Getting There...Slowly...

So after a lot of debating, I figured something simple was wiser for the new-to-me loom. 

I decided to just go with what I thought was a washable wool/acrylic blend with a charity scarf in mind. (Actually, all acrylic when I checked on Ravelry.)

Got 20 WPI on 2". So I thought 10 sett.

Weavers may already see an issue...

Wound the warp. Went with 80 threads as I figured it would make a nice 8" wide scarf.

Tied the warp before taking it off the warping board. As I am pulling if off, I realize I was criss crossing between the first 2 pegs of the cross. Took it off...shook it out to get the usual loop. Thought it would be okay & hoped for the best.

If I were a good weaver, I would have rewound the warp. But I didn't...

This may be lesson 1.

I was also trying the 2 strands at a time method recommended in the Craftsy class.  Not sure if that had any impact on me not picking up  the issue with the cross.  Or just that I didn't start and triple check as it was supposed to be an easy warp.  *laugh*

With the help of DH, I got the warp wound onto the back beam.  I hadn't cut paper for the new-to-me look.  Being me...said no problem.  It was a short warp (over the 72" I was going with...probably more like 90"-100".)  And with the canvas apron, it would be fine.  Again...probably not my brightest move.

Took off the end ties while getting the last bit wound onto the back beam. I should have waited to keep the tension on the ends until I was a bit closer to threading the heddles...  Yeah...  *sigh*

I started rough sleighing it. Realize that 10 sett would be way too dense! So resleighed to 6.   Figured it could be a small lap blanket or wrap instead.  Or maybe even fold it over to a double thickness scarf.  I would figure it out.

Somehow I screwed up the lease sticks! The yarn wasn't over both of them. No idea how I did that. Ugh.

And see above about pulling the end ties off while getting it wound on. *Sigh*

Continued with the rough sleighing.  Thought it was going well. But as I got closer to the end, the less I could get them in order!

 After a lot of trying & tangles, I finally decided, I should cut off the tangled ones at the end. It was less likely to be a mess.

Honestly, not sure if that is the truth. But I figure I will give it a try... If nothing else, it will be a learning experience!

So it is currently at 58 threads.  And at 6 sett, it should be about 9 2/3" wide.  Still really wide.  Ah well.  Time will tell.



But not the best start with the new to me loom!  But at least it was inexpensive yarn.  So if it was an epic fail, I think I only lost a couple bucks on the materials. 

Honestly, I am really glad I decided to go simple.  And with cheaper materials.  Had I put on the Spunky Eclectic kit or the yarn for the pillows from the Craftsy class, it would have been a bigger issue.  At worst, I have wasted time & a few $$ if this is an epic fail.  And hey, live and learn!

Isn't She Lovely?

I wrote this on Monday but didn't have a chance to post it until today.  It has been one of those weeks!

At last, she is done!  Just waiting to get dressed!

She has a new brake circle & spring that DH got installed today.  As well as screws for the treadle bar on the bottom. 

I ironed the apron cloth.  Though you still wouldn't know from looking at it...  It still looks wrinkled after multiple pressings.  I spent an HOUR AND A HALF on trying to staple the canvas cloths back on to the beams.  My hands are still sore.

There was a lot of stapling & pulling out the staples multiple times before I got it flat & deep enough to have it hold on the canvas.  Whee...

Here's about half the pile of regrets.

 

Some people who restore looms a lot suggested tacks.  But both the sets of tacks DH & I got were too wide at the base.  I feared it would tear the cloth.  So I went with the staples.  But the maple fought me very well!  *laugh*

Hopefully, this will work okay.

So now she just needs a warp to be dressed. 

I thought I had decided on what project was going on her.  But I may have changed my mind.  Maybe...

I got some stuff for weaving at NY S&W yesterday. So I am kinda tempted to give that a shot.  But while it is interesting stuff, it isn't something I have done before. So I really wonder if that is a wise first project for her.  Though that is part of the appeal.  To see how that works.  But I am not sure how some of it will hold up in the warp.  Mind you, there is some of it that I think may do better in the weft.  Or maybe held with a more stable thread.  So come back to the debating what to put on the loom!  *laugh*

I am so thrilled she can be dressed.  And that she is back in working condition.  I think the new brake circle & spring will be terrific for her.  And really make a difference. 

