I'm a new weaver and am realizing there are many things I'd like to do that require an 8-harness loom.  So I've been checking craigslist and ebay for something affordable.  One that came up recently is a 40" AVL Home Loom, which I know absolutely nothing about.  So I figured I'd get you AVL owners to give me your opinions on the pros and cons.  A weaver friend says when you want to know about a loom, don't ask people what they like about it, but what they don't like.  Then decide if that's something you can live with or not.  I have read some of your posts and see that the company is quite lacking in customer service.  But how about the looms themselves?  In particular, would you say this loom would be good for rugs?  It comes with a beater weight, which I'm guessing would help with the heavy beating needed for rugs.  Can anyone explain the automatic warp tension system?  I looked at the AVL site but don't really get it.  I also saw on that site that the looms come with a sticky breast beam that you just wrap your warp around and don't have to tie on.  Really?  There was no mention of this on the listing I saw, so I don't know if that's something new or if this loom would have it.  And if it's for real, doesn't the stickiness eventually go away?  Would apreciate any comments about AVL looms.  Thanks.

Comments

Dawn McCarthy

AVL is a well know loom manufacturer that makes looms for both hobby and production.  I have owned several (production looms) and they are one of my favorite looms (the other being swedish style cm looms).  The home loom has a side tie up which makes it very easy, the looms are very well made and work really well.  The sticky beam is a sandpaper beam which eliminates the need to tie onto the cloth apron, the threads just grab onto the beam.  You can also use an apron as usual.  You should go take a look at the one for sale and ask if you can sit and weave at it.  Any weaver selling would be happy to show you how the loom operates.  The home loom is pretty versatile and can weave most items.  AVL is actually pretty helpful, I have allways found their customer service to be good and they usually respond to questions quickly.  If you are in the PA area I know of a weaver selling one in lovely condition.

A good loom for novice and more experienced weaver (IMO).

Dawn

JPMorabito

AVL makes fantastic looms, but they are very complicated to use. I strongly recommend you look for another loom - the AVL models are not for beginners, even the Home Loom model. At this point, I think all of the features will be more confusing than beneficial. 

Jack looms tend to be the most straightforward, try searching for this type of loom. Schact, Macomber, and Gilmore all make fantastic jack looms. 

laurafry

The 'stick' on the sticky beam doesn't 'go away' as it is sandpaper.  As long as the sandpaper isn't damaged it will continue to hold.

I have an AVL Production Dobby Loom with the auto cloth advance.  Rather than wrap the loose warp around the sandpaper, I use an apron to carry the cloth around to the cloth storage roller at the back of the loom.  I'm not sure how the Home Loom handles this - if you just keep winding the cloth onto the front sandpaper beam or if there is a roller elsewhere for cloth storage.  

I just posted a photo on my projects page of the current warp on the AVL which shows the cloth going round the sandpaper beam.  My loom is almost 'antique' - I bought it in 1981 and received it in 1982 and have woven hundreds of miles of cloth on it and never replaced the sandpaper.

cheers,

Laura

Sara von Tresckow

One thing to know is that the AVL home loom is rising shed. This will not make really firm rugs - for that you need countershed.

Other than that, the Home Loom is simple enough, it if meets your needs and is in good condition, with a bit of work you can learn to weave on it.

For all purpose looms, "jack" or rising sheds have issues with firm cloth while countershed looms (counterbalance or countermarche) make a full range of cloth from gauzy to sailcloth.

twoquinns

Thank you all for your comments.  Dawn, the one I'm interested in is actually in PA, so it may be the same loom.  I unfortunately am in SW VA, so I'd need to be pretty sure I want it before I travel up there.  JP, can you tell me what's complicated about using the AVLs?  I'm not a total beginner; I have taken some classes using a Harrisville, and I was given an old Bernat that I've done a few projects on.  I recently took a rug weaving class given by Jason Collingwood and used a Kessenich table loom for that.  Dawn and Laura, thanks for explaining the sticky beam.  So the sandpaper really does hold the warp?  Because tying on is one of my least favorite chores.  And Sara, thank you for letting me know the countershed looms are best for rugs.  I did not know that.

