11 November 2016,
We've taken a look at the disassembled loom and realized that there were too many parts missing for us to attempt reassembly. We've had a great experience restoring the assembled one and are happy it's found a good home at the Bisbee Fiber Arts Guild. To all of our readers, thank you!
Friday, November 11, 2016
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
18 October - The loom went to its new home at the Bisbee Fiber Arts Guild in Bisbee Arizona. It was accompanied by a cone filler (pony) and a thread stand for warping. It took 4 of us to move it and we had to partially disassemble it to reduce weight and allow it to get through some pretty tight doors. Upon reassembly it looked happy, surrounded by other looms and in a sunny spot so a weaver can have good light. We sent along some paperwork and the fabric strips which I'd rolled into balls for weavers to use. Thanks to Lee and Charla Henney and my husband, Bob Wilson, for their help in moving it, and to the Guild for giving it a good home.
 |
| Bob and Lee deciding the best way to secure the partially disassembled loom for travel |
 |
| Lee, examining the loom |
 |
Charla, Bob, and Lee reassembling the loom
|
 |
| The loom in its new home |
 |
| Ready to go to work! |
Friday, September 23, 2016
It's time for another update. We got together and did some more work, not on the loom this time but on the "accessories," such as the cone filler and the warping stand. We're hopeful that the Bisbee Fiber Arts Guild will take the loom; they have expressed interest in it, and we will be happy to have it go to a new home where it will be used. In the mean time, I've been rolling fabric strips into balls. They were stuffed into a plastic 55 gallon contractors trash bag, in no order, and became a tangled mess, so it has been a hard won battle. My husband commented on how much work it must have been for the rag rug weaver to sew all the strips together (and there are a lot of them) and I replied that cutting and sewing was probably about half of the prep time for weaving a rag rug. The weaver must have been on a roll because we've probably got about 80 lbs of fabric strips. Almost all of them are sewn, too, so it was definitely a time consuming process.
Here's what we've been doing:
Here's what we've been doing:
 |
| Pirns |
We took out the pirns, washed them and dried them, looked at their functionality, and only had to throw away 2. The rest, while worn, are in good shape (or at least good enough to use).
We also looked at the cylinders and found that most of them, while worn, were in good shape as well. Then we got started on the cone filler and the warping stand.
 |
| Coffee can device |
 |
| Cone holder |
 |
| the new leg |
 |
| Feeding mechanism for rag strips |
 |
| Lee doing wood work |
 |
| Measuring angles for new leg |
 |
| Measuring angles for new leg |
We're not sure what the coffee can piece was for, but as you can see Lee replaced a leg and we cleaned up the Pony. The central support is a user added item, and it is slightly longer than the legs. We'll fix that and it will be ready for use.
Apparently the Phillips head screw wasn't used until after WWII, and Lee happened to have some "old" (straight slot) screws which we used to replace a couple of the Phillips head screws for the appearance of authenticity.
 |
| A repaired "Pony" |
 |
| Not the original seat |
 |
| The seat support is an addition and is slightly longer than the legs. |
 |
Looking much cleaner
|
Next is to remove rust from the warping stand, repair the base, and order some parts that we know we need for the other Pony.
Thanks for reading the blog.
Monday, August 15, 2016
15 August 2016: time for another update. The picker straps have been received and I'll put neatsfoot oil on them, and we'll replace the old ones. We still need new boot heels for the flying shuttle, but those will have to wait until Riverside Looms has them available. Since the loom is just about ready to be put to work, we focused some of our attention on the cone filler. We have 2, one is in good condition, the other one needs some work. The one which is in good condition has been cleaned but needs to have the brace under the "pony" adjusted so it is even with the back legs. The one in not so good condition got a new leg - thank you, Lee, and needs a seat and a brace under the back legs. The cone is pretty shot and will need to be replaced, and the handle reinstalled. We also found two wooden bobbins for the flying shuttle which hold the metal tubes the rags fit in, and a wooden "tamper" to ensure the cylinders are filled tightly with rags.
We cleaned up a couple of boxes of spare parts and found pirns, cogs, nuts and bolts, and what appears to be a broken part "L" which is instrumental in the cog functioning as the warp is advanced. As it appears this is wrought iron, it will probably need to be replaced, so will go onto our next order from Riverside Looms.
Now for what you've all been waiting for: Pictures!
