New project, we'll see how it unfolds.

[Mooseherder]

Next year's project and beyond will never be this involved. :D

[isawlogs]

Glenn, he may be needing time to locate and find'im an operator for that thingamagig his puttin' together. !   ;)

[WDH]

I hope that there is a good owner's manual  ;D.

[SwampDonkey]

The owner will be all manual. :D

[Warbird]

The future owner/operator's name is Manuel?!   

[Clam77]

Quality hand-made machine that'll outlast any commercial unit and cheap foreign labor???    :D

Something tells me that's a no-no....   :D

[sandhills]

All jokes aside, can I ask where you ever got the idea for this project?  I like a good challenge as much as the next guy but that really is something.

[SwampDonkey]

Made from wood, so I got dreaming and decided why not. That's the short of it.   8) 8) 8)

[Clark]

Made from wood, so I got dreaming and decided why not. That's the short of it.   8) 8) 8)

Would the long version of that story involve the first name of the new Mrs. SD? ;)

Clark

[Burlkraft]

You better be wrappin' this project up, it's almost brush cuttin' time  ;D

[Mooseherder]

Yeah! and you've been couped up so long I'm startin' to worry about you. :D

[SwampDonkey]

Had a comment today that I must be living in the shop. :D  8)

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

Had a comment today that I must be living in the shop. :D  8)

I take it you told her it only seemed that way...

Herb

[SwampDonkey]

Nah, I live part of the year in the shop. ;D

[SwampDonkey]

Fly-Shuttle Beater Complete!

Shuttle box:



Tie-up:




A little video for your enjoyment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvjKxcNuW9s

Show me the way!

[Mooseherder]

Sorta like ping pong. ;D

[SwampDonkey]

Yeah, for sure. It's not actually used repetitively in that way. I was just seeing how stable it was on the race. She never jumped track once. The way it works is the treadles are stepped on that open the shed (some shafts go up, some down). Then you fling the shuttle across. This is finished off by pulling the beater toward you to beat the weft firm to the weaving. The weft yarn is what the shuttle carries. The yarn that is 90 degrees to that (the warp) comes through the reed and over that front beam and down to the lower beam below the beater, then on down to the cloth roller along with the weft you have beat, now combined as a weaved cloth.

[Patty]

So where did you learn how to weave cloth Donk? This is a really cool project.

[SwampDonkey]

Self taught and still learning  ;D with help of books and a weavers forum. It kinda feels like learning to play piano with all this cord and contraptions. :D

Still sanding here and then the application of the finish(s).

Price a 60" Glamikra vertical countermarch and a fly-shuttle beater for the fun of it. That's just for starts. :D ;)

[SwampDonkey]

Finished up the loom and am now erecting it in the house. This morning I put on the roller Texsolv cords and tie-on sticks.

This is a special needle that I crafted from 1/8" brass rod. There is a notch that carried the cord as you pass the needle through the roller holes. Holes are 7/32 diameter. Patent pending. (Just kidding of course) ;)



Warp roller:



Cloth roller:



Sufficient cord was used to wrap around the beams, then on to within 2-3" of the reed.

Very pleased with my rollers and ratchet system as well as the Texsolv cords as recommended.

Meanwhile I made this warp stick catcher. As you unwind the warp during the weaving process these stick drop from the roller. This catcher keeps things tidy. ;) Threaded 3/4" maple dowel was used. Made the dowel and the threads myself. The catcher is mounted on the lower cross beam of the loom with screws.

Threaded dowel:



Catcher with warp sticks:



Warp sticks are sanded smooth, but not finished. They are left bare to minimize slippage on the warp roller.

Have a good one.

[Norm]

Looks nice SD.

So have you ever run a loom before?

[SwampDonkey]

Nope, but about to get my feet wet.

I've joined a support group. :D :D

[morgoon]

Amazing work

How did you thread the dowel?

If you don't mnd me asking

[SwampDonkey]

Beall Thread box from Lee Valley, I got the whole kit that also includes the taps for the threads into a hole.

Measured off all the warp today on the warping mill (that's in here a few pages back). Put full 215 yard skeins onto spools I made this week and used 4 end passes (warp ends) to speed it up. Just have to watch how they lay as you make the cross to keep the order of the threads and use a string to count every 10 passes (10 passes of 4 ends = 40 ends of warp). I had to have about 10 skeins and it seemed to work out as calculated. Also, I found I can wind a full skein onto 5 pirns.





Warp chains.



Made 8 extra pirns yesterday. Some here from the bunch.



Ready to spread the warp and tension it on the rear warp roller tomorrow.  8)

[Clam77]

 :D  Spring is here SD... better hurry!!   :D