So hooray!

So Close....

So last night I got the heddles back on the shafts.  One step closer to the loom being ready to be warped! 

I thought I had more heddles than I do.  I am a bit disappointed about that.  When I counted, I really thought I just under 100 on each shaft.  But it was 78 on 2 shafts & 79 on the other two.  So a total of 314.  I would have order some with the loom parts had I realized that.  Given they are only $12 per 100, I definitely would have gotten another 100.  But I can also do that at a later date.

I still need to see if the flat Schacht ones will fit on the Medico.  I love them.  But there is still some warp on the Schacht.  And I told my daughter that she can play with it.  So I need to leave them on it.  Mind you, I have some extras.  Which of course I can't locate!  *laugh*  Still have boxes that aren't unpacked over a year after moving...  *sigh*

The brake parts, lease sticks & raddle arrived yesterday!  HOORAY!  So I have everything.  Maybe...

I am still unclear how to lash the warp to the cloth rod...  I will have to see I guess.  I may need some sort of rod or something.  I got wood dowel for the table loom.  I was thinking I should get some of that & cut it down.  But the Craftsy class recommends a metal rod or a square wood piece.  So I am debating what I want to do.

I tested out the staple gun I have.  It will work to get the canvas apron onto the cloth roller.   So that is good as well.  Happier with that than using the tacks for a few reasons. I think the tacks stick up more.  Also, I worry that they are wider at the base so the cloth might rip under tension as it is putting a bigger hole in the canvas.

My hubby is also trying to figure out how to get the old brake off as it is a square screw head for it.  He thinks he probably has one.  But finding it is another story...

So it's getting there. 

This weekend has a lot going on.  Including hopefully going to NY S&W this Sunda!  But I took off Monday to recoup.  So with any luck, I could get a warp on it Monday.  But I am not betting on that!  Hopefully, the weekend after next.  *fingers crossed*

Getting There

So the new-to-me Leclerc Medico with the floor stand is getting closer to ready.

I spent a good portion of the weekend working on it.

I sanded the heddle bars & the shaft frames with a sander to remove where the coating was bubbling.  I went with a small electric hand sander & even that took a while.  Need new sandpaper for it!  Ran through 5 pads of it. 

I soaked any parts I could with Metal Rescue.  It is hard to gauge.  It says 2 hours for light rust, 8 for medium & 18-24+ for heavy.  It warns that if you soak longer, it may turn things black.  I think that happened with some pieces.  But for the most part, I am not too worried about any discoloration so long as it doesn't rub off on any threads or fabric. 

I read a suggestion about using a rust retardant.  I went Dry Coat which is by the same people as Metal Rescue.  I think I should have gone with the Silcone spray that someone recommend on the Ravelry Warped Weavers thread I posted about the Medico.  The Dry Coat says "will not leave sticky or tacky residue" but I did find that you can feel something on the pieces after you use it.  So I did use a paper towel on the piece that might be better a bit slicker.  Live & learn!

I used the Metal Rescue Gel on the reeds.  I know others have had luck with just soaking the reeds in the regular Metal Restore.  But it really looks like the top & bottom are actually wrapped & glued string or something.  And didn't want to risk the whole thing coming apart.  I used a foam brush to get the gel in between the dents.  Then I wrapped the reeds in plastic wrap as it says to keep the parts wet for the time they are sitting.

I saturated them pretty well.  Let them soak for about 14 hours for the 6 dent that had already had a round of cleaning with the Naval Jelly.  The 12 dent that I hasn't touched sat 24 hours before I worked on that one.  The regular Metal Rescue says it can be rinsed.  The gel said to wipe off.  But I found I couldn't get the bits off between the dents.  So I rinsed it.  I may regret that if the dent rusts up.  But I think I would regret it more if it didn't come off & left residue on the dents.

I took a paper towel & a plastic brush to push the paper towel down into the dents.  I rubbed it & as you can see, it got some black off of it which is good.

