Hi All,

I'm a newish but passionate spinner and weaver.  Before I bought a spinning wheel or loom I obsessively watched whomever I could find on YouTube, Interweave, Craftsy and the like.  A spinning wheel I splurged on, but Looms! wow! they can be expensive.  On YouTube I ran across Andreas Moeller and his Flying 8 loom, which is super easy to build and pretty easy on the wallet too.  I am in the process of building it, but I would really love to see one in action.  Is there anyone out there who has built or seen one?

thanks!

Jessica

Comments

Tue, 04/08/2014 - 03:23

debmcclintock

Google Flying 8 loom and look thru the video section. This link has a nice video from different angles of the loom http://youtu.be/aL6De1BIbbo Also I seem to remember that somewhere on the Flying 8 web site he has some videos. Perhaps email him and ask for the link.
Wed, 04/09/2014 - 18:31

Jessicamaude

Yes, I've seen the videos online and at his site, but I'd like to talk to someone who has used the loom in this country, maybe.  I guess Andreas might have a list of folks who have built his loom here in the US, so I will email him.  

Thu, 04/10/2014 - 00:45

sandra.eberhar…

I think there was someone posting on the weaving group in Yahoo groups who bought the plans and was working on it.  You could try there.

Sun, 10/19/2014 - 03:15

GrannaOnTheFarm

I am interested in buying the plans for this loom. Can anyone direct me to a website or email address for Andreas Moller? Dianne

Sun, 10/19/2014 - 03:34

GrannaOnTheFarm

Sorry, I hit the button twice.

Sun, 10/19/2014 - 03:32

GrannaOnTheFarm

My German neighbor told me about Andreas Moeller's Flying-8 loom so I watched all the you-tube videos. I also found the web page (http://www.weberei-hamburg.com/epages/62786179.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/62786179/Products/30010)  to order the plans but since it is in German I must wait until morning to ask my neighbor to interpret it for me! Except for the box that clearly says "PayPal", I can't read it!! How much is 59,00E?

When I get more information I'll post it. Dianne

Sun, 10/19/2014 - 15:59

Sara von Tresckow

The beauty of Paypal is that it charges you in Dollars the amount needed to cover the Euro cost.

We ordered the plans to have on hand - worth your time and trouble - and Andreas is fluent in English.

Wed, 03/16/2016 - 22:55

lasselasse

Hi,

I find myself in a similar situation as the OP. I am very intrigued by the Flying 8 loom. Since it's been a while, has anyone built one? How do you like it?

 

thanks,

Lasse

Thu, 03/17/2016 - 19:45

Sara von Tresckow

Haven't built one, but the reviews from European weavers have been excellent. He uses unconventional materials and methods - for use in developing areas to save costs, but the functionality has often been praised. He is also on Facebook now with lots of photos.

We bought the plans and found them quite well done. 

Thu, 06/29/2017 - 17:07

bjr1957

Hi Sara, Can you send the link to where you got the plans for this loom? I told my husband about this loom and he broadcast the video Andreas put out on to the TV and is now enamored. We really want to order the loom plans and build one to replace my Putney Mountain. After 4 years of trying, this loom simply will not work as it was designed to so, it is going to be replaced. Barb R.
Fri, 06/30/2017 - 00:51

sandra.eberhar…

That's too bad.  I've seen from earlier posts that you had a really nice looking loom.  Of course, just because it looks nice doesn't mean it works well.   There seemed to be some confusion about whether it was a jack or countermache; you were talking about adding two sets of lamms, which would not work for a loom designed to be a jack loom.  Given the failure to get this loom working, are you sure you want to build one?  There are a lot of used looms on the market, many are cheaper than the wood for building your own.  There are several people posting in Weavo who build and repair looms, did you try posting your problems with it?

Fri, 06/30/2017 - 16:07

SusanBH

This is the website with the flying-8 loom plans. I purchased them a couple months ago with plans to try making one within the next year or so. Note that although he has plans in English as well as German, the website is in German. I found google translate to be invaluable. Also, because the link is to the German Paypal site it took a little fiddling to get to my Paypal account. Good luck! http://www.weberei-hamburg.com/

Tue, 09/26/2017 - 14:32

DAYe Weaver

has anyone tried his warping system?

i saw him demonstrate it and I was wondering if anyone had personal experience with it.

deb

Wed, 09/27/2017 - 09:52

ReedGuy

I've not seen his, but there are also two other wheels on the market, one by AVL and the other by SawyerBee (warping square).