Dawn McCarthy

The AVL loom is not complicated at all!  I have a 60+ year old student who loves hers and not having to crawl under the loom to tie up is great.  A jack loom or rising shed loom is popular as they take up little space, can weave a wide range of structures and is a good all round loom.  If you wanted to weave soley heavy rugs you would chose a cm or cb loom.  As time goes on you may develop a particular style and your loom needs may change but to start with this is a good quality all rounder.  AVL has a library with pdf's of their looms - I will try to attach the home loom.   If the loom is the one I am thinking of the seller is knowledgeable and the loom is in great working shape (initials JR?).  Anyway, hope you gather the info you need to make an informed decision. go to AVLusa.com - resources - library - homeloom pdf - if you cannot find it email me privately and I will send you the pdf that gives you info about the loom.

Dawn

bloominloom.com

 

Artistry

My AVL is a Dream Machine! I have had it since 1997 and it's a workhorse but she is a little sensitive, especially with heddles. We all know we should have equal number of heddles on each side of our project, this has become essential on mine since too much of a discrepancy the shaft will collapse. Not a big deal, you just rehook the the frame's eye hook to the cable. But it's enough of a pain you don't do it again! The other problem I have had with mine is there are" spokes" that run between the upper shaft to the lower shaft. These spokes can catch the heddles On other shafts and guess what, the shaft will collapse. Again the same remedy, I now keep my extra heddles tied so they don't drift over to the sides where they can get caught. So there are a few things you have to figure out but once you do it works really well! I have never woven a rug, or anything heavy on mine so I really can't address that.

sandra.eberhar…

I would love to get my hands on an AVL.  I've looked at them, and I don't think they are any more "complicated" than any other floor loom.  And even if you don't think customer service is steller, the company is still there and you can get parts and help.  OF my six looms, only one was made by a company still in business.  The rest of them, I have to make my own replacement parts for.  I am in the process of making rachets and pawls for one.  As other people have stated, the rising shed is not ideal for making rugs, but the loom is sturdy enough that  it can be done.  Most people that find rugmaking to be their thing eventually get a purpose made rug loom.

laurafry

Yes the metal wires that prevent the heddles from coming off the shafts can pop out and tangle. What I do is take a small elastic band, one inch, I think, loop it over the top of the wire, pass it under the top of the wood then up and over the wire again. This prevents the wire from jumping up and out of the bottom of the shaft. If this doesn't make sense I can post a picture. Cheers Laura

Honeyfinn

Last winter I picked up an AVL Production Loom. It seemed so complicated, that I took until this spring for me to finnaly wind a warp onto it. I downloaded the instructions from the AVL site, which at first appeared to be complicated, but when I sat down at the loom and began weaving everything came together, and the rest was magic. The folks at AVL were very responsive when I was researching my loom. While replacement parts are pricey, like Big White Sofa Dog states, at least "the company is there." I consider myself a middle-of-the-road weaver, not a beginner, but not a master either, and I am very happy that this loom found me. The only thing that could be an issue is the large footprint and weight of these looms. But I guess that is what makes them so sturdy. 

twoquinns

Again I want to thank all of you for being so helpful with your comments.  It's always useful to hear both the good and the bad about a loom.  And Dawn, yes, JR is the loom seller.  However, he/she seems to resent my asking questions and even asked if I was a serious buyer.  I must say that an attitude like that sends up red flags to me.

JPMorabito

AVL is an industry standard, and in my opinion, some of the best quality looms made today. That being said, they are definitely more complicated to use than other looms. Once you get everything figured out weaving will go along smoothly, but depending on your experience level, I think it might be more frustrating than it's worth. With the mention of the sticky bar and weights, it sound like the loom has auto-tension control and cloth storage. This is where things can get tricky, tension is maintained by a series of pulleys and weights. It's not impossible, but there is a steep learning curve here, even without the tempermental dobby. In working with students, I have found the AVL cloth storage system to be one of the more confusing elements. That's not to say you won't be able to work with it, just be aware of the learning curve. Do you have somebody that can show you how to use the loom? Think about your experience level and resources before moving forward with this loom. 

Dawn McCarthy

The home loom is no more complex than the Schacht or LeClerc.  Nothing complex, no auto cloth storage/advance. I agree that when you get to the production level looms things get a little more complex but the home loom is just straightforward simple!

JPMorabito

If that is the case, then I would agree with you, Dawn. 

Most AVL looms are customizable, so just be sure to ask if the loom comes with any of the optional advanced features, like auto-tension or cloth storage.

