I was doing really well, finished 3 projects without having to retie my treadles, just took off the upper and lower lamms and threaded, put everything back together and was off in a snap.  

Something happened.  I put on a long warp of tencel and reattached the lamms and everything is off balance.  I put the whole thing back up on the shaft holders, put the pins in the jacks and redid my entire tie up from the short lamms, long lamms, and treadles and was weaving last night and one shed was really off.  I had two different sheds instead of one.  My shaft 3 wants to hang.  

Now, everything is back up on the shaft holders, the jacks are pinned shut and I have readjusted the top and bottom sets of lamms and the treadles.  I will take a picture but the front cords of each treadle is taught and the cords for shafts 3 and 4 are looser.  I am concerned this is wrong and don't want to take everything apart and have it be wrong.  I have checked to be certain nothing is caught up on a pin or something.  Any other thoughts before I take everything apart and loose?  Should my back half of the treadle cords be loose?

Claudia

heading down to the studio to take pictures and will add them in the AM.

Comments

Wed, 10/06/2010 - 01:44

Sara von Tresckow

I don't understand why you disconnect the lamms when you thread the loom.

Unless the shafts hang at a terribly uncomfortable height, you leave everything connected when you thread the heddles.

If, for some reason, you must disconnect, at least mark the current set of holes used with a magic marker so that reattachment is easier and more accurate.

Wed, 10/06/2010 - 01:44

Sara von Tresckow

I don't understand why you disconnect the lamms when you thread the loom.

Unless the shafts hang at a terribly uncomfortable height, you leave everything connected when you thread the heddles.

If, for some reason, you must disconnect, at least mark the current set of holes used with a magic marker so that reattachment is easier and more accurate.

Wed, 10/06/2010 - 06:43

kerstinfroberg

If any of the treadle cords should be loose, it is the cords to the front shafts.

In my experience, using up to 6-8 shafts, all (most) treadle cords are the same length - going up to 12-16 shafts the front cords will be significantly longer at the front 4 (or so) shafts.

However - when I adjust my sheds, I go about it like this:

I do a preliminary tie-up.

Take out the pins and check the sheds, one by one, taking note of which shafts need adjusting for each shed. (Say that, on treadle 2 shaft 4 does not go down enough, and on treadle 3 shaft 3 does not go up enough - jus as an example)

Then, I shorten the cord between treadle 2 and the short lamm to shaft 4 (will make it go down lower), and shorten the cord between treadle 3 and the long lamm to shaft 3 (will make it raise higher).

I then check the sheds again - and (perhaps) do more adjustments.

Remember that it is the *bottom* of the shed that is important - the shuttle wants a flat surface to glide on. If the shed is high enough to accomodate the shuttle, it is not important whether the top "looks nice" or not.

Also, remember that it is the *sheds* that are important - that is, don't mind how it looks when the shafts are at rest.

Wed, 10/06/2010 - 18:09

Ellen (not verified)

I have tried so many times to write an answer to this post, and every time they have just disappeared!!! Out of sheer stubbornness, I'll try just once more:

I agree with the way Kerstin explains everything, but would like to add, that even though I learned to tie all the treadles up the same, nowadays I go for tying the back lamms tight and then looser and looser towards the front. It looks messy, but gives a perfect shed. 

Thu, 10/07/2010 - 15:53

steve104c (not verified)

Claudia, Krestins explanation looks good. I ended up getting Joannes Hall's "Tying Up The Countermarch Loom". It troubleshoots that problem and Krestins solution seems to be the same as Joanne's. I'm not trying to sell Joanne's book. I tried everything before I gave in and bought it and have'nt regretted it. Most of the time I am unable to get what someone is tryng to explain to me without seeing it. So if all fails call Joanne............Steve.
Thu, 10/07/2010 - 20:10

Claudia Segal (not verified)

Thank you all.  I have  Joanne's book and Lundell.  I did what Kerstin suggested and am rolling along nicely now, just one thread out of place and that can be fixed easily.  I wish I knew why it happened.  My first 3 warps went really well.  The only thing I can think of is that this one is tencel and much lighter than the cotton warps I worked on first.

Is that possible?

Claudia