We have a Reed "Cambridge" loom in the collection at the Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum in Vista, CA. In most of the photos and searching I've done about this loom it seems that the Cambridge was a 4 shaft counterbalance loom. The loom we have is a jack type with long continuous cords that go up from one end of the shaft frame, through a series of wood rollers (or pulleys) down to the lams, then back up and over to the other end of the shaft frame. Is anyone familiar with the Cambridge loom with a jack mechanism? There are numerous problems with this loom that make it not very fun to weave on and it appears that previous owners have tried different things to get a better shed and improve its function. People I have consulted who have a Cambridge loom have all been encouraging, saying that they have been happy weavers, but I'm beginning to realize they are all talking about a counterbalance loom. The complexity of the jack mechanism doesn't make me think it was a homemade alteration. Does anyone have any experience with this?
If you have not already done so, I would recommend you post this on some of the more specific forums. This forum is mostly for getting help using Weavolution.
Good luck,
Erica
