Thanks,
Cathy S/Willowwind
Hi Cathy, This should not happen! Assuming that your consumer laws are similar to ours in Australia, I would be returning it, with the receipt, to where I bought it, explaining the problem and asking for a replacement. If that failed too I'd be wanting my money back!
I don't know how the ratchet is set into the back and front beams on your model loom, but there should be no way they slip! I do have a replacement older-style metal Ashford ratchet. It fits over the end of the beam, and has a square hole where the end of the beam is shaped and goes in, and then a screw goes into the very end of the wood to hold it all in place, and I assume that the nylon ratchet is set up the same. Its not very deep, so maybe the wood at end of the beams is damaged and has splintered? The drill hole for the screw would only need to be fractionally off centre for this to happen.
That said, I have a 12 inch Knitters Loom and have given it quite a work out under tension, and am very happy with its performance. and there are any other satisfied Ashford loom users around, so it does sound as if you unfortunately hit the lemon. Ashford should be aware of this problem. I don't know if they have a head office you can contact, but I would start with the retailer first.
Good luck!
My husband built a frame for the Ashford. We checked the ratchet & pawls to be sure they are on correct & they are. I think part of the problem with slippage was having to move it out of my lap &on the table every time I had to get up. I'll give it another try with the frame & see what happens.
Cathy S.
Just an update on the ratchet & pawl propblem I "had". The stand helped the problem a lot.. The tension has stayed steady ever since I put the loom on the floor stand. Perhaps moving it around caused the problem in the first place.
Cathy S/Willowwind
Hi Cathy,
When I first got my Kromski, I had the same problem and I found the stand made a big difference, too. I still check and tighten my brake before every new project but it usually holds through a project. I have also found that folding a project is problematic and the tension is lost whenever I have attempted to do so with a project on the loom. I have taken to securing the beams and just transporting my loom open when I travel with it.
Glad to hear things are working out better. How fortunate you DH was able to put something together for you. Can we see some pictures of it?
Thanks,
Claudia
I have also found folding my KL causes tension problems; it never goes back the same, grrrrr. Fortunately my loom is the smaller one so its not any more difficult to carry it open than shut. The idea of collapsing it is great for storage, and as a selling point, but not so hot if you have to take it somewhere with a project underway.
Thanks Caroline, it's good to know I'm not the only one unable to maintain tension when I fold a warped rh loom. You're right, it's a good selling point but difficult to execute.
Happy weaving, with an open rh loom,
Claudia
On my practice piece, the same thing happened, but I think I was pulling too tight. I did order the stand, but they sent the wrong size. I am now waiting for the correct cross pieces and hope this helps.
I had this same problem with my Kromski Harp. I cured it by using a C clamp from the hardware store and securing the ratchet. It happened once when I had a large project on the loom and the warp was never the same after that. Now even though I know the looms limitations I use the c clamp 'just in case'!
There's a really simple fix for the rear pawl. I used a simple "turn-button", drilled a pilot hole and used a short threaded nail to get a good friction fit. So easy to turn on and off that it's become an unconscious motion when I advance the warp. I've never had problems with the front pawl, so I didn't do anything to it. Sorry, a computer glitch keeps me from posting a picture or a link here, but if you go to my projects and look at the "Ashford Loomstand" you can see what I did. I call it my "pawl lock". If you do this, you MUST drill the pilot hole so you won't split the wood on your loom. My little piece of wood is 5/8" x 1 1/2" x 1/8", but this measurement is not critical. You could use something more finished and prettier if you wanted to.
I have tried to do two projects on my new Ashford 32" RH Loom. I have had constant failures with the ratchet and pawls, both front and back. I try to set the tension firm enough to get a good shed and it cuts loose! It also releases when I am trying to wind on. I am now using the C-clamps but it is aggravating to spend over $500 on the loom, stand, and heddles and have it malfunctioning out of the box. I have triple checked and they are installed correctly. The problem seems to be in the design of the pawl, which is too broad and shallow to fit snuggly into the ratchet. Thanks to Whiteoakgrandmother for her fix. I will be doing just that but, I am also going to write to Ashford.
Thanks for letting me vent!
What a bummer to have a beautiful new loom and such a headache!
Please let us know how it goes with Ashford. I borrowed a Kircher rigid heddle loom from a friend and had the same type of problem with it. I tried everything I could think of and it turned out I had wound the warp on incorrectly!! Once she showed me what to do, it was fine. Just a word to the wise, it's easy to do.
Claudia
It is important to give feedback to the shop where you purchased the loom. Plus, if you have done something wrong, they will help you to find out what the problem is.
Joanne
It's been awhile, but I want to thank you for this suggestion. My Ashford pawls kept coming undone and it was extremely frustrating. I bought C clamps for both the front and back and it works like a charm.
It's a shame to have to weave like that. I know I advance the warp frequently when I am on my rh loom and I would hate to have to remove the c clamps, move the cloth and replace the clamps. I did have a small problem with my Kromski and when I contacted Tim at New Voyager Trading he sent me a replacement part immediately. Now the loom works as it should.
Consider contacting either the retailer or the manufacturer. They should be made aware of issues with their product. I believe you can also contact Foxglove Fiberarts who are the distributor for Ashford looms in the US. The contact info is on their website HERE.
BTW, what are you making? Have you posted photos in your Projects area?
Claudia
Claudia
Actually, it's not all that bad. Besides, I have a cat that loves to check things out and I'd be very afraid of him letting the pawl loose.
No I haven't posted anything, cuz all I've done is 3 plain scarves. I warped some towels yesterday and really messed them up. It'll be interesting to see how they turn out even if they don't follow the pattern I was trying to use.
I posted on December 3rd about my problems with the ratchets and pawls continually failing on my Ashrord RH loom. After several e-mails and my sending some pictures to him, Richard Ashford solved the problem. It seems the front and back ratchets are different. The teeth face opposite directions. When I traded the ratchets, the pawls fit correctly. Those of you having the same problem might want to check. The teeth should angle toward the center of the side, not toward the end. I must say I was impressed with the help I received from Ashford's!
Now to work through all the "normal" frustrations of a new weaver :)
Gayle
I double checked my Ashford rigid heddle loom after reading your post, and my ratchets are installed correctly, so this was not the source of my problem. I've owned the loom for about ten years and it was a frequent problem before I came up with my "pawl lock." It hasn't happened since.
To update. I now have given my C-clamps to himself. I changed the front to the back rachet and, wow, no problems. I am so happy, I could cry.
I just joined Weavolution so I could properly thank Gayle for posting her comment about the pawls having directions. I found this thread when I was driven to extreme frustration by constantly slipping pawls. After reading Gayle's clear description, I checked my pawls, quickly switched them (in the middle of a project) and the problem was solved! Yay! Now back to the routine frustrations of learning to weave . . You gotta love it!
I just started setting up a project on my new Ashford table loom, and couldn't get the warp tension to hold as I wound it on the back beam. Checked the instructions twice, and the ratchet & pawls were assembled according to the instructions. I remembered reading something about this problem when I was researching the loom, so I did a Google search, and bingo, here I am! Switched the parts around as described in this thread, and everything works the way it should ;-)
