Just about every loom, and most of our studio equipment, are either made of wood or have
wooden components. One concern that is especially important here in New England, where
the climate changes so dramatically, is that wood responds to its environment. If we
love our looms, we need to care for them by paying attention to the changes that are
caused by humidity, heat, and use (or lack of use) -- changes that affect not only the wood,
but the metal parts as well. Although machined and tooled, weaving equipment retains
an organic nature, and remains connected to the world that surrounds it.
Humidity
The moisture content in our homes causes the wood in our studios to expand or contract.
At this time of year, when household heating systems have been running for several months,
the components of our looms have begun to shrink. This causes the places where they are
bolted together to loosen. You may notice rattles and jingles where none existed before;
the fell line of your fabric may seem slightly out of square; or the warp may not want
to stay aligned and evenly tensioned. In the spring and summer, when humidity is high
in New England, the wood swells, and bolts that were tightened in the winter now become
over-tight, often compressing the wood and indenting into it. This can cause cracking or uneven
alignment of the component parts.
Too much moisture is also a problem for some of the metal components. Most weavers know that
carbon steel reeds and some heddles will rust, but we tend to forget the other metal parts on
our looms - particularly the tension brakes on the back beam.
Heat and Light
Heat and light can affect the finish of your loom; any finished wood that spends its
life near a window may have its color change (polyurethane often yellows; some
finishes fade; the varnish may crack or check). Canvas aprons on the cloth and warp
beams may deteriorate over time, and rubber or foam components such as bumpers,
spacers, and harness pads also need to be examined. The AVL "Soft-Grip" cloth beam
cover will dry out much more quickly if constantly exposed to sunlight, and eventually
the cloth will slip when the warp is advanced.
Wear
Any place where two surfaces rub together is liable to wear. Where cables pass over pulleys
or bend around guides, where your cloth and warp beam ends are supported, the pivot points
of the beater and treadles -- all of these can experience wear over time, or, if your loom is
not often used, may need some attention before weaving starts up again.
The Weaver's Toolbox
To maintain your studio equipment easily, you first need to collect the right tools.
Check to see what types
of fasteners hold your loom together. Leclercs, for example, usually use screws that have
a square hole instead of the cross (Phillip's head) or slot that U.S. made looms use.
Most looms also use 3/8", 1/2" or 9/16" hex bolts.
All of these screw or bolt head types have matching
screwdrivers or wrenches that will fit them, and if you do not already have them in your
loom kit (Leclercs, for example, usually come with a multi-function wrench and
a square-tipped screwdriver tool) you can pick them up at any hardware supply store. If possible, bring a
screw or bolt with you to be sure you get the correct match - but watch out: don't
damage the screw head trying to get it out if you don't have the right tool. If it won't
come out easily, trace it or draw a sketch with measurements.
You should also have some kind of square. These come in all sizes. They are L shaped,
with a 90 degree angle. Some have little levels set in them. A small one - 6" on a side -
is fine.
A level (if one is not part of your square).
Lubricants will also be needed. You should have a can of light lubricant such as sewing machine oil, "3-in-1 Oil",
or "WD-40", and also a tube of lithium grease (this is a "white" grease - it's sort
of clear or milky looking) which you can usually find in the auto department. Finally,
you'll want some paste wax (for wood, like "Butcher's Wax") and maybe some spray-on furniture wax.
Some soft cloths (old T-shirts are great!) will be needed for wiping down, waxing, and wiping off extra
lubricant.
Step 1 - Adjusting the Fasteners
The first maintenance step is to check all of the screws and bolts to see if they are loose or extremely tight.
They should be tight enough that they are solid and the joints have no play, but not so tight that it takes two hands
to loosen them. Tighten loose connections. If humidity is high, go around the loom and loosen and then retighten the
fastenings to the right tension. If the wood has swelled considerably, you may hear a loud "crack" when the pressure is released. When I
do this to my loom, I imagine her going "Ahhhhhhhhh......", like she's taking off panty hose that was way too tight!
Step 2 - Checking for Square and Level
The next step is to check the alignment of your loom, to determine if anything is "out of square".
Using your L square, check the front and back corners of the loom, and the left and right corners of the beater.
Using a tape measure, measure from the back beam to the front beam on each side. These measurements should be equal.
