I am wondering what kind of loom everyone weaves on?  I use everthing from a self made frame loom to an Ashford Tapestry loom.  I would love to hear about your looms and what you think about them.  I will take loom pictures this week sometime to share.

Comments

Mon, 08/24/2009 - 14:25

edt (not verified)

Hi.

My favorite is a 10 shaft Glimakra loom (from Sweden) 150 cm wide. But I only have room for that in my summer residence, which is 3½ hours drive from where I live.

So I have recently got a small, 6 shaft loom of 100 cm in a corner of my study, which is ok for smaller projects, and for when I miss real weaving too much.

I also do inkle loom weaving and occasionally card weaving. Such small projects make for a nice finish with straps etc for towels, bags ornamental borders etc.

I'm sorry I am hopeless with computers. Can't minimize the sixe of my photo! :-)

Tue, 08/25/2009 - 13:34

MRD (not verified)

I am dedicated to my Archie Brennan pipe looms. I now have 4 of different sizes ranging from 14" X 20 " to this 7' X 4' one.  The one I am the most pleased with is the big one.   I like the fact that I made it from materials I bought at a plumbing supply store. As you can well imagine the guy at the store remembered me when I came back to purchase the materials and had me in his computer as simply "loom lady"

It is so fun to go into Home Depot and ask for assistance on building a loom or modifying an existing one.  I was there yesterday and the gentleman said "well, this is the most interesting question I've had all day." I hear that a lot.  It just makes me laugh when they look confused and ask me to explain what a loom is and what I want to do again. 

Just a note, after warping this loom I added another bar hanging from the top pieces and created string heddles. In the case of a large frame loom like this it is a real necessity. 

 

 

Tue, 09/08/2009 - 00:48

AutumnWeaves (not verified)

That is one big boy there! 

Tue, 09/08/2009 - 00:49

AutumnWeaves (not verified)

I have yet to use a copper loom.  I can't get past the copper and not wood thing but I may have to get over that.

Tue, 09/08/2009 - 01:05

Caroline (not verified)

I've just put together a basic copper loom, but I also use artists stretcher frames. If you take the view that all a loom is, is a device to hold the warp threads under tension, then as long as you can warp it up, its a loom!

Sun, 09/27/2009 - 17:47

antitrades (not verified)

I decided to go cheap when I started since I didn't know how much I'd keep up with it.  What I have is a little ricketty but I love it.  With a little work I could join the corners better and maybe someday I will.  I love this loom though and I'm not sure what advantage there would be to buying a manufactured one.

I only took a picture of the corner.  The top beams are red oak since I wanted a hard wood to support the tension.  The side beams were sold as ballister beams and I think they're poupler.  I figured they worked since I'm using them in a function that has the same sorts of stresses.  Some metal supports to join the corners and a ton of brad nails to hold the warp.  The bar on top is the heddle bar.  I clamp it onto the side when I'm using it.  Right now it only has the middle section of nails because I haven't woven anything that large yet.  As needed I'll take the time to add more nails. 

Only problem I'm noticing so far is I'm going to need to bind the heddle bar to keep it from splitting.  It's the cheap white wood that you can buy for $1 from Home Depot.  Maybe a better wood would have prevented this.  Oh, and I need a better way to attach cartoons.  Right now I have a peice of yarn that I attach it too but it's so floppy when long it's not that easy to use.

Trey

Fri, 10/09/2009 - 19:02

Loominaria (not verified)

 When I first replied, I didn't realize I was in the tapestry forum. Let me try again.

I have a Mirrix tapestry loom that I've never used, because I've been too lazy to make the heddles. Pathetic, I know. But if I continue to be so lazy, I may warp it and use my fingers and pick-up sticks and weaving needles without the heddles. Beyond the lazies, it may also be a matter of the Mirrix being made from That Which Is Not Wood.

I also have a couple of hand-held looms from Tornadowood that I love, the Bookmark and Paperback (the names refer to their size). I'm not sure if they're making looms anymore but the website is there.  I'll e-mail them and report back.

And I just received a Journey Loom, which will be another easy-portable loom for tapestry, providing a larger frame than the hand-held looms.

As Caroline mentioned, anything that holds a warp under tension can become a loom, so I will also be looking at other looms not primarily made for tapestry, and other sturdy things, with the possibility of tapestry weaving in mind. I recently started a needle weaving group here focused on the method of stringing warp over pins stuck into a board--the weaving on such warps usually takes the form of tapestry, often with bead embellishment.

Kurt

Sun, 10/11/2009 - 16:14

Loominaria (not verified)

Feeling virtuous because I made some string heddles for the Mirrix last night.  Made 20 from crochet cotton that didn't feel like mercerized, then I happened to try some C-lon bead cord that was sitting nearby.  The nylon holds a square knot firmly, much to my surprise, and feels much stronger than the cotton.  I'm using a wire jig with two pegs to measure the loops.

Kurt

Sun, 10/11/2009 - 22:47

Caroline (not verified)

One of the other weaving groups a while back mentioned using beading thread for heddles as its fine and strong. I bought some to try the other week. I like the idea of using a jig for heddles, and am trying the method that Debbie Mcclintock has photos of on her blog. You can find these in her travels in Asia ( frantically looking for the URL!).

homepage.mac.com/debmcclintock/Menu3.html

this is her old blog and if you scroll down the page you have links to her trips around South East Asia - I enjoyed browsing through them.

