I have recently acquired an Oxabach 60 inch wide countermach drawloom secondhand.  I bought it to weave blankets 60 inches wide so have not set up the drawloom side.  That will be another adventure.  I am having trouble getting a shed wider than half an inch or so.  The short lamms are 1 inch higher at the free end.  I just read that the long lamms should be a tad lower at the free end so I will adjust that. 

Should the treadle cords be shortened?

All pictures I see of countermach looms with verticle jacks have the long part above the castle and the short part at the bottom.  Mine is the reverse with the short part above the castle (which is necessary if using as a drawloom).  Will I get a better shed if I reverse the verticle jacks?

To weave at 60 inches I need to use a fly shuttle.  Is this possible on a countermach loom?  Do the bottom threads of the shed need to touch the bottom of the reed to operate a fly shuttle?

Thank you for your help.  I'm sure I'll have more questions as weaving progresses.

Comments

Fri, 05/01/2020 - 21:22

teacatweaver

I don't know about the fly shuttle questions. But I have an Oxaback Lilla, and the long part of the coupers (which is what I think you are calling the vertical jacks?) is on top. I can't get a shed if they are reversed.

The short lamms are upper, the long lamms are on the bottom. They should be parallel to each other when the lock is in place.

 

i have found that shortening the treadle cords sometimes helps.

 

Good luck! I hope this helps!

Fri, 05/01/2020 - 22:17

Dianne

Thank you.  I'll try changing the couper.

Sat, 05/02/2020 - 01:02

sandra.eberhar…

A fly shuttle will work nicely on a CM loom.  You should adjust the beater height so that the when the shed is formed, the bottom threads rest on the

beater.  If not, the shuttle may snag some and break them, or you will have mis-patterning.

Treadle cords are usually graduated: one end of the treadle travels further than the other, and one end of the lamm travels further than the other.  Cords are sized to fit this.  

Sun, 10/25/2020 - 00:59

Dianne

<p>The treddles on the Oxabach loom are shaped.&nbsp; To change the tie up do I release all the cords from the peddles or do I release them from the lamms.&nbsp; I&#39;m sure one way must be easier and more efficient than the other.&nbsp; Also should all the cords attaching the lamms to the peddles be the same length.</p><p>Thanks for any help, Dianne</p>

Sun, 10/25/2020 - 20:19

sandra.eberhar…

A copy of Tying up the CM loom, by Joanne Hall, would be useful to you.  You tie cords to the lamms for all of the treadles, and tie them to treadles as they are needed.  See my comment earlier about the length of the cords.

Mon, 10/26/2020 - 03:24

Dianne

Thank you thats what I needed to know.  I think the Oxabach is a bit different with the shaped treadles and the rings at the end of the cords that go on rods on the treadles.  I would love Joanne Hall's books but postage to New Zealand is horendous.  Hoping it will go down when our borders open again after Covid-19.  Thanks again.

Mon, 10/26/2020 - 20:48

sandra.eberhar…

I looked at pics of Oxaback looms, and I can't see what you mean by shaped treadles and rings.  Woolgatherers does send a CD with tieup instructions with their looms.  It might be worth the freight for the time and frustration it saves you.  You might also contact Oxaback; postage from Sweden might not be as bad as the US.

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