Having been thoroughly re-infected by the weaving bug, I'm about to get another floor loom (a trade for a table loom) this week. It's a nice solid heavy loom that will be a lot better than my Harrisville for weaving rugs and what I would like to do is move the rug warp I have on the Harrisville to the barn loom. I had thought that if I backed up the back beam of the H'ville to the barn loom's front I could sley the reed and heddle of the barn loom and tie on to it's warp beam. I figure I would then be able to just wind on. Is this the right way to do it? Any suggestions to make it as easy/quick as possible?
All the suggestions folks gave me for getting my Macomber properly set up were much appreciated. It's a very pleasant loom to use and I don't ever see it being empty as long as there is thread! Thanks again for all the help.
Jeannie
You can also remove the warp carefully from your Harrisville by choke tying it frequently and chaining it like a new warp.
Then slip the loops (you should still have them at the end) over the tieon stick and using a raddle, beam the warp with packing material.
Then thread the heddles. Then sley the reed.
This is the correct warping method for barn looms.
I just did this a week ago. Moved a piece in progress from a smaller Mirrix loom to a larger one (with shedding device). This is what I wrote in my blog:
Transferring a beaded piece from one loom to another
They said it could not be done! Well, not really. They hoped it could be done.A while back Fire Mt. Gems asked me to create a bead tapestry on an eight inch loom. The picture was to be somewhere in their catalogue or on their site. I don't remember where it ended up and if it even ended up anywhere.The other day I was asked if I could whip up a weaving on a loom with a shedding device (they realized they had not pictures of bead weavings on a loom with a shedding device). They needed it yesterday. I told them it would take me at least a month to weave such a piece and that I don't have time to do that but I could possibly transfer the piece that was on the eight inch loom onto a twelve inch loom. They were shocked and pleasantly surprised. The eight inch loom in question had been living at NOA Gallery for a long time. I needed to retrieve the loom and work my magic. I picked up the loom yesterday. This is how she looked:
Eight inch loom with bead weaving
The transformation is below. Granted, this is not a functional setup. There are half the number of warps one needs to actually weave, but the piece is already woven and all they needed was it to look like the shedding device is functional. Yes, I am endlessly patting myself on the back for this. The reason I am sharing this is to show you that you can transfer a weaving from one Mirrix to the next or even from another loom to a Mirrix if the universe lines up correctly. I have to say this was even fun to do and I was pleased as can be with the results. Fire Mt. Gems is thrilled.
Transformation complete!
I don't see a problem winding on the new warp from the back beam of the Harrisville. I would bring the warp up over the back beam from the inside and then do like you said. Sley the reed and the heddles and tie on to the warp beam. This would be the same as dressing the loom FTB.
Have fun, I look forward to talking to you on the Macomber group site.
Michael
Except barn looms are usually not dressed FTB. Would be a good chance to get used to the new equipment.
I would do what you are most comforatable going; B2F or F2B.
I'm a B2F person myself and I would sit that Harrisville up to the new loom, back or front where ever there is room. Then use the Harrisville reed as a raddle and tie the end of the warp on to the back beam of the Barn loom then beam it on. The warp would still be going thru' the heddles and reed of the Harrisville keeping it spread and in perfect order, the brake on the Harrisville relaxed to allow it to unwind. At the end of the beaming I'd use the Harrisville shafts to insert the lease sticks before I cut it loose from the old loom. Then thread and sley as usual.
I just got back from teaching in Rochester NY. There is a center there where weaving classes are taught, so there are many looms there. Sometimes there just are not enough looms. Since some students come just once a week, it is common to take the project off the loom so that another weaver can use the loom during the week. But of course, one needs to invest in more beams if you leave the warp on the beam, plus heddles and reeds to keep the warp and project intact. Actually we do this when we take looms to weaving conferences. We need to take the projects off the looms and take the looms apart to pack them into the trailer.
Joanne
Well, I take the price for silliness. The 'new' loom isn't a classic barn loom, it's a 4-harness JL Hammett, probably a good thing because fitting a barn loom into the space currently available would have required a large shoe horn. I'm very pleased with the Hammett and except for replacing the apron on the cloth beam and all the cords, it's in good shape. The sectional warp beam even has rug warp on it that seems to be in good shape and order. I'd only seen the loom once over a year ago, so I'm not quite as daft as I might seem. Thanks for the suggestions on how to most easily move a warp. I have a lot of rag weft ready to weave, so that task will still happen fairly soon.
Hi Michael,
I'm "not authorized to" access/enter the page you linked to~
you would have to join that group. Here is a link to Hammett looms manuals: http://weaversfriend.com/page1/page3/page3.html
Michael