Artistry

Laura, What a great idea with the elastic bands! I will have to try it once I get home. Thanks!

twoquinns

JP, the ad states that the loom comes with the auto warp tension system, but nothing about cloth storage.  I did wonder how that tension system works, so hopefully the pdf Dawn pointed me to will be helpful with that.

jlread (not verified)

Hi Alyce....Glad to see you are getting lots of well rounded info.....

JPMorabito

Do you have a photo of the loom? Or a link to the ad? We might be able to tell by looking at it.

sally orgren

When I was shopping for a floor loom, AVL had one of the most sophisticated marketing departments of all the loom manufacturers. When I contacted them, they could point me in the direction of someone in my town who had an AVL, and made arrangements so I could contact that person and view their loom. 

Perhaps if you contact AVL, they might be able to steer you toward an AVL owner in your neck the woods, so you can see one in person? I do think it would be valuable to check one out before committing. Also, if you do end up purchasing one, it would be good to know an experienced user nearby.

The other general aspect of this transaction since you are a newer weaver — make sure that whatever price you pay, if you decide this isn't the right loom for you, you can recoup that cost. 

As a new weaver, I wanted to spend my time weaving, not constantly buying and selling looms (as I saw some of my guildmates doing). But don't put so much pressure on yourself to get "just the right loom" when you haven't woven enough to be sure what kind of weaver you will become.

twoquinns

JP, the loom was listed here on Weavolution on 5/28.  I don't know if you'll be able to tell anything from the one picture, though.  Sally, I will certainly try calling AVL.  Thanks for the suggestion!

Weeweaver (not verified)

Hi Folks, My .02 here. I really like my AVL 12S Modular loom. It's a "dobby loom without the dobby!" Mine is a full frame loom and I have woven a rug on it. It's 60" weaving width with a built in bench. I think if I were to modify it, I would put a cross piece at the top of the front to tie the side frames together so I could use it for a warping helper, if necessary. I have used the auto tension and really like it. I haven't found it to be complicated, but I like machines. I have also used the cloth storage and I like that as well. I have not used the flyshuttles and I probably won't use them, as I am not doing production work. The Modula loom also has the side tieups and they are a joy to set up compared to any other system I have used. I am getting ready to seriously think about selling this loom, as I now have a 48" to put together  and use instead, so if anyone is interested in a great deal on a great loom. please PM me and we'll talk. I live in southern Maine and am reachable from about anywhere in New England. Good luck, Wee

jlread (not verified)

How are you doing Wee....long time...no hear!  Selling your 'big guy'?...I'm looking at a 12 H and selling my AVL.....just message me or e-mail...we can 'talk'.....

mneligh

Is AVL instruction available?  I know it is for Glimarkra (MT and Vavstuga in the USA) and many colleges use Macombers.   That might get many over the peak of the learning curve.

Artistry

If you go out to AVL in Chico, California, there is a compudobby class that takes you through sectional warping to working with the software. They may do it for other AVL looms too? My AVL came with a manual , I found it pretty straightforward. As far as customer service, I am surprised what others have said, I have never had a problem. Of course my problems were small and could be answered relatively quickly, which they did.

Dena (not verified)

I bought an AVL about twelve years ago because everyone raved about them.  It was one of their 60" production looms with a manual dobby, auto cloth advance and the cloth storage system.  I bought it used, but refurbished by the company.  They promised me it would work like new.  I don't know if the loom was just bad and they didn't actually look it over, but I spent years trying to work with it and even hired someone twice(including travel expenses) who specializes in AVLs to come to my studio and help me out and neither she nor I could never get it working well.  On top of that, the customer service I experienced was awful (that could have just been a factor of timing and staff turn over).  They didn't have any weavers on staff and then referred me to someone who actually told me that she had a production team of weavers working on AVLs and their solution to getting good selvedges was to touch them every time they threw the shuttle (yes, with a fly shuttle!).  I finally sold it for far less than I paid (and was honest about my experiences).  I expect it was this particular loom and not AVLs in general that was the problem, but I do have questions about the company since they did market it to me as "refurbished and working like new".

barbara234 (not verified)

I just got a 24 shaft WDL, and am now afraid I bit off more than I can chew.  I didn't realize I had a choice on the warp beam, and they sent a sectional.  Can I use it as a plain beam?  Also there is no apron, do I have to make one, or can I order one.

