Homemade Warping Tools

I've been so busy doing the work that I haven't taken time to write about it. I'll try to rectify that in the next few days, writing about what I've been up to and where I'm going.

Now that I need to warp all of my own beams, I've decided to create and modify some tools to make that task easier and produce better cloth.

First, I modified the tension box that I made a couple of years ago. I removed the skinny pegs, replacing them with threaded metal inserts so I can screw wider pegs in instead. This will increase the potential tension in this box and give me better control.

Then, I removed the slot that holds the comb and replaced it with a bolt and wingnut. By making the comb rotate, I have precise control over the width of the threads leaving the box. The wingnut lets me lock it into any rotation.

Next, I needed to be able to slide the tension box in front of the beam and lock it into any position. I needed a track. The loom is designed to accomodate a track like this, so I just used the existing holes to tell me where to drill oak plywood for my own homemade track. The track itself is split down the center so the bolts can pass between the two halves, allowing me to slide it along the full width quickly and easily.

Between the modified tension box and the new track, there's no more futzing with a bulky table and clamps. I don't have to guide the threads into place with my hand anymore, giving me more accurately wound beams.

The final thing that makes winding beams difficult is the counting. It's very hard to keep track of all the threads and count the beam rotations at the same time. For one thing, there's no clear indication of a single rotation. When the beam is turning, it just becomes a jumble of passing pegs. With the way I've been doing it, I need to stop and hold the count in my head if a thread snags, breaks, or a cone runs out or tips over.

One of the last things I learned from Annie was a method for keeping track of beam rotations without counting. I've made a wooden piece that inserts into the end of the beam and holds a threaded rod. From that rod, I hang a brass bell using a thin wire.

For the first section, I mount the rod so that turning will move the bell toward the loom, away from the end of the rod. I place the bell at the very end of the rod and wind that section until it's completely full. I use masking tape to mark where the bell ended up on the rod. Then I move the mechanism to the other end of the beam, ready to turn in the other direction when I wind the next section.

For each subsequent section, I place the bell up against the masking tape and wind until the bell falls from the end of the rod with a loud clang. And, just like magic, I'm freed from counting at all. I can stop and start at will, replace cones, fix snags, and do whatever else I want without ever worrying about how many times the beam has turned. I can stay focused on making sure the threads behave to produce the best possible cloth.

There's just one more tool that I needed to make for winding the beams, but I'll write about that tomorrow.