Could someone tell me what the second bolt position is needed for on the iron fitting above the front ratchet?  This would make the arm attached to the front beam in a slightly different postition...but why would you need that?  Thanks.

Comments

Mon, 10/26/2015 - 00:12

Michael White

This allows you to sit close to the heddles when dressing the loom BTF or FTB. Some weavers infact drop the front beam and beater to dress the loom. It also allows you to foldup up the loom in a locked position.

 

Michael

Mon, 10/26/2015 - 03:28

andsewon (not verified)

I've wondered about this, too.  

Michael, I don't think that  mclif is talking about what you describe. I will take a pic and try to add it here 

Mon, 10/26/2015 - 11:00

Michael White

OK I guess she is asking about the the extra hole in the casting which would move the beam I guess one inch. The only thing I would think it would raise the position of the beam just a little?

 

Michael

Mon, 10/26/2015 - 12:36

mneligh

I've had the same question for many years.  It would give you a little more weaving room so you don't have to advance the warp as often, and that has the effect of increasing the power of the beater, since it is beyond the "sweet spot" where the beater is upright.

Rugs, maybe?

Tue, 10/27/2015 - 19:11

andsewon (not verified)

I asked Sarah H and she wasn't sure either.  

Id like to use it for the extra work area for rugs,  but the hard beat on that tip concerns me.  

Tue, 10/27/2015 - 19:56

Michael White

We are taking about 1 inch, I don't think it will make any differance in the beat. Try it, what do you have to loss. You can always put the bolts back the way they were..

Tue, 10/27/2015 - 20:49

morgan clifford

Thanks all for the info.  I wasn't getting emails about the comments or would have weighed in earlier.  Yes, the bolt position option is the one that varies the space by just an inch or so.  Someone responded to my earlier request about weaving gauze and a very open mesh.  They mentioned about this setting.  I'll try to find the info. It was this past summer.

Tue, 10/27/2015 - 21:03

morgan clifford

The cast iron. . .

 

The cast iron piece that holds the end of the cloth beam and its rachet & pawl has a screw to which the iron braces attach.  There are 2 screw holes on either side, however.  By using the one closer to the weaver, you can extend the cloth area by an inch and a half, or so.  However, if you use the position closer to the loom, you still have a large cloth area.  When the beater is at rest back by the heddles, the reed has to travel uphill to reach the top of its arc.  After it passes the top, it travels downhill, with gravity accentuating the force the weaver puts into "beat".  The more it travels downhill without active restraint, the more this effect increases.  

By keeping the fell line up by the highest point, as Joanne points out, the less this effect.  On the Macomber, this is easier if using the brace screw position by the loom rather than the one towards the weaver.

 

I find the Macomber does have a heavy beater by my reckoning, but I have never used an overhead beater for any large project. To me, weft-face is easier to do than balanced on that loom, and I've had to work at lightening my touch to keep square motifs square.  Krokbragd, on the other hand, is easy.

Tue, 10/27/2015 - 21:55

mneligh

I still have the question, though -- is that their intended use, or is it merely that I have found they could be used that way?

As I have mentioned, the easiest way to keep "balanced weave" balanced is to keep the fell line close to beater when in the vertical position.  Except for rugs, perhaps, why would someone want or need to move the bolts forwards?  Rugs are my speculation, not a definitive answer.

Tue, 10/27/2015 - 22:11

andsewon (not verified)

Michael

My concern about using the bolt position so close to the tip of the casting for rugs is that the hard beating might crack the cast iron. (Not that I'm hitting it like the incredi hulk). Constant hard beating might crack it.  

Thoughts On that?

 

Tue, 10/27/2015 - 23:52

Michael White

have an answer for that. But I don't think it would be a problem.

Wed, 10/28/2015 - 12:57

mneligh

Using that bolt position for rugs is pure speculation on my part, remember . . .

Because it has the effect of slightly lowering the front beam as well as lengthening the weaving area, it slightly decreases the height of the shed, as potentially using a higher tension as one might for rugs.  If using a fat rug shuttle, why would one do this?