We cleaned up a couple of boxes of spare parts and found pirns, cogs, nuts and bolts, and what appears to be a broken part "L" which is instrumental in the cog functioning as the warp is advanced. As it appears this is wrought iron, it will probably need to be replaced, so will go onto our next order from Riverside Looms.
Now for what you've all been waiting for: Pictures!
 |
| This is the 2nd cone filler. We've yet to figure out what the Schilling coffee metal is doing there. As you can see, it needs some work. |
 |
| Different view. Handle and drive belt (leather strap) need to be installed. We've found the handle, but the drive belt was destroyed by the elements and time. Another thing to find or add. |
 |
| New rubber band on the flying shuttle wing. |
 |
| This is the 2nd cone filler and we're not sure why someone added this, as you can see it seems to have been intended to hold something. We're thinking it was used to hold the cone. |
 |
| Lee measuring angles for the new rear leg of the 2nd "pony." |
 |
| Lee looking at the rear leg |
 |
| More cleaning to be done! |
 |
| Pirns and other wooden pieces. |
 |
| This is the cone filler that is in good repair. You can see the added seat and brace. The brace is slightly longer than the legs, so must be shortened by about 1/8" |
 |
| Broken part "L" |
 |
| New leg on 2nd cone filler |
 |
Another view of the working "pony."
|
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Hi everyone,
We've been at it again. We replaced the tie on straps I managed to cut by accident while taking off the old project. I used sturdy cotton twill webbing I'd bought at JoAnn's. We found the cut ends of the straps and removed the garter clip looking tie ons, the straps using carpet tacks, and moved the never used straps on the very end of the beam to replace the cut straps. We now have a full complement of tie on straps for the back beam and a new front apron for the front beam.
We also started to take a look at some of the other unique things that the loom has, to include a chain which has replaced the cord which runs under the loom to provide some stability for the beater.
I cleaned the reed using naval jelly, wire brush, water, and scouring pads (Brillo pads). It's still got some rust on it but it's a lot cleaner.
In addition to that, we replaced the missing pegs on the back beam with 3/8" dowels cut into appropriate length. Lee had a tool which would put a slightly tapered end on the peg, and used soap and muscle to get them into place. The back beam is now ready for use. We still need some rubber bands for the shuttle wings, and I'm going to order new picker straps and boot heels - two sets as the original leather from both the assembled loom and disassembled loom is shot.
As we've been "exploring" the loom, we found out that the picker straps did not go through the picker strap slots in the loom. There's probably a reason for this, but we don't know what it is.
We hope to tackle the cone loader and some of the shuttles and bobbins, and maybe load a cone or two just to try out the cone loader. It seems like a pretty interesting piece of gear. One of them is assembled and one is not. Fortunately, we've got lots of tube and shuttles to play with, as well as two big bags of fabric strips, many of them already sewn together.
I'm also going to be photographing and documenting the paperwork we got with the loom, and what we know about it in our next post.
We've been at it again. We replaced the tie on straps I managed to cut by accident while taking off the old project. I used sturdy cotton twill webbing I'd bought at JoAnn's. We found the cut ends of the straps and removed the garter clip looking tie ons, the straps using carpet tacks, and moved the never used straps on the very end of the beam to replace the cut straps. We now have a full complement of tie on straps for the back beam and a new front apron for the front beam.
 |
| Tie on Straps |
 |
Old carpet tacks have been replaced
|
 |
| Chain instead of cord. Chain looks fairly new, but placement is of concern as it seems as if it will rub the wood on the side. We will replace it with a cord or put a piece of plastic under the wood to protect it. |
I cleaned the reed using naval jelly, wire brush, water, and scouring pads (Brillo pads). It's still got some rust on it but it's a lot cleaner.
 |
A clean(ish) reed
|
 |
| Original picker strap |
 |
Original picker strap tie up
|
 |
Original picker strap tie up R side
|
We hope to tackle the cone loader and some of the shuttles and bobbins, and maybe load a cone or two just to try out the cone loader. It seems like a pretty interesting piece of gear. One of them is assembled and one is not. Fortunately, we've got lots of tube and shuttles to play with, as well as two big bags of fabric strips, many of them already sewn together.
 |
| Cone loader - one of two |
Saturday, July 16, 2016
I've been asked if this is a difficult process. As a result, I'm going to provide a little more detail here of what we actually did.
When we got the loom settled into its temporary home and the warp cut off, we took a good look at it to see if everything worked - played with the flying shuttle, the beater, the harnesses, etc. The functionality check was good, and then we looked at what needed to be replaced. The canvas apron was in really bad shape and not useable due to rodent damage, so our friend removed it and made a new one with grommets, then put it on the front beam.
