For those of you who built your own looms, on average, how much did you end up spending for materials?  Was it worth it - financially - to build your loom rather than buying one?

 

For those interested, here's a link to my blog posting that explains my looms.  I forgot to post in the blog but the PVC loom cost me less than $50.

afrayedknotter.livejournal.com/1895.html

Layne

Comments

Mon, 08/24/2009 - 15:32

Sara von Tresckow

 Building simple frame looms pays for itself.

Larger looms require quality parts as there are rather extreme stresses on all the parts. Finding seasoned lumber that will work in a loom is difficult.

Ratchets and pawls - rather necessary to hold tension are not stock items and need to be custom made.

Plans for home built looms are sometimes reasonably good, but there are a lot of not so good ones out there.

In other words, using your example of the simple frame loom taken to a large floor loom doesn't work well. You're best off looking for well kept used equipment from a manufacturer known to produce quality weaving equipment.

Wed, 08/26/2009 - 05:15

kbird (not verified)

You've got an interesting story, Layne... one thing leading to another...  I will be curious to see how far you go with the weaving, given all of your varied interests (I'm guilty of that too, but I don't think I have quite so many...)

I have seen that frame loom also, as well as the pipe loom plans put out by Archie Brennan, and more recently by his son.

www.brennan-maffei.com/Loom.htm

Until I found the loom I currently have, I considered trying to build one of these.  These looms are really more relevant for the tapestry weavers, but the idea works for smaller scale rugs or Navajo rugs also.  I was particularly looking for a frame or tapestry loom where I didn't have to deal with harnesses or heddles....

Kay

Wed, 08/26/2009 - 07:25

Caroline (not verified)

I've just put together a frame from copper pipe a la Archie Brennan, without the threaded tensioner. That might/might not come later. I shall use it navajo style, and I'm happy using string heddles with multiple sheds so it provides me with a nice sturdy frame for a tapestry, a band, or whatever, its still light enough for me to move around, but strong enough for making a rug. Its 3 foot by 2 foot so I think would be large enough for most projects I'd ever want to make on it. Can't think why I didn't make myself one years ago!

 

Mon, 08/31/2009 - 08:37

esmecat (not verified)

Sara, VERY good point about the quality of plans available out there. that was one of the main reasons i started this group.... so that people could give their experiences with different plans and let people know what was good or not so good about them.

another big factor has got to be skill level. my husband is a pretty skilled woodworker with a decent shop. knowing where to find good quality materials, not a problem. being able to fabricate wood and metal bits that aren't readily available, not a problem. for someone with beginning or very basic DIY skill, those would be impossible hurdles...

which also brings up another major factor. .. time to spend in working out a design and complex fabrication of bits that plans expect you to purchase ready made, big problem! my husband has the skills... but not the time. because he has so little time to spend doing what he loves, his time becomes part of the cost of a project. sometimes it is worth the $$ to be able to have more time for other things (like building siege engines).

because the amount of time and the materials needed for different loom plans available out there vary so greatly... and the skills of each person here vary as well... it seems impossible to give a cross the board answer to the question.

of course, at the moment, that's just my $0.02... as i am still only beginning in the journey of building looms. so far, all we've built are some hand held looms (weavette style), a backstrap, and an *almost* completed inkle loom...

Tue, 10/06/2009 - 10:55

Annabell (not verified)

I haven't actually constructed an entire loom, but took an existing glimakra counterbalance and upgraded it to be the loom that I wanted.  First, making it into a countermarche, and then designing and building a single unit drawloom that attaches to the top.

It was a definite cost savings over purchasing both of these upgrades, and I enjoyed the research that went into my design, but I am lucky that my husband is a talented woodworker or this would not have been possible.  I still ended up buying a few things (heddles - it would have taken me years to tie them all!- and two reeds) but the experience was great and I ended up with a loom I could not have gone out and purchased on my weaving budget.

Sun, 10/25/2009 - 23:06

WvngLion (not verified)

Wow, that is some pretty determined action there, and everything does look like it works!

 

I bought a book at Rhinebeck titled Spinning and Weaving at Home: Making and Using Your Own Low-cost Spinning Wheel and Loom  Thomas Kilbride, Thorsons Publishers limited, Wellingboro, Northamptonshire, 1980.  It has plans for a floor room that use the pipes from construction scaffolds for the frame of the loom - seemed very interesting to me.  It seems it would be fairly cheap, considering, but I must say I am not about to run out and try it.

 

What I really could not resist it for were the plans for making a spinning wheel out of the remains of two bicycles.  I have a wheel and probably won't do this either, but it struck me as the right attitude.

Sun, 10/25/2009 - 23:20

Caroline (not verified)

The Kilbride book is priceless! You just would not want to move anything in a hurry once it was in position! Thick pipes like that have been used, and are often now used for rug and tapestry looms, because they are so much stronger than wood and will take the beating the rugs require.

Its also easy to persuade the man at the hardware store to cut the pipe to size for free, too, ;-)! Something they are not so willing to do with wood. That is if you cannot find a selection of abandoned farm gates, metal fence posts,  etc to make a loom with.

Sun, 11/01/2009 - 13:31

esmesmom (not verified)

I've been kicking around an idea for repurposing a frame I got for doing needlepoint.  It can reel a web, using dowels and wing nuts, and it has a nice stand.  It occurred to me that I could use up some floor loom thrums and make little mug rugs or something.

A far cry from the industrial strength rug looms...My husband would just LOVE a metal one--he does metal well and has the technology to do it.  Maybe I'll put in an order.

Sun, 11/01/2009 - 20:06

francorios (not verified)


I re-purposed an adjustable craft frame for use as a small frame loom.

You can see pictures on my blog:

http://francosfiberadventure.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html

I think using your needlework frame would be worth a try.

Have a good day!

Fri, 07/09/2010 - 01:36

Helvetican (not verified)

Annabell, if you're still out there:  I too, have a counterbalance Glimakra (good deal, used) and have long wished it were a countermarche.  Can you point me in the right direction for transforming it?

Fri, 07/09/2010 - 13:35

Helvetican (not verified)

Thank you, Michael