The video on their website shows frotn to back warping, and I prefer B2F.  Can I use the sectional beam as a raddle, or is that idea crazy?

Thanks for any help.  I fianlly have it set up, connected to a computer, just need to wind a warp and play with it.

Dawn McCarthy

I have an AVL folding dobby - I have owned 4 other AVL's and loved every one of them.  The AVL sectionals with the hoops usually allow you to remove the hoops or you can just beam as normal and make sure the threads don't get stuck on the hoops.  

Dawn

jlread (not verified)

I also had issues with AVL customer service....in the end, I had to rely on my own mechanical ability and resourcefulness.....The manuals do not really cover lots of potential problems and the troubleshooting section is sorely incomplete...but don't call them....might as well call ghostbusters!

Bonnie Inouye (not verified)

Barbara, where do you live? It might be helpful to get together with another AVL weaver. Also, if you haven't already, join WeaveTech (on Yahoo groups) and join Complex Weavers (www.complex-weavers.org). Many people with multishaft (more than 8 shafts) looms turn to WeaveTech for troubleshooting.

If you bought your loom from AVL, they should answer questions. Sometimes I find it better to send them an email instead of calling. Email can be forwarded to the right person in the company, and they sometimes answer emails on weekends when phone calls do not go through.

My big AVL looms came with aprons but the sandpaper beam means that I don't have to use the apron if I don't want to. Does your loom have a sandpaper beam in front? Do you have the cloth storage system in back?

Bonnie (in the airport, moving back to Maryland near DC for the school year after 3+ months in western Colorado)

sandra.eberhar…

I think there might be a thread running through this topic that has been noted somewhat left-handedly (AVL makes complicated looms not suitable for novice weavers).  Some people are more mechanically inclined than others.  This may or may not come with increased weaving skill.  I have talked to people that have woven on a  countermarche loom for years and have no idea how it works.  It came with good instructions for set up, worked, and that was that (the advantage of buying new).  I have a loom that has been used by at least three different individuals, and none have been able to see why it wouldn't work.  It may take a bit of intuition (if this piece is supposted to move this piece, can it?) to see why something doesn't work.  For some people, this is very frustrating, for some it's a great new challenge.

jlread (not verified)

I would have to agree with BWSG....

ReedGuy

Always like a challenge. I guess that's why I built my own. And many thanks to members on this forum that gave me advice. That being said, it does not solve the issue(s) this person is confronted with. It is often as frustrating for the person giving advice as the one asking the questions because we are not all standing around this loom. I hope the mystery can be taken out of this loom for it's owner. This manufacturer has built looms and accessories for quite some time as I understand it. So it should work. Maybe something is missing or a process/step not understood to advance further. If the OP is new, please find the resources as in books or courses that will help you understand. There are some excellent books out there. I have purchased a few myself and value every one. :)

I'm a wood worker, and am learning different things about weaving from books, practice, experiments and from others on here. There is no way you can go from knowing absolutely nothing on weaving to being an expert in short order. Don't stress out, be patient, stick with it and enjoy the journey.

A novice here, having a good old time on his home made loom. :)

Dawn McCarthy

Back to the original question, the home loom is a relatively simple AVL loom, no more complex than LeClerc Schacht etc.  That being said if a relatively new weaver - most looms will appear challenging.  You have to educate yourself on your equipment.  This loom has a side tie up which some people love as it means no more crawling under treadles to tie up.  Understanding how basic loom mechanics and the weaving process work hand in hand makes it much easier.  Good luck with your loom search! 

Dawn

jlread (not verified)

And.....that being said.....I still have my 8H AVL home loom for sale.  Still looking for my dream loom....a 12H Glimakra.....(*~*)....

sandra.eberhar…

If the person who posted with a refurbished AVL that would not work is still watching this thread; you mention selvedge problems.  Did anyone suggest that you needed to adjust the tension of the shuttle or warp?

