Hi,
I've decided to build my own CB loom with the option to eventually turn it into a CM loom. I've been searching all over the web for info about loom design and am missing one piece of information that seems fairly crucial to the proper function of any loom.
For a given distance from breast beam to back beam, the open weaving distance, where should the first shaft be placed - the shaft closest to the breast beam? I've been looking at various photos and it seems variable. Some looms look like the first shaft is placed in the middle between the two beams with all the other shafts - 8 to 10 in the back half of the open warp. Others look like the last shaft - #8, is in the middle of the open warp distance and the rest of the shafts lie between the middle of the warp and the breast beam.
Any opinions on which is the best placement of that first shaft?
Thanks,
Ed