Does anyone have a photo of the cross maker in action?  I've tried to use mine but feel like I am not understanding the words.  The avl disk that came with the warping wheel has a short video but nothing on the cross maker.  Lucinda of AVL has promised a video on the site but nothing yet with the cross maker. 

Comments

Sun, 07/26/2009 - 20:15

marygardener

Deb,

I don't have a photo, but had lots of problems with a difference in length between the threads on one side versus those on the other.  I found that if the crossmaker is installed as close to the end of the arm (or to the spool) as possible, that difference becomes very small.  When that section is finished, I tie up the cross, the same as if using a warping board, and then remove the yarn from the cross maker.  Before I tie the knot in that inch of yarn, I comb it gently trying to pull any remaining unevenness out, and then wind onto the beam.

I put the cross maker on the arm of the wheel that is adjacent (clockwise) to the the arm with the raddle and clip.

Mary

 

Mon, 07/27/2009 - 16:13

debmcclintock

thank you so much, I'll give that a try.  It does seem that there is a difference in the slack from side to side.  I suspected the turn that you make to the small raddle to adjust for the segment width when you wind on....I will report back!

Thu, 07/30/2009 - 01:03

debmcclintock

Mary G, is this the type of slack you are talking about, I am running into it also......I hope you can see my photo!

Sat, 08/01/2009 - 18:58

marygardener

Deb,

There are 2 sources of slack that I've found.  The first is from the over/under distance difference from the crossmaker that is mostly (but not all) resolved if the crossmaker is as close as possible to the end of the arm.  the second is from turning the raddle, as you stated.  If I have high epi, I'll put 2 ends in one raddle segment so that I don't have to turn the raddle to such an angle.   Only after the raddle is at the right angle, do I try to comb everything even and finally tie the knot.  That seems to work quite well; I have little or no problems with tension so far, at least on my usually less than 10-yard warps.

I've read everything that AVL has on this subject and can't find anything, so have just come up with these work-arounds.

Mary

Sat, 08/01/2009 - 19:12

debmcclintock

I spoke with Lucinda about the slack and she suggested that I use a c-clamp on the clip to hold all the ends stable.  And to give a tug to the ends before I clamp and cut it to pull any slack out.   I also moved the crossmaker up based on your suggestion.  Both seem to help.  I'm done with this warp round but I'll work harder on the next warping to see how all these items work togeather.  BYW I was warping 1 inch warp segments, 30 epi, 2 per dent.....the c-clamp seems to work well.

Lucinda is winding a warp this week and will be checking to see if she has any other suggestions to make.  I've spoken to friends that have the older WW with the wood pegs and they don't have a problem with the slack.  I'm suspicious of the plastic bobbins but don't have any mileage on the wheel to justify that suspicion yet.  Happy warping, thanks for the brain biscuits!

 

Sat, 08/01/2009 - 19:12

debmcclintock

I spoke with Lucinda about the slack and she suggested that I use a c-clamp on the clip to hold all the ends stable.  And to give a tug to the ends before I clamp and cut it to pull any slack out.   I also moved the crossmaker up based on your suggestion.  Both seem to help.  I'm done with this warp round but I'll work harder on the next warping to see how all these items work togeather.  BYW I was warping 1 inch warp segments, 30 epi, 2 per dent.....the c-clamp seems to work well.

Lucinda is winding a warp this week and will be checking to see if she has any other suggestions to make.  I've spoken to friends that have the older WW with the wood pegs and they don't have a problem with the slack.  I'm suspicious of the plastic bobbins but don't have any mileage on the wheel to justify that suspicion yet.  Happy warping, thanks for the brain biscuits!

 

Fri, 08/07/2009 - 21:20

riversidefiberarts (not verified)

Hi Deb,

When I'm using my warping wheel to do sectional warping, I've found that the easiest way to keep the warp straight and flat is this: 

I put the cap on the little raddle with rubber bands (the little springs that originally came with it are long gone and were pretty useless anyway).  Then I cut the warp at the clip and put a slip knot in both ends.  The cross end slips over one of the pegs of the cross-holder just to hold it out of the way til I get that far. 

Then I take the raddle out of its holder and just let it hang free instead of putting it in the slot at the front of the wheel.  The rubber bands on each end secure the cap to the raddle.    Next I attach the knotted end of the warp to the cord for the next section to be wound and I wind on by turning the beam with one hand while holding the warp taut with the other.  The raddle is just suspended in mid air between my two hands and provides just the right amount of weight to keep the tension nice and even as I wind it on.

Before I started doing it this way, I found that at least once (and sometimes more often) with every new warp, no matter how tightly  I secured the top of the raddle to the front of the warping wheel, at least a few and usually many warp threads would 'jump' out of their assigned dent into the ones near by resulting in tangles and lots of very unladylike language.

By letting the raddle just hang freely, I find that the section winds on quickly and smoothly. 

Cheers,

Deborah H. 

Fri, 08/07/2009 - 22:04

debmcclintock

Thanks Deb H, I'll give it a try....I appreciate you taking time to put this in words!  Deb Mc

Sun, 06/27/2010 - 17:15

jordanj (not verified)

 When tying off the cross, how many ties do you make? I have been tying off just the center of the cross and am wondering if it will be hard to find the two "halves" when it comes time to put in the lease sticks.

Thanks!

Jennifer

Sun, 06/27/2010 - 23:21

debmcclintock

 If I am using the cross maker to wind directly onto a sectional warp beam I tie my cross in 4 places, not the center of the cross but on the four arms of the cross.  That makes it easier to see if you've flipped the warp as you've put it on the loom.  This is usually with fine yarn.

If I am using the cross maker to do warp chains to put on lease sticks to take to the loom without a sectional beam I usually just tie off the cross.  This is usually with coarser yarn.

Of course all of this depends on the thickness of the yarn....

Mon, 06/28/2010 - 00:09

jordanj (not verified)

 Deb - thanks for your input. I am warping directly from the wheel onto the sectional beam and I just felt that the center tie was not enough. However, putting four on and then taking the off, seems like a lot of work for just an inch of warp, so that is why I asked.  Maybe we should invent a clip or something that would be easy on/off. Not much of a market though, I suppose!

 

Mon, 06/28/2010 - 00:09

jordanj (not verified)

 Deb - thanks for your input. I am warping directly from the wheel onto the sectional beam and I just felt that the center tie was not enough. However, putting four on and then taking the off, seems like a lot of work for just an inch of warp, so that is why I asked.  Maybe we should invent a clip or something that would be easy on/off. Not much of a market though, I suppose!

 

Mon, 06/28/2010 - 01:42

debmcclintock

 I'm sure some others will offer their suggestions but I've seen pipe cleaners and twisty ties suggested.  I have some old thrums that tie and untie very easily and have served well for years.  Tying the 4 parts of the cross makes it very easy to get the lease sticks or a lease thread thru the cross when I am ready to thread so I'm okay with the tying....my sectional warp beam is set at two inch sections so I  don't have to deal with the smaller units.  Hope someone else posts some suggestions here....

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