multi-harness tapestry loom

Here is a sketch of a loom I want to build. The skech isn't perfect, obviously the beater isn't quite right, but it is the general idea.
  In order to put in large ceramic pieces (or metal or other large items) I need to have a loom with a large working area, variable tension and the ability to roll up or even simply gather the woven piece while still weaving on the warp.  In order to achieve this, I am going to to create a tall tapestry style loom with 8-12 harnesses. There will be at least two warp beams. The cloth roller instead of being on the front, or in front of the treadles will be in the back. This will require a new way of moving the harnesses or changing how the treadles are connected to the harnesses.  In order to have a beater that is in rest against gravity, it will need to be on hydraulics or springs. Additionally, it will require a way to hold tension on the “breast beam”; this will allow for the woven weft to either hang, or to have the woven weft rolled on the cloth beam not control the tension. I also will need to have the harness/beater mechanism be able to move up and down on the loom, so that it would be feasable to create peices without moving the cloth or warp beams.

Anyone have any suggestions?
I was just pondering why the heddles are in the large harness frame and weather or not I need it to be that large. Realistically, I think it could be around 3" (10cm). Any thoughts on this?
Any ideas on what to use to slide the shafts? I was thinking cabinet drawer sliders or ball bearings

 

thanks,
Britta


 

 

Comments

Fri, 10/11/2013 - 03:24

Bonnie Inouye (not verified)

With 8 or 12 shafts, you will want to move them in groups. Usually this is done with treadles.

I do not understand why you must have a vertical loom for this project.

AVL looms have the cloth beam in back; the woven cloth passes underneath the shafts. Tension is maintained by a sandpaper cover on the front beam so it grabs the fabric and holds it in place. There is no tension on the cloth heading to the cloth beam.

Shafts (the frames holding the heddles) are the right size to hold heddles which are sized according to the shed (the space between rising and sinking warp yarns). The shed must be large enough to form a clean area for passage of a shuttle.

Bonnie Inouye

Fri, 10/11/2013 - 04:18

Britta

Thanks Bonnie.

of course you are right about the shed, that brain storm didn't help.

I had a peak at the AVL website and couldn't find any looms like you described. I did see a couple on an image search, but of course the mechanism are not shown.

I have started weaving a series of life-sized woven women. I have also been playing with large chain & cable in both the weft & the warp. Ideally I'd like to be able to weave a whole woman without having to roll my warp. This would allow me to put large peices of pottery, metal, tools, ect into my work. It would also be very benificial to be able to see what I have already done. I know I can put the large stuff in after, but particualrly with my organic ceramic peices I am hoping to put in, this will not be the best way.woman with two vices

 

Fri, 10/11/2013 - 04:30

debmcclintock

Have you investigated using a warp weighted loom? It seems like that might be an easier answer for your project. Google the term "warp weighted loom" and look at the images and perhaps consider that path. Interesting end project you are working towards.
Fri, 10/11/2013 - 06:25

Britta

yes I have Deb. When I lived in Ghana, they did a version where they had a regular"ish" style floor loom and dragged their warp with a rock on the ground.That is how I created the chain weft before.

I am still in need of the harnesses unless I want to have the project take forever. I think I should be able to do the "treddles" into some sort of hand system.

Fri, 10/11/2013 - 11:43

debmcclintock

What are you using for cloth structure? Twill, plain weave other? Why 8-12 shafts? What is driving that deciscion?
Fri, 10/11/2013 - 22:04

Britta

I am using tube weave and want to do multi-tubes at once. One of the peices I am looking at is a woman sitting, hugging her knees. To do that, I will need at least two sets of tube weaves & back beams.

Sat, 10/12/2013 - 16:29

trkeyfrm

i think this would work well on my loom.. the big one is 6 feet wide, 8 feet tall, which allows for about 13 1/2 feet of warp length.

Tue, 10/15/2013 - 05:04

Sara von Tresckow

Very interesting project. The sculptural elements in your figures will make using multi-shafts efficiently rather difficult. Have you thought of making a set of heddling bars for each tube - sort of the way that Peter Collingwood used multiple rigid heddles on his macrogauzes?

Multiple shafts on a loom give one many design possibilities, but when working in "sections" as your figures are made, they would actually be a hindrance.

A plain tubular double weave (which would work up into an arm, leg or other part, takes only 4 shafts (or heddling bars). Fixed shafts would work all in the same plane. Your illustration is 3-dimensional and very sculptural, so you'll need to work in separate sections (not with shafts reaching the width of the loom).

Wed, 10/16/2013 - 03:14

Bonnie Inouye (not verified)

If you want to weave tubes side-by-side, you could use 4 shafts and a different shuttle for each tube. Open a shed and weave 1 arm, then the body, then the other arm. Next open the other shed including lifting the first layer, and use the same 3 shuttles to make the back face of each tube.

Were you thinking about weaving the figure on its side, instead? That would require more shafts and a lot of careful planning and would still need separate shuttles for each tube. Since the middle tube is wider than the arms, it would be tricky to weave the second arm underneath the body. I'm with Sara- use 4 shafts and weave so the figure is facing you.

Bonnie Inouye

Wed, 10/16/2013 - 13:42

debmcclintock

Also consider learning how to make string heddle shafts for the sections on a vertical.  It might give you more flexibility as you work thru your pieces.  Look around in the backstrap world for examples on how to make string heddles, search the phrase "making string heddles".  You can take off in different directions and still have your shedding mechanism.

Fixed shafts and multiple shuttles as Bonnie suggests would also work if you can build the loom.  But the transient phase of your project still has me asking myself if you want to build a single purpose loom for that project.  You would be trading speed for flexibility, always an artistic call.

Mon, 10/21/2013 - 16:47

trkeyfrm

this is just one, for plain weave, but i have done as many as three for a pattern

Tue, 10/22/2013 - 02:06

debmcclintock

Awesome, it looks like you have the skill in your hands to apply the string heddle concept to your vision. Good luck!