Loom Assembly Instructions

The Shedding Device is used to lift every other warp thread so that you can insert your tapestry weft or your strung beads. In order for it to function, it needs to be attached to the warp threads. Heddles, which are circles of string made from any kind of fairly thin, strong, inelastic material, attach the shedding device to the warp threads. When the shedding device is rotated, a shed is created. A shed is the word that describes the space between the raised and stationary warps.

I)Clamp the shedding device onto the two copper side bars: Place one black clip on the copper side bar of the loom with the wing nut facing out. Insert the shedding device into the large hole in the clip. Place the second clip on the other end of the shedding device and clamp onto the copper side bar of the loom. The position of the shedding device is always adjustable by loosening the clips' wing nuts and sliding it up or down, so don't worry about exactly where you put it now. Midway between the top and the bottom of the copper side bar is a good starting place. The handle for the shedding device can be either on the left or the right (there are holes for it on one end of the shedding device), depending on your preference, but wait until you've put on the heddles before putting on the handle. You can make your own heddles or use the pre-made Mirrix heddles which come on a roll of one hundred. They look like one long string when removed from the roll. You will notice a series of big and small holes. Cut in the middle of the small holes to separate the heddles.

II) Making and Installing Heddles:

A) Method 1:

1) Cut two lengths of strong, thin, inelastic string (cheap cotton tapestry warp or cotton crochet thread work fine), one to form the top heddles and one to form the bottom heddles. It takes approximately four inches of warp string to form a heddle.

2) Calculation for measuring heddle string: If you have twenty warp threads on your loom, the heddles will be made from two lengths of warp string each equal to half the number of warps times four inches: 10 x 4 inches = 40 inches. Add a few inches for tying onto the bar, making your strings each about forty-four inches long.

NOTE!

This method is initially faster because you do not have to make the heddles but is only recommended for tapestry and the heddles are not reusable and tend to be less uniform in size creating a less even shed.

B) Method 2:

1) Nail two finishing nails into a piece of wood three and one-eight inches apart. You will use this little tool to tie your warps. Cut ten inch lengths of your heddle material, one for each heddle you will make, Tie them around the nails, using an overhand knot to secure the ends. In order to get that knot to sit right next to the nail, slip a needle into the knot before it is pulled tight and push the knot toward the nail. Then tighten it. Trim off the ends of the heddles to within a quarter of an inch of the knot.

B1) Installing Heddles for Tapestry Weaving:

2) Loosen the screw in the brass hook through which the top thin metal bar is inserted and slide it out over the black plastic clips so that the end of the bar is an inch or so past where the warp begins. Tighten the screw in the hook to keep the bar stable.

3) Hook one of the heddles over the thin metal bar. Wrap the heddle around the first warp and then hook it back over the metal bar. You are folding the heddle in two. Keep wrapping the heddles around every other warp and around the metal bar, pushing the metal bar along the copper tube as needed remembering to loosen and tighten the screw in the hook. When you are finished putting the heddles on, slide the thin metal bar into the farthest brass hook and then tighten the screw in the other brass hook.

4) Rotate the shedding device toward the loom until the top bar is not the bottom bar.

5)The bottom bar is now your top bar. Repeat instructions for attaching your heddles to the warps that do not yet have heddles attached to them.

Note!

This method requires more effort up front, but has the advantage of creating reusable heddles that are of uniform size. For this method, you must first make as many individual heddles as there will be warps in your weaving. Since these heddles are reusable, be generous. The thinner and stronger the string you use the better. For bead weavers, cotton quilting thread works great. For tapestry weavers, cotton crochet thread, linen warp, or cheap cotton warp work well.

B2) Installing Heddles for Bead Weaving:

2) Loosen the screws in the brass hooks for both the top and bottom thin metal bars. Slide out both of these bars so that their ends are an inch or so past where the warp begins.

3) Hook one of the heddles over the top thin metal bar and then wrap it around one of the warps in the first dent of the spring, reattaching it to the thin metal bar. Some people find that a crochet hook helps to pull the warp forward.

III) Operation of the Shedding Device:

1) Place the handle in the hole drilled near one end of the shedding device. The handle should be facing toward you.

2) Engage the shedding device by hooking the handle behind the copper bar. Make sure every other warp is raised. If this is not the case, find your mistake and remove all the heddles back to that point.

3) Position the shedding device at a height with which you feel comfortable. The handle can hook around the copper side bar, but it can also hook behind the top beam of the loom or even around the plastic cap above the top beam. The rubber coating on the handle will make it stay in place no matter where you hook it and will also prevent it from scratching the copper and aluminum.