I have a number of treadles lams and jacks from a previous Varpa loom. The TOIKA and Varpa share a lot of similarities, they are heavy birch, similar style and construction, the braking systems are almost identical, the cloth aprons the same and the proportions almost the same. I love the density of the wood, I am a rough and tumble weaver yet I loathe too many dings and dents! These looms are hardy! One thing I noticed is the lams on the Varpa are much shorter, the height of the breast beam a little lower and the lams are actually about 2 inches shorter.
I recently set up my TOIKA Eeva using marked texsolv tie ups, unlike the Glimakra the proportions are quite different so the usual method of moving up every 3 texsolv holes does not work. I also noticed that the holes in the treadles are narrower and require a threading hook. I actually installed some eye hooks and used metal rods to secure the texsolv (see picture). This method is easy peesy! Fast and more comfortable than crawling under the treadles.