The loom piccies are well worth studying.  This gives a continuous string heddle looped around a piece of wood or strong card to keep the heddles the same size. I have yet to do it over a large number of warp threads but have tried it over a short run on the backstrap loom..

Sat, 10/17/2009 - 12:18

tommye scanlin

 I weave on several kinds of looms, including a Tissart.  Just a couple of days ago a friend of mine who also has a Tissart tapestry loom asked me to help get the word out that he has his loom for sale.  I just posted that to the For Sale part of the site but wanted to also mention it here.  He loves the loom, hates to have to give it up but time is right for him to do so for many reasons.

Tommye

FOR SALE: Tissart Tapestry Loom The loom is a 45", refinished, new stainless hardware where needed. the loom has two sets of treadles and I have designed and had two treadle blocks that slide under the treadles one for each set that will hold the shed open while you work. Please contact Rickie Wesbrooks at [email protected] if you're interested in the loom.

 

Sat, 10/24/2009 - 20:48

aliced3786 (not verified)

 I am thinking about buying a schacht 25" tapestry loom. any opinions would be appreciated.

Thanks

Alice

Mon, 10/26/2009 - 23:05

Loominaria (not verified)

Hi, Alice--

I recently received the Schacht 18" tapestry loom and table stand, but I haven't warped it yet.  The tension bar supported on wing bolts doesn't feel as rock solid as the all metal tensioning system of the Mirrix, but I'll have to warp it and start packing some weft before I decide how durable it's really going to be. I do like the almost-all-wood feel and portability of the 18" loom and the continuous warp method.

I was hoping to see some replies from experienced Schacht users by now. Maybe you would have better luck starting a separate post.

Kurt

Mon, 11/02/2009 - 19:18

aliced3786 (not verified)

 

Thanks Kurt, I think I've decided to buy another Mirrix. I have the 2nd to the largest that I use for knotted pile, so I will probably get the 16" to use for tapestry. I really prefer the tensioning system on the mirrix.

Thanks

Alice

Tue, 11/03/2009 - 01:46

tommye scanlin

Alice,

Have you seen the loom Archie Brennan's son is building and selling now, based upon Archie's innovative design that's now decades old?  Here's the link:

http://www.brennan-maffei.com/Loom.htm

Archie Brennan put quite a bit of thought into the loom design and had used it quite successfully in his teaching for many years.  Additionally, the larger looms he's designed (and shares plans for) of both plumbing pipe and scaffolding pipe parts are quite effective.

For tapestry weaving, the main thing to consider is if the frame will take the tension... as Kurt's reply noted... needs to be "rock solid"-- and if you can easily adjust the tension... hence the threaded rod and nuts on many frame looms.

So... just thoughts thrown out here...

Tommye

 

Mon, 11/30/2009 - 19:33

sundogfiberart (not verified)

Alice,

Did you get the 16" Mirrix and what do you think of it? 

 

Alisa

 

 

 

Mon, 12/07/2009 - 14:10

tommye scanlin

 I just posted comments about tapestry looms on the general weaving forum, in response to someone's inquiry.  Thought I'm mention it here if anybody's interested.

Tommye

Sun, 12/13/2009 - 11:51

rossiele (not verified)

I use a Leclerc Gobelin, but I bought it only because I found it at a ridiculous price (someone sold it just to get rid of it as he found it in a home he just moved into) ;I'm a beginner so I don't realy need such a big loom... But I think it's good, I wove several "practice tapestries" to learn the basics on it, and now I'm weaving the first "real" tapestry...

Anyway I think I'll also take a small frame loom,  as with a loom that big, a small tapestry would imply the waste of really a lot of warp yarn!

 

Elena

Sat, 12/26/2009 - 20:32

jmjamison (not verified)

I use a LeClerc Penelope - a table sized tapestry loom - 22" weaving width. It's a comfortable size for my workspace situation.

Tue, 12/29/2009 - 23:23

tommye scanlin

 Just added a new (previously owned) loom to my studio--a 4 ft. Shannock tapestry loom.  I have it warped to begin a new tapestry--here's a photo of loom with warp in place, tied-on, spaced and ready to go.

 

Wed, 12/30/2009 - 01:48

claudia (not verified)

Nothing more beautiful than a new warp! What yarn did you use for warp, Tommye and how many yards did you put on?

I have a Navajo loom which is currently holding a sample I was working on before we launched Weavolution. I am debating a tapestry loom but may try my first tapestry on the Navajo loom.

Claudia

Wed, 12/30/2009 - 04:39

tommye scanlin

Claudia, the warp is 30/18 Finnish seine twine sett at 8 epi.  I got the yarn from Shannock Tapestry Looms.  I put 3 yards on the loom; planned tapestry will be about 60" long.  Your Navajo loom should work just great for tapestry... please post about it when you've got it underway!

Tommye

Mon, 01/04/2010 - 06:15

JesseBrennan (not verified)

 Just letting everyone know, 

I am currently building and selling the copper looms of my father, Archie's, design.  If anyone is interested in purchasing one, our web address is:

www.brennan-maffei.com/loom.htm

and my email address is:

[email protected]

 

Please email me with any questions regarding the looms!

We are also beginning to build the larger black pipe looms.  I will update our information withe the specifications.

Thank you