The heddle bar supports are off center. These are what you open when threading to allow heddles to move freely. There are 4 on the top and 4 on the bottom. This problem is very apparent when using a raddle. When the warp is centered on the warp beam it has to shift right in order to be “centered” on the heddles. The warp does not flow in a nice straight line from the warp beam through to the cloth beam. As I see it I can do one of two things: 1. Mark a new “center” on my raddle so it lines up. Adjust the warp beam tie down and the reed, etc., accordingly. 2. Disregard the supports as the center and line up the heddles using the new center. What about you? How do you compensate for this annoying situation?

Comments

Mon, 03/11/2013 - 06:24

laurafry

Since the hooks are not in the centre ignore them and centre according to the true centre of the loom.

cheers,

Laura

Mon, 03/11/2013 - 12:21

endorph

wolf and ignore the support clips when I am centering my warp. I centerit on the center of the loom and then shift the threading of the heddles - I thread slightly more heddles to one side of the bar cllip than the other in order to keep the warp centered on the loom. it is usually only a couple of heddles per shaft. If that made any sense!
Mon, 03/11/2013 - 14:36

patweaves

Like endorph, I also ignore the center heddle hooks and center the warp in the true center of the MW.  Previously, I would try to meticulously calculate how many more heddles were needed per shaft to the left of the hook, and leave the heddle bars clipped to their heddle hooks.  However, I was never successful, and would have to unclip and shuffle heddles left and right.  I have a newer MW and the heddle hooks are not easy to manipulate (they no longer have the "wings" on the heddle hooks).

After attending Madelyn van der Hoogt's wonderful weaving school, her very sage advice was:

"What I do that I have found the best is NOT to spend one second thinking about this and just do the threading with all the clips unclipped. Then I wind the warp on with the clips still unclipped. When it's all tied on and I'm ready to weave, I face the pain. This way has two advantages: #1. I skip all that heddle figuring. #2. I put the pain off as long as possible. (eat dessert first)"

Sat, 03/23/2013 - 06:13

planttapestry (not verified)

I HATE releasing the heddle clips on my 8 shaft MW--they are so tight! My fingers get pinched, and sore reaching in between all the frames. I already have achy fingers with low strength and a trigger finger that gets in the way.
so far, with narrow scarf weaving, I count out all the heddles needed for each frame ahead of time before threading.

I was interested in threading center outward--What tricks are needed to make sure you get it right?
I’m worried my feeble brain will get all dyslexic on me going left to right for a while then going back right to left on the other side.

(I warp front to back)

I have also heard someone has alternated where the heddle clips are positioned. One shaft to the right of center and the next to the left of center and so on. I wonder if that would help make the clips more easily accessible to my feeble fingers........

thanks for any tips

Sun, 03/24/2013 - 02:04

Guiding Myth (not verified)

Yes, I agree with the above - Center the warp in the center of the loom. Leave the clips unclipped until you are about to weave - or don't! use the center clips at all - well it "depends".  What I mean is that several times I have forgotten to attach the heddle bars to the center clips - and only discovered it when I put on the next warp - on my Baby Wolf loom.  Now on my Baby Wolf I usually weave scarves - (and not chenille scarves) - that require a light beat - since it is so much easier to do a light beat on that loom than a heavier loom.  So with light to medium tension and a warp that's between 6" to 14" wide clipping the center clips may not be necessary. But problems may occur if you're weaving with either higher tension or a wider warp.

I have also had similar 'clip lapses' on my vintage loom (similar to a 8 shaft MW) while weaving much wider warps under higher tension with no problems.  Rarely have I had problems - but I do not recommend it.

My point being ... the loom is your tool, use it to suit yourself and your work.

Stephanie S