Overall, I think the reeds look a whole lot better.  So I am pleased with it.  I don't think they are really rust resistant.  But I think they are good for a while at least.  If I get some silicone spray, I may use that.  But I don't think the Dry Coat is wise as it doesn't feel completely smooth.

For the wood, I used Howard's Restor-A-Finish.  I don't recall where I found this suggestion.  But I think it was a good one.  There were some rough spots on the loom.  Not even counting the paint which I can't figure out how to remove... *sigh*

The Howard's Restor-A-Finish says it will fill in areas & have it so that the scraps don't show.  It did smooth things out overall.  But I couldn't get rid of some spots on the top castle piece (hoping that is the correct term...)  But there is definitely a burn mark.  I sanded out some of that with some fine steel wool.   But I didn't want to do it too much & harm the wood. 

 

You can see there are dark patches as well.  I am not sure what that is about.  There was already some unevenness in color and surface there.  So I suspect the previous owner had put things on top of the loom that affected the surface.  Not sure what. 

I used the Howard Feed-N-Wax Wood Polish and Conditioner.  It has beeswax & orange oil.  So it gave it a nice soft touch.  And I think the wood really needed some good conditioner for it.  It was so thick that I couldn't squeeze it out of the bottle.  I took the lid off and put it on a rag.  That seems to have worked well.

Overall, I think it looks really good.

 

By end of the weekend, I had one of the metal frames to pull out of the Metal Rescue & two more to soak. 

Monday, I worked on wiping down just shy of 400 heddles.  I decided to give them a soak in the Metal Rescue as well.  I tried a vinegar soak.  It was okay.  But I think since I have the Metal Rescue, it is worth soaking them in that.  And I think it did a better job overall.

I can only soak one shaft frame at a time.  The bin I used is big as it had to be for the frames.  I couldn't stack them & have them deep enough in the fluid.  If I had to do it again, I might try the gel on them instead.  But that requires wrapping them up.  So it is kinda a toss-up.

The last frame is soaking. So I should be able to get it wiped & coated with the Dry Coat this evening.  Hooray!

I ordered some parts from Camilla Valley Farms.  They were awesome.  Shipped them the same day I ordered them. 

They were scheduled on the 3rd.  You will note today is the 17th.  Someone in the US decided that I didn't live at JFK where they arrived AND SENT IT BACK TO CANADA!!  *headdesk*

I only replace parts I ordered are a new brake spring & circle.  I think after all the work that the rest of the pieces are in good shape. 

I also ordered a new raddle & lease sticks since this loom is wider.  Though it cracks me up that I had ordered a 22" raddle when I thought my Schacht loom was a wider weaving length.  I cut it to be shorter!  *laugh*

I added up all the costs.  It ran about $145 for all the restoring stuff.  There are a bunch of odds & ends in that cost.  Like Gaffer Tape to replace the stuff I took off when cleaning the reeds.  If I had to do again, I wouldn't bother the Naval Jelly which was $7 or the vinegar which I didn't count since I had a gallon jug anyhow for cleaning the coffee pot! 

So that does push the total cost of the loom up.  But even with all in cost, I think it is still a great price for a 22" floor loom.  And as someone on the Warped Weaver list pointed out, it really will feel all the more mine for having spent the time & energy to get it back to good shape!

So with any luck, I will get the Medico warped soon...  *fingers crossed* 

Of course, I am debating what it going on it first.  I was thinking the pillows from the Craftsy loom course.  I bought all the materials when I thought the Schacht could weave 18".  But I also have a houndstooth scarf weaving kit from Spunky Eclectic that I got recently.  The main debate being something a bit more simple to start or a longer warp with multiple patterns.  Honestly, it may break down to seeing which is more threads & a longer warp.  So we shall see.

But getting close...

Hooray!

I think she may already have a name.  But I need to work with her out before I can name her.  And yes, it is a her.  It is funny.  All my big fiber equipment gets names.  And they have all been female.  My Babe is Door from Neverwhere.  My Ladybug is Rue from The Parasol Protectorate.  The Schacht table is Beryl, Mrs. Patmore's first name from Downton Abbey.  Though I think the loom may get renamed at some point.  I am not sure about the name... 

