Several years ago (abt. 1998 or so I believe -- whatever year it was that CNCH was in Grass Valley, where I was living at the time) I was looking at adding a couple more shafts to my Glimakra Standard horizontal CM.  It turned out that my existing heddles were actually 275/12 mm, a size no longer available.  So Lars at Unicorn suggested that I should convert to 330/12 mm heddles, "since it would give me a larger shed".

You can see on his website that he's still recommending this:

          http://www.unicornbooks.com/weaving-texsolvheddles-SQL3.asp

(scroll down to the comments next to the 280/12 mm and 330/12 mm heddles).

Well, I went ahead and purchased 20 bundles of those 330/12 heddles, but never put them on my loom (my existing heddles were nicely color-coded, and I still haven't added the 2 extra shafts).

Anyway, now I'm looking at adding more shafts again (via a vertical CM) and I'm wondering about this business about a longer heddle giving a larger shed.  I've been looking at my loom and just can't figure out the mechanism whereby the eye of the heddle would move a greater distance if the heddle itself was longer.

Can anyone explain how this might work?

-- Constance

Comments

Cathy (not verified)

Constance --

I recently purchased my Glimakra Standard from Joanne and Ed Hall at Glimakra USA. (I'm the one you asked if I had actually woven on 12 shafts yet.)  Joanne and Ed sent the regular 280-12 mm for that one (with the white twist ties).  They did not mention anything about this when I purchased mine.  I'm pondering this, and I'm with you.  The eye is going to be in the center either way (I would assume), and it seems if you used heddles that are too long you could potentially have a problem with sinking shafts hitting your lams, perhaps causing the opposite effect than you are seeking.  I could be wrong about this.  Joanne Hall is a weavolution member.  You may want to ask her directly.  She and Ed give excellent customer service and I know she would be happy to answer your questions even if you did not purchase your loom from her.

Cathy

Sara von Tresckow

Within reason, the longer heddles will give you the possibility of a larger shed. If the heddles are not long enough, it is actually possible to curtail the shed height because the rising or sinking threads get bumped by the shaft sticks of the other shafts. Picture the rising threads on, say, shaft 1 being limited in how much they rise because shaft 3 is sinking and the upper shaft stick is pushing down on the rising threads from shaft 1.

The 280/12 heddles work for most smaller CM looms - the Glimakra Ideal, Oxaback Lilla, Toika Norjaana - the larger CM looms - the Toika Eeva, Glimakra Standard, Ulla Cyrus and similar can easily accomodate the 310/12 or 330/12 heddles. To get the full benefit of "larger shed", naturally the shaft height and tieup must be set to achieve the maximum movement possible when depreessing a treadle.

 

conib (not verified)

Ah yes ... it makes perfect sense that longer heddles would help with that little problem!  Thanks Sara for the excellent explanation.
:-)

-- Constance

Lyn in AZ (not verified)

Glimakra and longer heddles

My Glimakra Standard came with 32.5 cm or 12 3/4 inch texsolve  heddles (sorry don't know the number) and I did have problems with the sinking shafts hitting the upper lamns.

This is an older loom and it had the original string heddles - I ended up putting them back on the loom - for one thing I can see them better  to thread -  they are 27 cm - which is quite a bit shorter but  I still get a very good shed. 

conib (not verified)

I found an old Weaver's magazine article by Madelyn van der Hoogt and David Xenakis that Madelyn has made available on her Weaver's School website:

        http://www.weaversschool.com/docs/Countermarch.pdf

It shows a tie-up she developed using 330 mm heddles which gives a maximum shed.

One of David's contributions to this tie-up is the use of large rubber bands to tie the ends of the upper lamms to their bottom shaft bar, which aleviates the problem Lyn in AZ saw where upper lamms move out of the aligned position with their corresponding shaft bars and hit adjacent ones.  (Although it seems to me that using a loop of Texsolv instead of a rubber band would make it easier to rearrange heddles -- but then you'd want a hole in the upper lamm ends since the Texsolv isn't "clingy" like rubber.)

Anyway, I'd love to hear from anyone who's ever implemented Madelyn's tie-up themselves.

