I am debating about getting an AVL warping wheel to help me with sectional warping. Currently I use spools and racks and end up with kumhimo braids and a giant mess behind the loom. I think premeasuring a 2 inch bout at a time would be a lot easier on me (though less fun for the cats, but I digress...). I am wondering, can I use a warping reel to measure off my 2 inches at a time and thread that through a tension box or is there an advantage that the warping reel would have over that method? 

Thanks!
Joy 

Comments

Sun, 12/04/2011 - 10:57

kerstinfroberg

I haven't met a "warping wheel" face-to-face, so I don't really know anything about it. However, I have a 3-meter-circumference warping mill (or whatever is the correct English word...), and every time I don't want to use the spool rack I do just as you say - wind one small warp per section, use two old cardboard spools as least sticks, thread the warp through the tension box and then wind. Usually I provide tension by tolding the warp, but it would probably be better to attach a weight for the winding. 

Sun, 12/04/2011 - 18:36

debmcclintock

I use my warping wheel to do 2 inch bouts for my avl wdl directly onto my sectional warp beam.  

I also use my warping wheel to do 4 inch rug sections that I just chain up and carry to a plain beam and weight as Kristin describes above.  A friend loaned me her warping wheel so I could test this process and it works fine.  I did not have any sectional warping equipment so I was trying to figure out which way to jump with my $'s. No reason why you couldn't do sectional warping that way also.  It's a good investment from my point of view if the other way isn't working for you.  

But....you might want to consider getting another weaver to come review your current process.  Might be a simple process/habit fix to avoid "kumihimo braids" behind the loom.

Mon, 12/05/2011 - 04:04

mrdubyah (not verified)

Joy,  I warp with an AVL warping wheel and I'll never go back to anything else again unless compelled.  My wife got my AVL for me on sale at a very reasonable price and also got a cross maker so I can do sectional warping or not with the same device.  I LOVE it and I can get a full warp on my 40" beam in a couple of hours (although my linen bath towels, which have 1,080 warp threads, do take a little longer.)  There are no spools to wind, I work right from a single cone, and the tension box is built in so the transfer from wheel to beam is seamless.  The AVL fills one bout at a time through the built in mini-reed.  A piece of masking tape folded over the ends at the mini-reed keeps the ends in order and I secure that with a rubber band in each bout until I'm ready to thread.  After that, threading is easy.  You just pop off the rubber band, pull each warp end off the tape and insert it into the correct heddle!  There are many ways to warp and you have to do what works for you.  However, I can vouch for the AVL warping wheel as an excellent tool for simplified sectional warping. 

Group Audience
AVL