So...I'm a Bit Crazy...

So...  I am a bit crazy...  *grin*

I have had my Schacht table loom a little over a year.  Got it last March. 

So what did I do?  I bought another new-to-me loom!

This is a floor loom vs. the table loom I already have.  Which means it is a bit like spindle vs. wheel spinning, it is faster.  Not that much faster.  But definitely faster.  But it is still in pieces all over the house.  Bought it a month ago...

So...okay.  I will walk through the crazy.  I am on a FB Marketplace group that is for weaving stuff.  Dangerous enough on its own.

While we were on vacation, there was a steal of a deal on a LeClerc Nilus floor loom with a 45" weaving width.  It also included a bench & tons of goodies.  It was really an awesome deal.  And I have been drooling over floor looms pretty much since I got the table loom.  *laugh*  And yep, the wide width has a whole lot of appeal.

It was kismet that I found it.  It was on our way home from the Adirondacks.  We could pick it up on the way home.  It was a sign, right...? 

But I really didn't *need* one.  So I waited...

Of course, after a few days contacted the seller to see if it was still available.  It was. 

So began all the looking at the stats.  It is a great deal.  Got to the point where measurements of the back of the minivan were being taken...  We could do this.

And then I came to my senses. 

I had just spent a lot on vacation.  I really to calm down.  It was more than I should spend after just having spent a good deal on vacation.

Also, my husband and I figured out that given the size would have to go upstairs in our bedroom/office space.  I asked the seller if it could be taken apart.  She said she had done that with many looms.  But she really didn't think it was wise with this one.  Getting about 150 pounds up two flights of stairs...  Yah...  Probably not wise.

I contacted the seller & told her I didn't think I should buy it.  She was terrific & said she understood.

Side note: It was sold about a week later...so it was meant to be someone else's!

So I waited a few days.  And then I gave a second look at a floor loom closer to home.  A 1/4th of the price of the one in the Adirondacks.  22" weaving width.  So still wider than the 15" one I have. 

The woman who sold me the table loom last year told me it was 24".  It is.  In the width of the table loom.  It is 15" weaving width.  I bought some kits before the loom arrived.  They are designed for over 15".  So I couldn't weave on the table loom...

I told the woman I would come take a look at it.  I didn't promise as I didn't know what it would be like in person.  The woman selling it had inherited from her aunt who had three looms.  A rigid heddle, the table loom with the floor loom conversion & a huge floor loom.  I didn't even look at the larger floor loom. Figured that was too dangerous!

The woman said excellent shape.  I looked at it while I was there.  But not closely.  There is some paint splashed on the front beam.  But I figured that should be easy to get off.

So I bought a new-to-me LeClerc Medico table loom with the floor conversion kit.  They only made them from the mid-60s to the early 70s. 

Thing is, I didn't look closely at all the metal.  When I got it home was when I realized the good deal of rust it has on the metal parts.  Mmmm....  Not ideal. 

So there has been a whole lot of researching to find out what works best for restoring it. Thus why it is in pieces...

The good news is LeClerc is really good about their parts working for multiple looms.  So that helps.  And honestly, without the awesome site from Camilla Valley Farm, I don't know that I would have purchased it.  But it was wonderful having info on it.

Camilla Valley Farm specializes in weaving - http://www.camillavalleyfarm.com/ . They sell parts and several people on the Ravelry weaving forums recommend them.  Nina was super helpful with my slew of questions.   

I learned that the metal frames/shafts are $45 a pop!  With four of them, that is a lot of $$.  The heddle bars cost $5 each.  So it would be another $40 for those.

I am going to be scrubbing the rust off the ones I have.  *laugh*  I may replace the heddle bars if I really love it & the rust comes back a lot.  But I want to see how things go with the loom first!

I did one round of cleaning the heddle bars, frames & one of the reeds with something called Naval Jelly.  It is what the Schacht site recommends. 

