I recently got my Standard countermarch returned by my former husband.  It is in sorry shape - he left it out in the weather out of sheer meanness.  

A friend has done some woodwork and replaced the front beam for me, and my cousin will be making me some new shuttles.  I'm fortunate that the reeds and the jacks seem to be ok.  

I'm going to start this week on the cleaning and sanding.  Does anyone have some experience to pass on?  I've never had to take on a refinishing project this size before.

I'm not in a position to buy a new set of texsolv heddles and tie-up kit right now, so I'm thinking I'll have to do string heddles, but that will be a fair journey down the road, as the wood repairs need to get done first.

Ameda

Comments

Mon, 12/26/2011 - 08:02

Erica J

Ameda,

I'm terribly sorry to hear your precious loom was treated this way. Good on you for taking up the challenge and giving even more love to your loom. 

I've not yet had to undertake this type of loom restoration, so unfortunately have no advice to give. I am however interested to see what advice has to offer, as I'm not sure what shape my mother's loom will be in when I finally receive it.

Best of luck,

Erica

Mon, 12/26/2011 - 16:01

SallyE (not verified)

So sorry about that!

Have you inspected the pieces to see if any of them are warped?   If they are you need to give them time to try out so they can straighten again.   It would help if the crooked pieces are clamped to something flat while drying.   If you have multiple pieces that are warped, you might be able to clamp them to each other with the warping going in opposite directions.   For example, if two pieces are bowed, clamp them together with the concave faces facing each other.   That way each piece will help the other to straighten.

Don't put any new finish on any of the pieces until they are flat again.  

Other than that, it's just common sense.   My favorite way to finish wood is to put stain on, let dry and wipe down, and then a layer of Johnsons paste wax.   Let that dry and buff to a smooth finish.   I like this better than varnish because there are no drips or brushes to deal with.   The finish is like satin.

Good luck!

Mon, 12/26/2011 - 17:50

paulz

The first thing I like to do when I have old wood is to give it a real good oil and polish - sometimes what you think might be needing to be sanded has a surprise - of course sometimes it does need sanding and re-varnishing but I usually like to give it a go without. Other than that you seem to be going the correct way. Can you share some photos so we can see progress. Any more help/encouragement please repost.

Hope you enjoy the rennovation

Paul

Mon, 12/26/2011 - 22:58

Slipstream (not verified)

Paul makes a very good point and I wojld also recomment you oil and polish before you start to remove the old coating and refinish.  One of the problems one runs into with wood getting wet is that the grain may get raised.  I personally prefer to scrape the old finish off with a cabinet scraper.  Cabinet scrapers are available in many hardware stores or from the online woodworking suppliers such as Lee Valley.  Cabinet scrapers can be used alone or in a special holder but I usually use it just hand-held, glass also works well if you have new edge.  I find that the cabinet scraper is a lot friendlier to the old finish and you can take down as much as you want. Cabinet scrapers also don't cause an uneven surface as sandpaper can.  Good luck to you, take easy and you won't have any problems I'm sure and you also have an excellent resource here on Weavolution with some excellent advice available.

Regards, Charles

Tue, 12/27/2011 - 02:35

Ameda

Nothing seems to be warped thanks to the way a Standard is built. All the larger pieces are built up of laminated strips of the baltic birch they use, though the warp and cloth beams are both split at the laminations.  I don't think this will be a major problem in use, as the splitting doesn't extend to the turned part where it goes through the side frames.  I am considering just installing heavy canvas aprons on both beams rather than trying to fill the gaps with wood strips and wood putty, for example.  It looks like there are patches of the original varnish remaining in a few spots.  I've seen elsewhere on this site the suggestion to use Danish oil on old looms - Paul & Charles - Do you agree with that?  I'm going to head over to Home Depot tomorrow morning for supplies & tools.  We also have some woodworkers' "candy stores" here in town if Home Depot is a bust. I'll post some pictures tomorrow as well.

Thanks Again!

Ameda

Tue, 12/27/2011 - 09:06

kerstinfroberg

AFAIK, Glimåkras were always made of pine - certainly they are now. (For some reason they don't tell that on the English page, but they do on the Swedish.) In my experience, pine reacts a little differently to oil than birch does - it often becomes darker, for instance. Also, I have never seen a Glimåkra that is not varnished.

Now - a loom is a tool, not a piece of furniture, so it doesn't really matter if it looks a little patchy?

Tue, 12/27/2011 - 16:52

paulz

Pine certainly does react in a different way to birch when oiled but I quite like it when it goes the reddy brown colour I have got my loom to. Also I find that a little oil on a rag helps along the way between weaves as well as a lot of lint seems to accumulate from my wire heddles - will be interested to see how my string ones will react when I get my next loom together. When I do any wood work chore I like to use some oil as it seems to feed the wood in some way and brings out the dust, dirt and grime on the surface. I have never regretted oiling wood. Happy polishing Paul

Sun, 10/07/2012 - 23:20

LShinn

Has anyone used Howards Feed-n-Wax? A combo of orange oil and beeswax and it worked wonders on my poor abused loom. Smells great, Too!
Sun, 10/07/2012 - 23:49

Penn (not verified)

I do not believe in "oiling" looms, I believe in using a hard finish so dirt and humidity have a harder time getting below the finish.  I live in a river valley, and humidity is a real problem.  A layer of oil might look nice now, but it doesn't provide much protection against water penetration, and it attracts dirt and lint.  Watco Danish oil is a blend of oil and varnish that never hardens, so it doesn't meet my standard.  I'm a real fan of shellac, and make mine myself (that way it's the freshest, the exact cut needed, and I control whether it's waxed/dewaxed, the color, etc.).  I like to apply it with a pad, in a form of French polishing, with a many-tiny-layer buildup, finished in Renaissance wax.  I did a set of bookcases this way over 10 years ago, and they still gleam.  That said, I may try replicating the original finish, lacquer, on the loom I'm currently rehabbing (Macomber).  I don't have the know-how or equipment to spray, so I'll be using a brushing lacquer if I go this route.

It's very easy to remove lacquer: apply lacquer thinner with fine steel wool (I'm using 000), let it set up a minute or so, and lightly scrub it off.  This has the advantage of not raising the grain, and it floats off all the muck that's also sitting on the lacquer. Plus you may not have to sand very much, if at all, before applying finish (assuming the finish is not a penetrating oil).

The only pieces I'll finish differently are the guide blocks and channels that can get rubbed while weaving.  I intend to treat them with a water-based acrylic, which will be more durable than the shellac.

Whatever finish you decide to use, make sure you do all the surfaces.  Leaving bare spots allows humidity free access, and can undermine the integrity of the rest of the finish.

Good luck.

Mon, 10/08/2012 - 00:36

Ameda

I read your comment with interest.  My loom is still in pieces, and I've been having considerable health issues this year that have taken a toll on my ability to take on big projects.  I've finally gotten a few answers from the doctors, and I hope to start putting the body back together in the next months. Then I can put the loom back on track!

I think a hard finish would be best - I'm currently in northern Texas, but would like to go back to the mountains once I get my health back.  The differences in climate would be more than enough for me to decide that more protection is in order.  

With that in mind, do you think I should patch / fill the splits in the lamination even in places where it can't catch on body parts or thread?

Mon, 10/08/2012 - 13:36

Penn (not verified)

I'd fill/secure the delaminating areas, to try to prevent them from getting worse, if nothing else.  You want to keep water-bearing air from getting under the  layers, swelling them, and causing them to warp/peel further.

But I have limited experience with veneers/laminates, and someone who's worked with them more may have other ideas on what to do.