Hi there from Australia!
I am a new-to-weaving gal who's just jumped in the deep end, and bought herself a very large (to me), very old floor loom. Yay.
So now I have two projects: (1) Repair the loom and (2) Weave something.
But.
I've already hit a snag.
I'm trying to identify the kind of (monster) loom I have, so I can figure out tie ups etc. and fix 'er up. But it's not as clear cut as I thought it'd be. Plus previous owners have made a partial, and slightly random refurb. So it might or might not not be tied in original formation. It was advertised as a 4'6'' wide X 3'10'' deep X 5' high 8 shaft COUNTER BALANCE loom. Any advice to the contrary or information about my loom would be much appreciated.
It has 8 shafts (open frames with heddles) with texsolve heddles. 4 at the front have a wooden lath at the top and bottom hanging by heddles, the 4 at the rear have wooden laths at the top, and heavy metal 'laths', again suspended by heddles.
It seems to have 8 horizontal jacks at the top (4 each side at head height - you can't really see them in the photo), like I see sometimes on countermarch looms, but only one set of (4) lams down below.
A wooden boxlike arrangement front & centre (standing eye-height) with 4 holes in the front and rings attached to cords emerging from the box-holes. Haven't traced exactly where the cords go yet.
Moving down, 4 pulleys to the left and 4 pulleys to the right, perpendicular to the front of the loom (on the horizontal side-supports). But it doeosn't have a dowel and pulleys where I'd expect based on pictures I've seen (with horses above the head). like I've seen on most counterbalance looms.
There are two beams at the back with aprons and one at the front, and for good measure, what looks like a sectional beam at the back up high. beater is disconnected, but looks like it hangs down from above. There's what looks like a tension box near the sectional beam at the back, and a creel attached with spools also at the back. There are 8 treadles, but may be 2 more unnattached at the moment(?). A sticker on the front says "Cherubim by "Norman Hall".
If I've been unclear, please let me know - I'm new to all of this. I can take more pictures, or provide better descriptions.
Any observations? What manner of beast have I?
Cheers, Elizabeth