i have a problem with my warp tension.  I have 10/2 cotton 550 ends, 4 yards I just put on my loom for gift towels.  My warp is nice and tight, the back brake is holding and the front ratchet is holding.  All is nice and tight!  I start to weave and after about 10 picks my warp starts to go slack!  I have not released my brake at all and continue to advance my fabric every couple of picks.  Unfortunately sometimes I'll have to go release my brake and front ratchet and wind my warp back onto the back beam because it's advanced so far and my beater starts to hit the front beam.  I have looked my loom over top to bottom and do not see anything out of place or broken. Wove some towels on her about two months ago and no problems.  Anyone think of something I haven't, anything else I should look at?? 

 

this is so frustrating.  I have woven about 30" and the proble continues

Comments

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 10:32

tommye scanlin

Perhaps one or the other of the metal brackets at the rear of the loom has come off the bolt and allows the warp to be slackened.

Tommye

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 11:29

Jang

Thank you Tammy, I've checked and all bolts are nice and snug.  This is very odd!

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 11:36

Dena (not verified)

Do you beam under tension?  I don't, which works well for me, but after I am tied on, I tighten the warp until it stops moving.  My warps are long and somtimes my tie on bar is almost to the cloth beam by the time I am done.  Then, I loosen up the tension in the front and roll it back to the back beam.

Since everything else seems to be in working order, try tightening the front hard and see how much give the warp has.

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 12:37

Jang

Thank you Dena, there is no slack before I start weaving, nice and tight.  I have enough tension so that when I throw my shuttle I have a clean shed, after about 10 beats, my warp has lost about 1/2" of tension (did that make sense??). You mention you have a front apron?? I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the fact that I have apron strings? They are the waxed Macomber strings so there is no give and they are securely stapled.

 

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 12:55

Dena (not verified)

What kind of brake is it in the back?  Are you absolutely sure it is holding?  Have you had someone stand in the back and watch the beam for a stretch of time while you are weaving?  And what are you actually weaving?  I have had slippage on my tension brakes on two of my Macombers (the only two with tension brakes).  On one of them I was sure it couldn't be the brake slipping and then I had someone stand at the back and watch it carefully while I was weaving and it was.

I do find that no matter how tightly adjusted my tension brakes are, when I am weaving rugs they will give (due to the high tension and the hard beating).  I have decided that whenever possible, I use the looms with the pawl and ratchet brakes for rugs.

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 13:36

sally orgren

Dena is right. The brake might not be holding the tension, or a small part could have fallen out.

It happened to my guildmate last year. I couldn't figure it out until I asked a friend to send me a photo of her tension brake for the same loom type, and we realized a part had fallen off when the loom was moved. (The piece was lying on the carpet and someone picked it up, thinking it must not be important.)

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 16:12

Jang

I've had my husband watch both front and back and nothing has moved on the loom.  I took a piece of thread and tied to the warp on the back and the string never moved so I know it's not happening at the back.  The front break is the solid cast iron ratchet and it doesn't move at all.  10/2 doesn't stretch, right??  This is an overshot name draft.  My warp is 10/2, tabby is 20/2 and pattern is 8/2.  It shouldn't matter what my weft yarn is, if I beat firmly or loosly...the warp should not loosen up until I release the brake and advance the front...right?  I'm starting to think I'm crazy...

 

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 16:37

Dena (not verified)

In that case, it sounds like you have a case of the weaving gremlins.  They are nasty little buggers and can wreak havoc when you least expect it.  I don't think it's your yarn stretching or your apron stings stretching.

 

The gremlins often only feed when I am fixated on a problem.  Often times if can emotionally let go and walk away from it for a few days either they will leave on their own or I will figure out something that I hadn't yet thought of.

 

Wish I had something else to offer.  Good luck!

 

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 17:11

laurafry

Did you beam your warp with tension?  If not, it may be that the slack in the warp is coming forward as you beat.  You might try Dena's method of applying tension to the warp and see if you can pull the warp forward that way.  Or keep weaving as you have been and see if the warp stabilizes at some point.

Extremely hard to diagnose something like this long distance.  :(

cheers,

Laura

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 17:32

Jang

Thank you both for the suggestion.  I did warp under tension and cannot pull the warp forward, all is nice and tight.  Then I throw, beat a handful of times and now have slack in front of the beater.  Nothing mechanically is moving.  I will continue to weave and see what happens after the cloth goes around itself in the front, if I still have issues I think I'll make a short video and post because the little gremlins are not going to be my friends with 4 towels to have done by this weekend for wedding gift!!  Wouldn't you know I didn't have any threading issues, warp went on like a champ, etc...now I can't figure this one out and have never had the issue with my Mac before...

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 17:51

sally orgren

Okay, if you are on a Macomber, I think it is the same loom type as my guildmate (who had the same problem as you are having, the loom was not holding the tension once she began weaving.)

Here are shots of her brake and the fix. Not sure if it will help you, but perhaps provide some clues by comparison.

She replaced her cable, adding this oval-shaped piece from one of the big-box department stores. It allows her to adjust the tension as needed by tightening the bolt(s) on each end.

3 views of the same area of the loom, at the back beam. (The old cable she just left on the loom, but you can see it is no longer under tension, just dangling.)

 

 

Tue, 08/11/2015 - 18:26

abarry

Is the tension brake band wound the correct way? I had that problem once on another loom with a similiar brake system. It was very frustrating until I figured out what I had done.

I am assuming that you have wound it correctly, but just in case.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 01:51

Jang

Duh and duh!!!! I just got home from work and was going to take pictures to show you how nothing is moving on my loom and it struck me!!  I didn't go over the back beam!!  I've heard of people doing this but I never have until now!!  Isn't there a way to use a temporary dowel to create a back beam????  

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 02:29

Jang

After my husband headed out to his shop for 10 minutes I think I'm up and running!!  now if I could figure out how to insert the pic of my temporary back beam I could show you all!  Sorry it's a sideways pic but I'm headed off to weave again :). Thank you everyone for your help!!

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 03:29

laurafry

Glad you figured it out. :)

 

cheers

laura

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 10:45

Michael White

Remove the back beam and put it under the warp.

 

Michael

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 12:08

Jang

Thats a good idea Michael. My mac doesn't allow for that as its held to the side pieces by three screws on each side, mine is old perhaps the new ones allow for that?

the temporary one my husband made seems to be working. Two and a half towels to go until I get these off my loom. You can bet I won't do this again

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 13:41

tommye scanlin

Congratulations on discovering the problem and finding a solution.  The more you're confident in troubleshooting issues with your loom and with your weaving, the more secure you'll feel about giving something a try!  After all, what's a loom but a tool?  And while most tools have specialized uses, yes, but they can often also be adapted to the task.  

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:51

sally orgren

I went to a museum where they had four historic looms warped. Not one of them had the warp going over the back beam-it went right from the sectional beam into the castle and heddles at an odd angle. Oops!

And I have actually done this to myself twice. (You'd think once was enough, right? ;-)

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:29

laurafry

Me too, Sally.  twice in a row!

cheers

laura

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 21:09

Michael White

They all come with three screws, some have a metal bracket on the underside, just remove the hardware. Finis24 on Ravelry says, "Or just unhook the harnesses and bring them back and over…been there, done that!"

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 22:00

sally orgren

Okay, that one is impressive, Laura.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 22:14

laurafry

What can I say?  Slow learner?

cheers,

Laura