When I was winding the beam, there were so many factors to consider that I neglected to manage an important one. Since my tension box is so wide and my beam sections are so narrow, I tilted it at an extreme angle to make the threads closer together on the way from the box to the beam.
[Tilted Tool]
This caused the sections to be uneven. The dark threads stood up higher and the light threads felt looser. I still don't understand quite what happened. Maybe the friction on the "entry comb" was uneven? Maybe the threads rubbing on the edge of the box after the "exit comb" made them tighter?
[Uneven beam]
I was worried that the cloth would be affected. In the most extreme case, it could have turned into 4" seersucker. I was ready with a plan: cut it on the tight stripes and make hundreds of pouchy little bags. Thankfully, this isn't necessary. The cloth is beautiful and doesn't show any sign that the beam wasn't wound perfectly. I'll still make some little bags, but not 75 yards worth.
When I talked it over with Annie, she said, "Well, why didn't you just thread it narrower in the tension box?" Of course! That's what I'll do next time. I'm always learning.
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