I have a 10 shaft Glimakra and dream about converting it to be computer driven.  Is this possible?  How hard is it to convert it, and what is the aproximate cost?

Thanks,

Janene

Comments

Tue, 08/18/2015 - 01:01

ShawnC

Toika offers this option for Scandinavian style looms: http://www.toika.com/en/products/looms/computer-looms/

Tue, 08/18/2015 - 01:07

janenedriscoll

Are there any dealers in the US?

Tue, 08/18/2015 - 01:24

ShawnC

I think Sara van Tresco has it for her Finnish loom, I believe? A couple other folks, I think as well.

Tue, 08/18/2015 - 02:02

Sara von Tresckow

Cost will be the only difficulty you'll have converting your loom. Any of the standard European countermarche looms (full sized) can be converted to the Toika dobby. The unit replaces the wooden rails currently on your loom - with the new rails supporting both the dobby box and the shafts. All coupers, shafts, lams and treadles get removed.

I bought my unit used, we brought it home, my husband recut the rails to fit the loom (narrower than the one that came with it) and we had it functioning in half an hour (the cords were already adjusted which would normally take some time). As soon as I had the existing warp rethreaded, it wove from the getgo.

The utter simplicity and reliability of the Toika dobby do make the price worthwhile anyway.

Tue, 08/18/2015 - 02:28

ShawnC

Sorry for misspelling your name, Sara!

Tue, 08/18/2015 - 03:01

suem

I agree totally with Sara:)  I converted my Glimakra Standard 150cm loom last year.  I spent a lot of time with both Art Elkins of Webs and Jukka from Toika at Convergence in RI last summer, and ordered my conversion by the end of the week:)  I got the 16 shaft conversion kit.  Ordered in August, arrived in November. Converted the loom in December.  Nothing could be easier.  The most time consuming part was putting heddles on the loom.  What you get: 2 rails the width of the loom, 1 computer dobby, whatever number of shafts you choose (16 or 24), 100 heddles per shaft, all necessary texsolve cords. And a dedicated version of Weavepoint weaving software and loom driver.  Very easy to set up, very ease to use.  Love it!:)

The cost will depend on the width of your loom and how many shafts you want.

Mon, 10/12/2015 - 09:21

pattyp

I am seriously interested in converting my 120cm Glimakra Standard which is not a CB 4 shaft that was purchased second hand into a computerized 24 shaft loom.  

I have been doing research and most of hte information I have found is about the 16 shaft version.  According to the Toika website it can be outfitted up to 32 shafts.  I am interested in adding 24 shafts, 16 being not enough for the pattersn I want to weave and well 32 is a bit much, not to mention the more shafts the more it will cost. ;) 

Is there a difference between the 16 and 24 shaft version other than more shafts?  I will be buying site unseen so trying to find out as much as I can about this computer conversion., also including problems or faults if any.  I want to be an informed buyer.  Problems that may occur do not deter me from a purchase, before spending this large amount of money I would like to know everything I can about the unit.   No one in The Netherlands that I  know of owns the computerized Toika loom and the one dealer is not familiar with it so all tech support will come from Toika direct.  

Thank you 

Wed, 10/14/2015 - 14:41

Sara von Tresckow

The Toika is no different in the 24 shaft version than the 16. Both are kits that simply fit on the loom and the space needed is greater with the increasing number of shafts. The sheer simplicity of this device makes it hard to describe. Lily Weisgerber-Peters in Luxembourg has at least one Toika dobby and I believe she was a dealer when we visited her in 2009. I do have a short video on my web site that shows my 16 shaft unit less than 2 hours after we installed it - it shows the control box and how the shafts work. Hope this helps.

http://woolgatherers.com/WEAVINGINSTRUCTION.htm

The video is near the bottom of the page - and don't use Chrome to view it - Explorer and other browsers will work fine.