YAY!
Got finally moved into a new (my first, actually) workshop space where I can weave and do woodwork without creating a horrible chaos in our tiny 2-bed council house. Also, using motorised woodworking equipment in a multi-storey is a no-no.
Anyhow, there's still a car in the garage space I'm using, but I've already got set up on a desk to the side. Once the car's gone (more work to do to get the new space for the mannie's car ready) I can use the long workbench at the back and install a burner in the left-hand corner and get some heat in the place. Anyhow, it's looking like this the now
Car not pictured. Anyhow, I exchange general farm labour and weaving tuition for use of the space as the lady that owns the farm is learning to weave. It's a nice exchange. As you can see once the space is fully mine there's a bit of cleaning to do. I'll probably whitewash the walls eventually and I may consider levelling the floor, but I'll have to see what it looks like first. Also, the rafters will need some repairing as there's the possibility of an upper-storey storage space but the previous owner of the farm was a bit of a vandal when it came to building work and simply cut two rafters in half in order to place a deisel tank up in the left hand corner on that concrete platform. So that'll need fixed at some point. Also you can see the nice long log burner in the bottom left of the picture, that's going to go in the corner at the back there once I find a suitable piece of chimney pipe and insulation plating.
Anyhow, so far I have a scrollsaw and pillar drill and assorted hand tools and some turning chisels. The first tool I plan to build once the space is empty properly is a pole lathe, which I'll put where the burners are now. I'm also aquiring a motorised mitre saw from a neighbour next month as he doesn't need it anymore and would prefer to have some money.
Also, I needed to make a rigid heddle loom for one of my students, so here it is, also a detail of the ratchet and pawl. It's all cut out on the scrollsaw
I wasn't thinking right when I first attached the ratchet to the warp beam and simply attached it with a single screw in the middle (DOH!), so I had to add a couple of nails to stop it turning. I suspect it will in short order twist and break so I'm going to get a thicker piece of dowel and do it properly sometime next week.
Still pretty rough and ready. I used a broom handle for the warp beam and had to narrow it down to get it to fit in the holes I made with the drill. The largest bit was too small, and without a lather I ended up narrowing the ends of the beam with the scrollsaw, which was a sloppy operation but it worked so I guess for now it'll do.
I'm looking forward to having lots of fun in this workshop. Gonna make myself a nice hefty rug loom.