just got a new to me Macomber and in the process of moving it some things came off so can anyone tell me if I have put the front tension brake back on correctly? Also in looking at the back beam brake, I am confused. It appears that the brake doesn’t actually engage, you have to push up on the petal to make the rachet lock. Is that the way its suppose to be?

Comments

Dena (not verified)

Can you get us better photos?  Specifically a bigger one of the front and also from a few different angles?  The angles of both photos make it hard to see what is going on.

Dena (not verified)

For the front beam, it looks right, unless there is a second dog that should also be engaged.  The much older Macombers (mine is from 1940) only have one, the newer ones (mine is from mid sixties) have two.  I can't tell from the photos...is the lever that you use to tighten attached?  That can fall off when you remove the front beam.

For the back beam...it looks ok from the photo.  My best guess is that your spring is either worn down or the wrong size.  You can move the "s" hook up further on the spring to tighten it, or you can replace the spring altogether.

Good luck! 

Jane Greer

thanks for the tips. I will try them all. The back beam does not catch at all, the beam spins with just a little effort. No way it will hold a warp. My previous loom was a Harrisville, so the brake was different. I assume that this brake works in a rocking way? in that when you step on the petal, it rocks the latch back and forth? I say that because when you step on the petal, it seems to actually engage the brake on the back. Does that make sense? 
Thanks for your help! 
Jane

sequel (not verified)

Your loom probably came with a bunch of large flat washers.  You use them to situate the beams so they will line up with the ratchets.  In your case it looks like a few washers need to be installed on the end of the cloth beam opposite the ratchet and on the ratchet end of the warp beam.

sally orgren

I posted photos, only to realize it wasn't a Macomber!

mneligh

I just checked my loom.  The wooden bracket on my sectional beam which is in the lower position is on the outside of the "post", while it is on the inside for the regular warp beam.  The sectional beam has a rachet and pawl and the regular warp beam a friction brake.  My loom has a warp separator on  it, so when using 2 independently-tensioned warps the sectional bean's warp passes over the separator and the reglar warp beam's warp over the regular back beam.

Your cloth beam setup is different enough for me that I cannot comment on it.

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