I've been researching looms and it seems to me most jack floor looms have two more treadles than shafts. Four shafts have six treadles and 8 shafts have ten treadles. I've since turned my attention to researching countermarch looms like the Glimarka Ideal and the Oxaback Lilla. The Lilla has eight shafts and only eight treadles. The Ideal can have eight shafts with eight treadles or ten shafts and ten treadles. Am I missing something here? Why the fewer treadles? I'm working on a project on an eight shaft baby wolf. It has ten treadles. I had to tie up eight Treadles for the pattern, but I had two treadles left and tied them up for plain weave. I always thought that was the reason for the extra treadles, so you can tie them up for plain weave. If I was doing an overshot pattern that required eight treadles on a countermarch, what would I do when it came time for the tabby picks?

Comments

Wed, 09/28/2011 - 01:44

Sara von Tresckow

I've been weaving for many years now. My first CM loom had 8 shafts and 8 treadles. It took nearly 20 years before I did a braided twill rug and needed 2 additional treadles. My husband simply copied the treadles that came wtih the loom and widened the support piece to handle them.

After that rug, I seldom used all 10 again. You just have to see what your taste in fabric is after you get a loom. Sometimes a weaver thinks pattern - and winds up doing a lot of simpler structures with mixed yarns, color and texture effects, and other designs that don't always need a lot of shafts and treadles.

And with the Lillla - it says on our web site - that the 40 inch model can be fitted with 2 additional treadles for a reasonable price.

 

Wed, 09/28/2011 - 08:22

Mutz

Thanks for the information. I didn't see on the website that more treadles could be added. I'll have to go take another look.

Sat, 10/01/2011 - 11:21

Joanne Hall

There are some weaves like summer and winter where extra treadles are nice.  Sometimes there are never enough treadles for summer and winter, so one ties up a skeleton tie-up, which can be done on a countermarch as well as other looms. 

But most 8 shaft weaves like twill do not need more treadles, as you do not usually weave plain weave with an 8 shaft twill. 

The reason that Scandinavian looms often come with 10 shafts and treadles is so that you can weave a two block satin, which is very popular there.

Joanne

Sat, 11/26/2011 - 12:45

r1mein54 (not verified)

So far johns has posted to every thread so far with the same comment so we all know that is spamming. "It" has already been reported to Admin. The captcha did not keep this one out.