Today (a Saturday, of course!) it turned out I had changed my picker returna one time too many. When I needed new, there were none in the storage.

I have thought about changing them for something more durable for ages, but have always managed to "get by" with temporary solutions until I could get new "originals". This time I replaced them with button-hole elastic... but I have yet to start weaving. This is what the boxes look like now:

This is the picker end of the contraption:

and at the stationary end I just took the end through a buttinhole and fastened with a pin:

But... I can't be the only AVL-owner getting tired of deteriorationg picker springs. Has anybody else found "the final solution"?

Comments

Sat, 07/07/2012 - 17:19

Bonnie Inouye (not verified)

I have wondered why there isn't a spring-loaded mechanism. I tried but had trouble attaching a small spring to the metal end that holds the black rubbery picker return. I also improvised with elastic and a safety pin. It took a while to get just the right amount of stretch- too much and the elastic shoots off by itself. The rubber parts deteriorate in my studio which is upstairs and not cooled in summer. The rest of the house is rented during the summer and I am in Colorado with different looms. The rubber parts are tricky to install anyway. I will check this space and hope that somebody has an excellent replacement. Thanks for asking, Kerstin!

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