The thing is that the frames & heddle bars have some coating on them.  That after 45-50 years is bubbling up & off it.  I used a metal brush for the Naval Jelly.  And where I accidently scrubbed off the coating is actually better than the parts with the coating.

Most of the people on the weaving forums swear by something called Metal Rescue. Someone who also has a LeClerc Medico says she used steel wool to take the coating, soaked the pieces in Metal Rescue & then coated them with a silicone spray.  She says it is great.  So my plan is to do that. 

There are two reeds - 6 & 12 dents.  The 12 dent looked like it was copper.   The 6 was very spotted.  So I couldn't tell what it was.  After a couple rounds of Naval Jelly, it also looked like copper.  I was completely bewildered by that. 

The very kind Nina told me that the reeds of that vintage are GALVANIZED STEEL!  I was pretty stunned that they get a coppery look.    But at least I know I can treat them like steel. So that helps. 

Given the 22" reeds start at $71 for stainless...  Yah.  Think I need to clean the ones I have!

I keep saying every weekend that I will get it done.  I bought the loom on Sept. 2nd.  It is now Oct. 10th.  Ummm...  *hangs head*

I took off Columbus Day as the kids were home Monday.  My *plan* was to redo the metal pieces & soak them in Metal Rescue. But it rained all freaking weekend.  *grumblegrowl*  More irked because I really hope to finish it up this weekend!  But we keep having rain & I prefer to do it outdoors.

I ordered a new brake spring & coil as well as lease sticks & a new raddle from Camilla Valley Farm.  The brake spring has no spring to it.  But that isn't nearly as much.  And the lease sticks & raddle are about the wider weaving width.  So they were a given.

Camilla Valley Farm is in Canada.  They sent tracking info.  The parts made it to JFK on the 7th.  And then they decided I didn't live at JFK.  AND SENT THE PARTS BACK TO CANADA!!  *headdesk* 

Luckily, it seems someone in Canada can read.  And realized that I don't live at JFK.  So the package is on its way back to the US.  I am *hoping* this time the USPS or whatever entity handles it in the US can figure out that JFK is not in fact my zip code.  *sigh*

Though to give myself some credit, I did give the wood a bath with Murphy's Oil Soap.  I have some wood refinisher & oil that I should apply to it.  But again, that would be better to do outdoors in case of any fumes. 

Though on a side note, the paint didn't come off the front... *sigh*  Think it is oil based, not latex.  So I am still debating what to do about that...

So parts are in various places.  Waiting to be completed.  Whee!

But I hope at the end of all this to have a very lovely loom at a good price.

I still feel like it was a good value.  And hopefully with some elbow grease/products to help clean parts, I will have a working loom soonish. 

I would love to say maybe this weekend.  But I have been saying that every weekend since I got it (other than the one with my DD's birthday which I knew was not gonna happen.)

Mind you, if I am realistic, it is unlikely it will be all back together after only a weekend. 

The metal parts need attention.  And Metal Rescue suggests soaking it for 18 hours.  And that is only after sanding off the old coating.  Also, the wood treatment will take some time. 

And then there is also the canvas aprons.  The woman thought the apron was "filthy" so she took it off & washed it.  On the good side, she air dried it.  But I need to get that back on & make sure it is square!  I did measure to make sure the aprons are still square.  They are thank heavens.  But they need to be reattached to the beams. 

It was attached with staples.  But I don't think my staple gun will handle going into maple.  Someone suggested carpet tacks.  That seems the wise move for it.  Though in hindsight, now I am wondering if they won't rip the fabric over time...  Hmmm...  Maybe try the staples first & if not, move to the tacks.

I have to thank the awesome people on the Ravelry weaving groups.  In particular, Warped Weaver member have been awesome about sharing their restoration processes.  I love that so many people are eager to share their experiences.

And if you have a LeClerc loom and need parts, Camilla Valley Farms are terrific.  Nina definitely knows her stuff.  She was great about answering my many newbie questions.  And making sure I knew what the cost were of various parts & what was right for my loom.  She never made it about making a profit.  It was all about what was possible. 

I am so grateful for the awesome people that have helped.  And hopefully soon I will get to share some pics of my new-to-me loom dressed!