-- Constance

Su Butler

I have a 16S, 20T Toika Liisa CM loom with 13" heddles and I have it tied up as per MVDH's article.  It has been tied using this system for a number of years and I really love the ease of changing the tie up.  With all the treadle to lamm cords the same length, it makes easy work of tying up as I never have to remove a cord from the treadle.  I have mine pinned on the underside of the treadle, with an additional arrow pin on top.  I remove the upper arrow pin from on top of the treadle, thread the cord through the appropriate lamm and pin in place with the pin I removed from the treadle.  It is a great system.  However, if you have a Toika you have to adjust the directions a bit.  Toika looms were designed to be tied up with EVERYTHING parallel to the floor.  There is no need to slant lamms or use cords that are gradually longer or shorter on each treadle.  All cords are the same length.  Makes the process pretty quick to impliment.  I get a great shed with every treadle, regardless of how many shafts are rising/sinking.

 

Annabell (not verified)

I have a standard glimakra 10S/10T with the regular length heddles (white twist ties) but I still use this tie up system with two changes:  first, I adjust the length of the cords to account for the shorter heddles (slightly longer from the overhead jacks to the upper shaft bars and from the lower shaft bars to the upper lams), and second I use a knitting needle under the treadle to hold all of the lengths of cord in place!  It still works great and is easy to implement. 

Ellen (not verified)

Hi, Annabell

I have a loom like yours, and look forward to trying this method, when I get over to my loom, which unfortunately "lives" 4 hours' drive away. I can't really picture exactly what you do with the knitting needles, though. Would you mind explaining?

TinaHilton (not verified)

That sounds like Becky Ashendon's method for tying up the treadles.  You can see her instructions here on her web site.  I tried it and liked it better than the traditional way, but still wasn't happy with having to mess with the bottom of the treadle.  And if you wanted to change the cord to the first shaft (closest to you) you had to pull the knitting needle out of all the cords and potentially lose your place.  I ended up changing again to the method recommended in this Weaver's article. Check them all out and see which one you might like the best. 

Ellen (not verified)

Hi, Tina.

Thanks for the links. I had already seen the last of the two methods you mentioned, ans did not know there were more, so was just confused as to where those knitting needles came into it. I think I'll stick to method you said you prefer, maybe with my own little moderations.

TinaHilton (not verified)

Well, if I had money to spend I would get the 20+ that Woolhouse Tools sells.  It moves the tieups to the rear of the loom.  I think I heard they made a version for Glimakra anyway, which is what I have.

Little Meadows (not verified)

I have a PDF of an article someone wrote about developing her own rear tie up system that's quite similar to the Woolhouse, if you would like a copy send me an email at llitlemeadowsfarm at yahoo.com and I'll send it off as an attachment.  Liese

Cathy (not verified)

Constance --

I recently purchased my Glimakra Standard from Joanne and Ed Hall at Glimakra USA. (I'm the one you asked if I had actually woven on 12 shafts yet.)  Joanne and Ed sent the regular 280-12 mm for that one (with the white twist ties).  They did not mention anything about this when I purchased mine.  I'm pondering this, and I'm with you.  The eye is going to be in the center either way (I would assume), and it seems if you used heddles that are too long you could potentially have a problem with sinking shafts hitting your lams, perhaps causing the opposite effect than you are seeking.  I could be wrong about this.  Joanne Hall is a weavolution member.  You may want to ask her directly.  She and Ed give excellent customer service and I know she would be happy to answer your questions even if you did not purchase your loom from her.

Cathy

Sara von Tresckow

Within reason, the longer heddles will give you the possibility of a larger shed. If the heddles are not long enough, it is actually possible to curtail the shed height because the rising or sinking threads get bumped by the shaft sticks of the other shafts. Picture the rising threads on, say, shaft 1 being limited in how much they rise because shaft 3 is sinking and the upper shaft stick is pushing down on the rising threads from shaft 1.

The 280/12 heddles work for most smaller CM looms - the Glimakra Ideal, Oxaback Lilla, Toika Norjaana - the larger CM looms - the Toika Eeva, Glimakra Standard, Ulla Cyrus and similar can easily accomodate the 310/12 or 330/12 heddles. To get the full benefit of "larger shed", naturally the shaft height and tieup must be set to achieve the maximum movement possible when depreessing a treadle.

