up for threading, but I have not been able to make them work. When I tried to do that, the pins would just bend and never get into the back holes. I gave up and just held the treadles down (not very comfortable on the back).
Thanks again. I am mechanically and woodworking incompetent, so I am very pleased that I got this abused loom working with the help I have received here.
Gail
Michael, by the way, I am also a former NYer. Whenever I think about moving back there, I look at the weather reports in the winter and that makes me stop and think for a little while.
Gail
It was a very nice day here with a high of 72F (23C). Cheryl and I had lunch by Lake Oconee, a man made hydroelectric producing lake. I spent 10 years in the tropics thanks to the Marines. Going back to NY was a killer. With the cold snap two weeks ago Cheryl say, "We didn't move south enought"
Let me know how your loom works once you get it dressed.
Michael
Michael, I put another warp on the loom - just a narrow pinwheel scarf - and except for the cloth beam ratchet and pawl, the loom is working great (cant say the same for me, having made several stupid weaving errors). At first, even the cloth beam pawl was working great, but after several advances of the warp, the pawl does not engage the teeth of the ratchet without physically being pushed down. I did loosen the screw and bent the wire holddown spring a little, but the fixes dont last. I still have to add the nylon washers - do you think that will make the adjustments last? Or should I order a new spring wire thing?
Thanks.
Gail
