The Woolery has a new video to share with you - Selecting the Perfect Loom. If you're a member of Weavolution you probably already have a perfect loom for you! Do you have other tips to add? 

 

Comments

Fri, 09/11/2015 - 21:42

silveroy

After I have converted my Gilmarka, and thoughts product loom,  I love weaving on the both equaly,, Rugs on my gilmarka,  yardage on my thoughts product.

Sat, 09/12/2015 - 13:03

mneligh

I love my Macomber.  It's only 48", however, and I wish it were bigger.

Sat, 09/12/2015 - 21:03

sally orgren

...is the one that keeps getting dressed with new warps!

Sun, 09/13/2015 - 04:51

Nakia

I don't know if it would be the perfect loom for me since I don't have one yet. My 'dream loom' is a 36" Fireside Cantilever loom. That is the loom I will one day own and then I can die a happy tapestry weaver.

Saw one on a 'for sale' site recently that I wanted so so badly. Of course it was way too far away from me even if I had been able to afford it. That loom did not take long to sell either.

Sun, 09/13/2015 - 20:36

LydiaDehn

I love my 8-harness Gilmore, very sturdy and I've had it for 25 years. 

Sun, 09/13/2015 - 20:36

LydiaDehn

I love my 8-harness Gilmore, very sturdy and I've had it for 25 years. 

Sun, 09/13/2015 - 22:03

sequel (not verified)

The Schacht Standard 8 shaft in the briefly produced 42" weaving width, with a second back beam.  I've passed on these rare birds twice now because they didn't have the second beam.  I've got a perfectly good 42" 8 shaft Herald with 2 beams, but it's ugly.  It was cheap though.  Makes me hesitate every time My Dream Loom comes on the market.  Still looking...

Thu, 09/24/2015 - 15:21

Dogmom1957

Why my Harrisville Model  T6 of course!!

Perfect beginners loom! At 36 inches perfect size!

 

Fri, 09/25/2015 - 01:16

barleycorn

Of course I love my 48", 8 harness, 35 year old Glimakra, especially for rugs and I like the overhead beater for laceweights also since it seems so easy to get the right feel for the beat. I recently found a 48" used old Clement jack loom, built like a battleship, it's a lot of fun to play on since it has a direct tie-up. 

Sat, 02/06/2016 - 01:53

dawne

48", by most standards, is a big loom!

Sat, 02/06/2016 - 03:58

Nakia

Since my first post in this thread my "perfect loom" found me last November. I am totally 'In Love' with my Tools of the Trade 36" 4 shaft loom! I finally finished fidddling with my warp getting it straight & tight. Have woven about 2" worth on my practice warp and love her to bits!! 

 

What do I love best about this loom? Welp, I love how absolutely easy she is to get to everything on her. Both back beam and breast beam can be layed down to the floor without any tools necessary  by unhooking the side bars that hold them to the frame. Her nice heavy beater comes off just as easy with no need for tools by lifting it straight up & off. She has ample room on both beams to hold a long warp and is a solid stout beauty.

 

I'm not experienced with any other floor looms to compare by brands or models. I have an upright I haven't warped yet. I just know from working with my TOTT loom that she is an easy keeper and I love her!! 

Sat, 02/06/2016 - 22:46

d4ta

AVL, compu dobby or mechanical dobby. 16 shafts, overhead beater with upgrads such as auto advance, 1" sectional 1 yard warp beam and a second if needed,  fireside rolling temples, counter to count the turns of the warp beam and a bench that has been altered so an "old" lady like me does not have to swing her legs over to get in. I wanted it more than my little sports car so..... I sold the car and purchased my AVL used in about 1990, still loving it today.

Sun, 02/07/2016 - 00:46

sandra.eberhar…

My favorite loom is a massive barn frame loom that was made about 1750 as a two shaft counterbalance loom, and is now an 8 shaft parallel countermarche loom.  it fits me perfectly, is so easy to thread and treadle, and has a Woolhouse Tools 60+ to move the tie up to the back of the loom.

My second favorite is my TOTT 25" 8 shaft jack loom.  Small, fast, easily warped and tied, BIG shed.  I had a Schact Baby Wolf but sold it because I couldn't get it to fit me and it hurt too much to use.  And the tiny shed.  And the carriage bolts that were beginning to round out their holes.

Sun, 02/07/2016 - 01:53

Queezle

Both my looms found me - an 8-harness mighty wolf and a 4-harness 42 inch schacht floor loom.  But I need (want) a loom that is easy to take to workshops, and am thinking about getting rid of the mighty wolf in favor of an 8-harness gilmore or baby mac -- or julia.  I don't know if the Julia is actually practical - break down seems more difficult that the easy fold of the gilmore of baby mac.  But would I be happy with any of these as my main 8-harness loom?  Feedback appreciated.

Sun, 02/07/2016 - 04:14

loomroomcat (not verified)

I love love love my 48" 16 shaft AVL loom.  I have a mechanical dobby, I am hoping to upgrade to compu-dobby.

Sun, 02/07/2016 - 04:15

loomroomcat (not verified)

I love love love my 48" 16 shaft AVL loom.  I have a mechanical dobby, I am hoping to upgrade to compu-dobby.

Sun, 02/07/2016 - 13:39

Margery (not verified)

My former loves have been an 8 harness Schacht floor loom, 8 harness Baby Wolf, 16 harness AVL compu-dobby, and an AVL Home loom.  The two looms I have kept and use the most are my 8H Louet Spring and 8H Louet Delta.  The Spring is my favorite. Love the shed and light treadling.

Sun, 02/07/2016 - 18:07

Hazel Fyrebird

...is 3 looms: a pretty custom inkle that only exists in my imagination (~3 yard weaving length, ~5" weaving width, shaped like a Viking dragon ship, with a tension paddle adjustment knob making the dragon's eye on the back, and an adjustable tension post knob that looks like an oar down in the hull on the back); my Emilio, a 19" Glimåkra Emilia; and a 4 to 8 shaft wider table loom (probably 32"-48") that hasn't been found yet. Don't have room for all of them, but that doesn't stop me from dreaming! 

Sun, 02/07/2016 - 18:52

Sara von Tresckow

Perfect is a bit strong - appropriate for end use might be a better way to phrase this.

For general purpose weaving, nothing beats an old fashioned square framed countershed loom - counterbalance OR countermarche - 8 shafts and 8 or 10 treadles. The framing and construction with adjustable points to hang the beater, adjustable benches, shaftholders to hang things at a good height all add to the advantages.

I currently work on several - a 45" Ulla Cyrus that works either as a single unit drawloom or a rug loom, a 40" Lilla set up as a pattern shaft drawloom, a Finnish Lilqvist converted to a Toika dobby (and all the 8 shaft parts are stored for future use if needed), a little Julia set up to do Asian silks with patterning device. As noted, the beauty of these looms lies partially in that they can be modified rather easily for future specialty weaves.

Sun, 02/07/2016 - 20:42

CelticCats

Love my Glimakra, 47" 12 shaft loom.  However, would love to have a 60" wide with 16 shafts, with one sectional beam and one plain beam, perhaps with compudobby??

Sun, 02/07/2016 - 20:54

EvaHall

in 2013 I retired and moved from Norway to Denmark. In my new house I found room for a big weaving studio (40 square meters) and I found the loom of my dreams, an Ulla Cyrus, 160 cm. 16 shafts and two yarnbeams. I love it. The size fits me, the weaver who sold it to me had found it too big and physically demanding for her. I love the way I can walk walk into the loom for the tie down.