Fri, 09/29/2017 - 14:50

Sara von Tresckow

Andreas uses a heck block to guide the thread on the warping wheel. His design appears to be quite well done. Was at the Swedish conference and watched his demo - we are sort of German weaving buddies as we both learned in the early 80's in the same "neighborhood". While his contraptions look a bit odd, they function beautifully. The Flying8 concept is for yard goods produced efficiently - it is wonderful for towels, clothing fabrics, etc. but lacks heft for a rug loom. The heck block on his warping mill is an old feature, designed to be built easily.
Sat, 09/30/2017 - 14:10

Meriam

How is your Flying 8 loom? My husband is woodworker and I would love to have a loom made by him.....if it worked. Thank you. Meriam

Sat, 09/30/2017 - 14:16

Meriam

How is your Flying 8 loom? My husband is woodworker and I would love to have a loom made by him.....if it worked. Thank you. Meriam

Sat, 09/30/2017 - 14:18

Meriam

How is your Flying 8 loom? My husband is woodworker and I would love to have a loom made by him.....if it worked. Thank you. Meriam

Sat, 10/07/2017 - 05:53

warped loomster

Hi, I am a new weaver who is very interested in loom construction. I am 74 years old and live half a year in Canada and half a year in Thailand.

I was interested in attending one of Andreas's loom building course but there was no way for me to bring my loom back to Canada so I attended a week weaving course in Rothen , Germany.

The first day after introductions and initial instruction, the people who had not used flying shuttles spent a couple of hours moving the shttle back and forth with no  warp thread. I can understand why they are called flying shuttles. If your rhythm is wrong your shuttle goes flying. After a bit of practice the loom becomes very easy to use.

With the flying 8 system you can thread a warp and by using Andreas warping system tie your new warp onto the tail end of your previous warp and wind it onto your warp beam without rethreading. This process is very easy using Andreas warping beam and his "weaver's best freind". It is a one weaver process. 

The flying 8 system is designed to  make it easier for weavers to produce a lot of good quality fabric on a continuous warp. At this Andreas has succeded

If you change warp threadings frequently or like to use multiple shuttles perhaps this is not for you.

I have compared The "Building Guidelines" to the looms in Rothen and on the web. There are several differences. This can be explained by saying the system is constantly being developed and different materials available at different places. Andreas has designed his system to be produced with very primitive tools. He told me that he was at a European weaving fare but nobody was interested in his very functional but shitty looking loom. He commissioned a carpenter to build a high end version for the next show.

When I build my flying 8, I will use Andreas dimensions but many of my joints will be more conventional using bolts through drilled holes.

One important lesson from Andreas is that expensive hard wood is not needed. Some of the looms in Rothen were made with unplaned softwood but they worked well.  Unfortunately many loom builders build beautiful furniture that is non functional. Good quality softwood works just as well.

 

 

 

 

Sat, 10/07/2017 - 14:17

sandra.eberhar…

A loose (unboxed) flying shuttle can be quite dangerous, and one reason that the shuttle became unboxed was that there was no warp on the loom.  I have ordered his building guide for his hex-block warping reel.  I'll see how that comes out.

Any kind of wood works for making a loom; mine are made of cherry, maple, yellow pine and birch ply wood.  All work.  However, if the wood isn't smooth, it will drive you nuts catching threads and may give you splinters.

Mon, 10/09/2017 - 06:09

warped loomster

Thanks for your comment.

i should have said treading, beating, and passing an empty shuttle back and forth through a fully warped loom.

The flying shuttles used in the flying 8 system are very light and pose a hazard to no one. They are built as part of the system.

I can understand how a normal flying shuttle with pointed end weights could be hazardous.

The shuttle pushers and the shuttle box fronts are constructed of cardboard and tape. This material is readily available in third world countries and when this material is used looms are much quieter. I think if you used a normal end weighted shuttle it would quickly destroy the cardboard parts.

Andreas says that his system requires less effort and is ergonomically less harmful to weavers who spend long hours weaving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wed, 10/11/2017 - 17:32

kerstinfroberg

... here in Sweden the most "conventional" joint is a hole through the frame, stick the beam through and a wedge through a hole in the beam to hold it in place.

(I'm sure this type of joints have a name in English, but being a weaver, not a carpenter, I do not know the correct terminology. The point being: no bolts, no boltholes, no nuts.)

Wed, 10/11/2017 - 18:24

ReedGuy

Pegged mortise and tenon. The beam is often called a stretcher, moreso if it is used in bench or table construction. The peg can be on the end of the beam or dowels into the side of the mortised member and onward into the tenon. I have seen 200 year old looms with the dowel pegs to. ;)