Replacing Warp Beam Cords
I replaced the warp beam old string with nylon cord, 1/16th inch diameter. It wasn't easy to find strong nylon cord in this diameter, and a thicker cord won't fit through the holes. Many of the cords from the local stores were too flimsy or too thick, so I bought the cord from Bruce at Kessenich Looms. It's from McMaster-Carr and is 80 lb. test. In the picture, the old cord is on the right.
Replacing Chain Tie-ups with Texsolv Cord
I replaced the old chains on the treadles with Texsolv cord. A problem with replacing the chains is that the lamms have holes in them, which originally had cut off cotter pins. So, I could have installed the Texsolv cord by putting it through itself at the top of the lamms, but then the cord may have been rubbed against another lamm as they move up and down.
So, I placed 1/4" dowels on the top of the lamms and put the Texsolv cords onto the dowels and through the holes of the lamms. There are plastic anchor pegs available for Texsolv cords used in Swedish looms tie-ups that I ordered to try for the top of the lamms. If the anchor pegs are the right size, I'll replace the dowels with the anchor pegs.
To attach the Texsolv cord to the treadles, I used arrow pegs. I will cut the Texsolv cord and melt the ends after I'm sure that the arrow pegs are in the right spot. It's more difficult to have the shafts rise evenly because there are only 2 eyelets on each treadle, so the cords are slightly different lengths, depending on which shaft they are hooked up to.
Cloth Apron
I also replaced the cloth apron, which I bought from Bruce at Kessenich Looms, but a new one could be made out of canvas or duck fabric. It's not easy to get the apron on evenly because the holes in the metal pipe were not even all the way across. So, we first put the apron over the pipe, placed the top and bottom boards over it and made sure the cloth was even at the edge. Then we used an awl to punch a hole in the fabric and placed the screw in the top board and through the cloth. We took it off the pipe for a moment to put the pipe onto the loom with the cloth brake and washer on the right side, and the washer on the left side. Then we had to carefully place the top board, cloth apron, and screws into the holes (which you can't see) and through the bottom board. It took 2 of us to install it evenly. It looks so much nicer now.
Testing the Shed
Before putting a warp on the loom, Bruce at Kessenich Looms suggested doing a test first. The test is important because you don't want your shed to be so big that the top threads will interfere with another shaft. Also, you want to see if the sheds appear even. If they're not even or the shed is too large, you need to adjust your tie-ups to your treadles. The shed should be about 1/2" or so below the top where it would interfere with another shaft. If your shafts are crooked, then the shaft or lamm cords need to be adjusted (the knots).
To test the loom shed, put at least one thread through a heddle on each shaft and through the reed. Clamp the threads to the front and back beams. Tie up the treadles and press each treadle to check the shed. Bruce said that holding the threads will not be accurate; you do need to clamp them to the front and back beams.
I think the Kessenich 1960s loom will be a really nice loom for weaving!
Thank you Kathy for posting the information regarding the replacement of the cords on your Kessenich loom. Almost impossible information to find on the web. You are my hero. I recently replaced mine, for the second time in 10 years because the cord that was suggested at the time was made poorly and stretched. Being inspired by your posting I also posted my process on my blog wwindhorses.blogspot.com. I mentioned your name and blog in what I wrote up. Hope that is okay with you. Thanks again, this was much appreciated information in the desert.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Leslie! I just saw this--after seeing your post on Ravelry! Thanks, again!
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