On a loom having a swinging beater (with the extra pivot point), what keeps the reed at right angles to the warp ?

Does the weaver have to tilt it manually to the right angle using his wrists, as he pulls it forward, or does it float there naturally ?

Comments

Thu, 01/05/2012 - 17:21

Sara von Tresckow

With a swinging beater you usually also have adjustment rests where you can put the beater in one of several positions in relation to the fell line. You then weave with the fell line situated so that the beater is relatively perpendicular (you don't need to measure this to the half degree) to the fell. When this is no longer the case, you either move the beater back a notch or advance the warp.

While it sometimes is tempting to weave for 6" or more prior to advancing, smaller advances make for better cloth as a general rule.

Thu, 01/05/2012 - 18:25

artag

Thanks Sara, I've probably got the wrong name. Maybe it's a 'pivoting beater' ?

The one I'm looking at is on a table loom, and is basically underslung (I think there are two alternate mounting holes for the main pivot, but that requires moving bolts). This provides the two main support arms, but because the loom is not very tall the beater would ordinarily rotate through quite a large angle as the weaving proceeds.

So there's another pivot, near the middle of the reed, that allows it to move to a better angle. I understand the Mountain Looms design uses something similar (though this is english, made by Harris).

Of course, it's quite hard on the wrists, as the beater is held by the top edge and as far as I can see the only way to make it perpendicular is by bending the  wrists - you can't use your elbows alone to pull the beater.

Both the pivots are bolts - it's not the arrangement with an overslung beater and a series of notches where the pivot can rest.

 

Thu, 01/05/2012 - 20:20

Sara von Tresckow

What you're describing is just the way an underslung beater works. To keep the reed somewhat perpendicular, you usually need to advance the warp quite frequently.

You are quite right about wrists - and shoulders will also feel the impact of the beater more than with a hanging beater. Most table looms have this type of beater - Ashford and Louet being the exceptions - and we make one with a sliding beater.

Whenever you look for a floor loom, you should definitely test some with hanging beaters.

Thu, 01/05/2012 - 22:59

laurafry

I found the secondary pivot on the underslung beater very hard on my hands.  I don't like weaving for very long with that sort of beater.  All my 'table' looms have an 'ordinary' underslung beater as Sara describes.  Yes, they have a very short arc, but they also have a very short 'sweet' spot so lots of advancing is the way to go on that sort of small loom.

If the loom is yours to modify, you ought to be able to drill a hole through the part of the beater that swings at the upper part and insert a dowel or something to prevent that secondary pivot from being active.

cheers,

Laura

Fri, 01/06/2012 - 05:35

artag

Most of the other looms I've looked at in detail are Louet or Ashford, so that explains my confusion - I thought they were the norm.

I do have some ideas for modifying it once I've got a bit more practice, but I can see how the hanging beater would be better - not just a bigger arc, but a more helpful pendulum effect, too.

Thanks, Sara and Laura, for the explanations.

-adrian