If any of these places show that the loom is out of square, loosen the fasteners for the opposing corners and push
until the alignment is square; then retighten (a helper would be useful here).
Next check for level: put your level on the front beam, on the back beam, and on the beater to be sure each of those is
level. (If front and back both seem to be out of level in the same way and the same amount, it's probably your floor.
As long as they are level in relation to each other, that's OK). If the beater is out of level, there are usually adjustments
on the bottom of the beater legs to correct it). If one or the other of the beams is not level, see if you can find out why:
is a pad missing from under one of the loom corners? Is lint built up under the cloth beam? Is your floor just uneven?
If possible, make the necessary corrections. You can also shim up one corner by putting a piece of carpet or a square
of rubberized shelf liner under it. To help get a clean shed, you may also want to check the level of your harnesses, and
adjust the cables to align them similarly.
Step 3 - Lubricate and Checkup
The third step uses the lubricants in your maintenance kit. Look for places on your loom that turn or rub together.
Except for your tension brake, these are the places that need lubrication. (Guideline: if the contacting components involve metal or wood against
metal, use grease. If the components are all wood, use paste wax instead.) For example, where the front and back beam axles contact their supports, you should put a bit of
lithium grease or wax. Also lubricate the pivot points of your beater. Grease or oil the pivot points on
the lamms, cable pulleys, and treadle pivots. Use oil for places such as the treadle pivots where you
might not be able to get grease to go in. Do not lubricate your tension brake components on the back beam
(lubricating the parts up front is appropriate), but check them for signs of rust. On Macombers, lubricate the metal
pivots on top and the cable slots at the side.
As you go over the loom, look for signs of wear. For example, if your warp beam goes through a hole in the wood frame,
see if that hole has worn from a circle to an oval. If that is the case, it will pull out of alignment every time you
put tension on the warp. This can be fixed (email us for instructions)
but is outside the scope of normal maintenance. Look for rust on the brake; if present, it would be best to disassemble the
tension brake and clean up the parts (with sandpaper and/or rust remover). A rusty brake will hold tension, but it will
make advancing the warp difficult and annoying. Brake components that are severely rusted should be replaced.
Check all the rubber bumpers and padding. If the beater bumpers are deteriorated, they can often be replaced with
rectangles cut from self-adhesive weatherstripping, or faucet bushings from the hardware store. Other parts may need to be ordered from the manufacturer.
Check your reeds for rust and damage. Theoretically, a rusty reed can be cleaned, but most often one that has
significant rust will be pitted even when cleaned, and the warp will catch and fray on it. Unless the rust is minor,
you may want to consider replacement.
If you use cloth aprons, check to see if they are beginning to fray and crumble. A heavy twill, denim, or muslin can be
used to replace them if needed. If you use ties, check their condition. Check the metal rods for rust and sand or
steel-wool off any that you find.
Step 4 - Cleanup
Finally, go over the entire loom with a vaccuum cleaner, paying particular attention to the beater channel and the
other places where lint can collect. Wax the shuttle race (and the bottoms on your shuttles) with paste wax, buffing well.
Either wipe the loom down, or dust it well with the appropriate polish for its finish, and check for places where
lubricant may be oozing out.
Conclusion
Although the steps described may seem overwhelming, they are really very simple and can make a major difference in the
performance of your loom. Try to go over the loom completely at least once a year, and most definitely check and adjust the
fasteners every few months. You will begin to understand how the loom breathes and changes in response to the air
around it. Loving your loom means looking after it, and remembering that a little attention, given at the right time,
can help your loom to respond to you as well, helping you to create beauty from a living machine.
Check to see what types
of fasteners hold your loom together. Leclercs, for example, usually use screws that have
a square hole instead of the cross (Phillip's head) or slot that U.S. made looms use.
Most looms also use 3/8", 1/2" or 9/16" hex bolts.
All of these screw or bolt head types have matching
screwdrivers or wrenches that will fit them, and if you do not already have them in your
loom kit (Leclercs, for example, usually come with a multi-function wrench and
a square-tipped screwdriver tool) you can pick them up at any hardware supply store. If possible, bring a
screw or bolt with you to be sure you get the correct match - but watch out: don't
damage the screw head trying to get it out if you don't have the right tool. If it won't
come out easily, trace it or draw a sketch with measurements.