 

conib (not verified)

Ah yes ... it makes perfect sense that longer heddles would help with that little problem!  Thanks Sara for the excellent explanation.
:-)

-- Constance

Lyn in AZ (not verified)

Glimakra and longer heddles

My Glimakra Standard came with 32.5 cm or 12 3/4 inch texsolve  heddles (sorry don't know the number) and I did have problems with the sinking shafts hitting the upper lamns.

This is an older loom and it had the original string heddles - I ended up putting them back on the loom - for one thing I can see them better  to thread -  they are 27 cm - which is quite a bit shorter but  I still get a very good shed. 

conib (not verified)

I found an old Weaver's magazine article by Madelyn van der Hoogt and David Xenakis that Madelyn has made available on her Weaver's School website:

        http://www.weaversschool.com/docs/Countermarch.pdf

It shows a tie-up she developed using 330 mm heddles which gives a maximum shed.

One of David's contributions to this tie-up is the use of large rubber bands to tie the ends of the upper lamms to their bottom shaft bar, which aleviates the problem Lyn in AZ saw where upper lamms move out of the aligned position with their corresponding shaft bars and hit adjacent ones.  (Although it seems to me that using a loop of Texsolv instead of a rubber band would make it easier to rearrange heddles -- but then you'd want a hole in the upper lamm ends since the Texsolv isn't "clingy" like rubber.)

Anyway, I'd love to hear from anyone who's ever implemented Madelyn's tie-up themselves.

-- Constance

Su Butler

I have a 16S, 20T Toika Liisa CM loom with 13" heddles and I have it tied up as per MVDH's article.  It has been tied using this system for a number of years and I really love the ease of changing the tie up.  With all the treadle to lamm cords the same length, it makes easy work of tying up as I never have to remove a cord from the treadle.  I have mine pinned on the underside of the treadle, with an additional arrow pin on top.  I remove the upper arrow pin from on top of the treadle, thread the cord through the appropriate lamm and pin in place with the pin I removed from the treadle.  It is a great system.  However, if you have a Toika you have to adjust the directions a bit.  Toika looms were designed to be tied up with EVERYTHING parallel to the floor.  There is no need to slant lamms or use cords that are gradually longer or shorter on each treadle.  All cords are the same length.  Makes the process pretty quick to impliment.  I get a great shed with every treadle, regardless of how many shafts are rising/sinking.

 

Annabell (not verified)

I have a standard glimakra 10S/10T with the regular length heddles (white twist ties) but I still use this tie up system with two changes:  first, I adjust the length of the cords to account for the shorter heddles (slightly longer from the overhead jacks to the upper shaft bars and from the lower shaft bars to the upper lams), and second I use a knitting needle under the treadle to hold all of the lengths of cord in place!  It still works great and is easy to implement. 

Ellen (not verified)

Hi, Annabell

I have a loom like yours, and look forward to trying this method, when I get over to my loom, which unfortunately "lives" 4 hours' drive away. I can't really picture exactly what you do with the knitting needles, though. Would you mind explaining?

TinaHilton (not verified)

That sounds like Becky Ashendon's method for tying up the treadles.  You can see her instructions here on her web site.  I tried it and liked it better than the traditional way, but still wasn't happy with having to mess with the bottom of the treadle.  And if you wanted to change the cord to the first shaft (closest to you) you had to pull the knitting needle out of all the cords and potentially lose your place.  I ended up changing again to the method recommended in this Weaver's article. Check them all out and see which one you might like the best. 

Ellen (not verified)

Hi, Tina.

Thanks for the links. I had already seen the last of the two methods you mentioned, ans did not know there were more, so was just confused as to where those knitting needles came into it. I think I'll stick to method you said you prefer, maybe with my own little moderations.

TinaHilton (not verified)

Well, if I had money to spend I would get the 20+ that Woolhouse Tools sells.  It moves the tieups to the rear of the loom.  I think I heard they made a version for Glimakra anyway, which is what I have.

Little Meadows (not verified)

I have a PDF of an article someone wrote about developing her own rear tie up system that's quite similar to the Woolhouse, if you would like a copy send me an email at llitlemeadowsfarm at yahoo.com and I'll send it off as an attachment.  Liese