Dena (not verified)

bigwhitesofadog....yes, I adjusted absolutely everything there was to adjust (including tension on my shuttle and my warp), both on my own and with an "AVL expert" whom I hired to travel and work with me.  I probably talked to and got advice from ten different AVL weavers.  I am a very seasoned weaver and feel confident that whatever the problem was, it was not conquerable by me or anyone else that I could identify.

brightfeather

I am looking into purchasing a used AVL loom - a 40" folding loom with compudobby, auto tensioning, auto advance, and 16 harnesses.  I went to spend a little time weaving on it this afternoon, so that I could be sure that it fit me well (I'm short and some looms just are too tall/deep for me to work on comfortably).  The two issues I have are that the seat is too tall (easily fixed by drilling a lower set of holes), and the tredling action.  I don't know if this is normal, but the right treddle does about 90% of the work, with the left just kind of following along.  It takes a good bit of work to get the right treddle down.  Now, I know that part of this is that I was perched on a too high seat, and trying to push down with my tippy toes, but the unbalanced nature of the two sides has me worried.  I am doing a lot of production weaving (30-45 hrs/week on my current loom), which is why I'm looking into upgrading to this one, and I'm concerned about having issues with my legs and back from working more on one side of my body than the other.  I know from my spinning that this is an issue, but only if you are using one side more for extended periods of time.  The current owner hasn't had any problems, but she is only weaving for an hour or two at a time, a few days a week, so it may just not have been enough time to cause problems for her.  Can anyone tell me if this is typical for the treddles on an AVL, and has anyone worked on a similar model for production work?  Did it cause you any physical issues?

Weeweaver (not verified)

  If you are concerned about physical issues from weaving, look into air assist. I think Laura Fry has that and likes it too. I am not looking at production weaving, that I know of.

Weeweaver (not verified)

  If you are concerned about physical issues from weaving, look into air assist. I think Laura Fry has that and likes it too. I am not looking at production weaving, that I know of.

Dena (not verified)

I don't have a ton of AVL experience.  I used mine for a while, didn't like it much and sold it.  I do remember that I had a similar experience and remember talking to someone who had five AVLs, I think he was from New Mexico.  He said something about weighting the left treadle so it goes down on it's own and then alternating left and right feet on the right treadle.  Anyone familiar with this?

NancyHassel

I am 5'2" and have owned (and loved) a 40" 16H AVL FDL since 1990.  The right treadle lifts the shafts and the left treadle advances the lift sequence.  The right treadle can take a bit of strength for summer & winter if the warp is wide.  I have fiddled with the seat position and angle.  Treadling is easiest with the seat angled forward.  AVL does offer an air lift conversion system - http://www.avlusa.com/catalog/loom-additions/a-lift-conversion-system-air-lifting-for-the-dobby/  I am a hobby weaver with a day job and have not experienced physical issues.

Bonnie Inouye (not verified)

I used to produce woven blankets and shawls for high-end shows and galleries on 16-shaft AVL looms. It is true that the right leg does the heavy-lifting, but the left treadle still needs to go down all the way. I had not heard of weighting the left treadle but it sounds like it might work. I might try that on my 16-shaft AVL looms. Thanks, Dena!

There are some adjustments to be made if it feels really difficult to lift the shafts with the right treadle. Some people make the little chains under the shafts way too tight, and that makes it harder to treadle. It should take some effort when you start to lift the shafts and then get easier  because of the springs underneath. I had to change the length of the chains when I switched from a compu-dobby 1 to a compu-dobby 111.

With 16 shafts, I often arrange the tie-up or liftplan so I am lifting fewer than half the shafts at least some of the time. For twills, I like tie-ups lifting 7 out of 16 to give a different look to the reverse face of the cloth. I started weaving for shows on my 60" 16-shaft production dobby loom in 1987 and now I have some hip issues and only with my right hip. I am now using a 24-shaft 48" AVL and last year I added an E Lift. The air assist was the solution back in the 1980s and 1990s but now we have the E (electronic) lift instead. It uses a little moter and a sewing machine pedal which can be operated by tapping with either foot or even with a hand.

Overall, I like my AVL looms and I have 3 of them now. The drawback is the effort it can take to lift shafts with the right treadle, especially with more than 16 shafts and/or more than 3/4 of the total number of shafts up.

Bonnie Inouye

Artistry

There is a set up from AVL where you can reverse the left foot and right foot action. In other words the left fort doing the lifting and the right foot doing the advancing. I did get it with the idea so that during a long run I could switch back and worth. The weight really depends on how many shafts you are lifting. Also. A friend was using my AVL over the summer she is shorter than i. She had troubles reaching the treadles comfortablely. So we took two building block left over from my kids and taped them on the treadles with blue painters tape. Worked beautifully. Love my old AVL ! Cathie

Muffy Young

The right treadle and general right handedness of AVL dobby loom is hard on the body, but there are so many good things about these looms for production work, that I wouldn't use anything else. I got my first in 1981, these days I'm weaving at least a scarf a day, sometimes 2-3. One day about 10 years ago, I got up from the loom and could not move my right leg, the front muscles had cramped up so badly. I learned how to  stretch then out with lunges. This past winter, I got tendonitis in the right hip and in PT learned about strengthening the glutes ( opposite the psoas in front.) Contracting the opposite muscles will relax the tight ones. If I get up from the loom and push the my outer knee against something hard like a loom upright, this will do the trick too. I should get an e lift, but I just spent a ton of money on a new compudobby. Walking every day helps and is good for general health so I do it.

MMs-and-OOs-Ha…

I don't have the mechanical expertise with this but I have always wondered if a cam could not be mounted by the treadles to alternate the dobby peddle movement. Each peddle should lift the shed and the other move the dobby chain. Jim Ahrens had this on a loom he built so I know it is possible. What I do is run my weave structures on the lowest number of shafts that I can. I do not care for tied unit weaves that load 1/2 of the warp on two shafts. It is better to distribute the heddles but at the same time not lift all the extra weight of the shafts. This makes a huge difference on my 60" PDL. You can reduce the overall warp tension by being meticulous with you warping. This is critical on my 40" FDL with the elastic tensioning with the cords (which I don't like). Fix the seat. If you have the FDL bench you need to get is adjusted to the correct height or replace it with an office chair. I got sciatica from production weaving on my FDL. There is an optimal angle between your hip, knee, and ankle. You might experiment with building up the peddles or different shoes. A backpacker's pillow which is an air-inflated plastic pad no more than 2" thick is what I sit on. I experimented with sheepskins, foam pads etc. and the BPP is the best. It keeps you from compressing the back of your theigh on the lip of the bench (no more sciatica). Finally make it a point to get off of the loom. Stretches and yoga and breaks will actually you more productive because you will not weave in pain.

NancyHassel

If you scroll down the AVL pricelist - http://www.avlusa.com/downloads/AVLPriceList.pdf you can see the A-Lift upgrade for $1316 and the E-Lift for $3412.  A-lift would require you to purchase an air compressor while E-Lift is stand-alone.  If I was planning to spend $3400 on lift assistance then I might want to look into investing in a full-frame AVL (my value judgement only - I prefer my PDL to my FDL).  Air technology is going to be around forever - the shop tools they power are simple and cheaper than the non-air counterparts.  The TC-2 Jacquard is powered by vacuum pumps (suction rather than pressure).  My "when/if I slow down physically" loom will be the Leclerc Weavebird.  I treadled it at Convergence and it was light as a feather by design.  The front beam pops off easily for threading access to the heddles.

brightfeather

Thanks for all the great advice!  I've got a better handle on what I'm looking at, and I've modified my budget to accomidate either adding on a lift, or paying more for a loom that already has one.  It means saving up for a bit longer, but I feel more confident that I'll be getting the setup that will work best for me :)

Brother Mark

We have a recent model, 48" weaving width, AVL Production loom with 16-harnesses and mechanical dobby action.  It comes with all of the "bells and whistles" of the AVL including auto cloth advance, auto tensioning, etc...  It has two warp beams:  a sectional beam and a plain beam.  It also has two breast beams, a sandpaper beam and the newer "sticky" AVL beam.  It also has an overhead one box fly-shuttle beater.  Shuttles and pirns included.  A free standing AVL bench, tensioner track and tensioner are also included.  Asking $5500.00  Contact:  mligett@gmail for further information.

twoquinns

I bought a used AVL modular loom and am trying to get my first warp on it.  I've gotten to threading the heddles and am having a problem.  I've removed the reed and the cloth beam, but if you leave the harnesses in their resting position, they are pretty low, too low to use the bench that's made for the loom.  Plus that bench sits way too far back.  To thread them at their current height I'd need a bench about 8" tall, and the legs of it would have to fit in between the treadles.  Well, that will be the case no matter what I do with the harnesses.  Anyway, if I try propping the harnesses up on crates like I've done with other looms, their hooks come off the pulley wires.  So the only thing I can think of is to tie them up in the position I want.  But I still have to come up with something to sit on.  Has anyone else come up with a better way? 

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