We used Murphy's Oil Soap in warm water and some rags, and washed the loom and dried it to get rid of the dust and grease. We had access to an air compressor and vacuum and used them to blow out the lint and vacuum up the fuzz balls. Dental picks helped us get into the reed (which needs a good coat of naval jelly to get rid of the rust) and other parts that had lint and grease and pick it out.
Once the loom was clean, we used a mix of 50/50 mineral spirits and linseed oil and wiped down every wooden piece with a rag to help restore the wood and remove any remaining grease. The mineral spirits helped clean the metal pieces as well. We'll need to regrease the harness holder (probably the wrong term but it's the metal brackets that the harnesses are in on the loom) so they raise and lower easily. The harnesses were easy to remove and reinstall and the heddles are in surprisingly good shape for as old as it is. We wiped the harnesses down as well. In the process, we're looking for damage and anything that needs to be replaced. The assembled loom is in surprisingly good shape.
One of our biggest constraints is space. The loom's temporary home is just that, temporary. The disassembled loom is taking up space in our friends' workshop and to get to it and determine if it's complete and what parts/pieces might need repair, we're going to have to work around the assembled loom. We already know we need new picker straps and boot heels (leather bumper pads for the flying shuttle), so our next step with the disassembled loom is going to be removing the wooden pieces from their boxes, determining if all the parts are there, cleaning the beam assemblies and the reed, the harnesses, etc. We'll use the same process of Murphy's Oil Soap and then a 50/50 mix of linseed oil and mineral spirits to clean and help restore the wood, and naval jelly to remove rust. The vacuum and blower will be very useful in removing dust and lint.
We can't assemble the disassembled loom until the assembled one goes to a new home, so that may be a few weeks.
These are some amazing pieces of handweaving history, and we're happy to have them and be able to restore them to some of their former glory.
When we got the loom settled into its temporary home and the warp cut off, we took a good look at it to see if everything worked - played with the flying shuttle, the beater, the harnesses, etc. The functionality check was good, and then we looked at what needed to be replaced. The canvas apron was in really bad shape and not useable due to rodent damage, so our friend removed it and made a new one with grommets, then put it on the front beam.
We used Murphy's Oil Soap in warm water and some rags, and washed the loom and dried it to get rid of the dust and grease. We had access to an air compressor and vacuum and used them to blow out the lint and vacuum up the fuzz balls. Dental picks helped us get into the reed (which needs a good coat of naval jelly to get rid of the rust) and other parts that had lint and grease and pick it out.
Once the loom was clean, we used a mix of 50/50 mineral spirits and linseed oil and wiped down every wooden piece with a rag to help restore the wood and remove any remaining grease. The mineral spirits helped clean the metal pieces as well. We'll need to regrease the harness holder (probably the wrong term but it's the metal brackets that the harnesses are in on the loom) so they raise and lower easily. The harnesses were easy to remove and reinstall and the heddles are in surprisingly good shape for as old as it is. We wiped the harnesses down as well. In the process, we're looking for damage and anything that needs to be replaced. The assembled loom is in surprisingly good shape.
One of our biggest constraints is space. The loom's temporary home is just that, temporary. The disassembled loom is taking up space in our friends' workshop and to get to it and determine if it's complete and what parts/pieces might need repair, we're going to have to work around the assembled loom. We already know we need new picker straps and boot heels (leather bumper pads for the flying shuttle), so our next step with the disassembled loom is going to be removing the wooden pieces from their boxes, determining if all the parts are there, cleaning the beam assemblies and the reed, the harnesses, etc. We'll use the same process of Murphy's Oil Soap and then a 50/50 mix of linseed oil and mineral spirits to clean and help restore the wood, and naval jelly to remove rust. The vacuum and blower will be very useful in removing dust and lint.
We can't assemble the disassembled loom until the assembled one goes to a new home, so that may be a few weeks.
These are some amazing pieces of handweaving history, and we're happy to have them and be able to restore them to some of their former glory.
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Supplies
We now have dowels (3/8" and 5/16" - I picked both sizes to make sure we had the right ones for the pegs on the back beam), naval jelly, gloves, and brushes. The naval jelly is to remove rust from the reed and any other parts that may need it.
I need to price some things and probably make an order to the supplier.
I need to price some things and probably make an order to the supplier.
Restoring the Weaver's Delight
I'm going to try to move things from the pages to the posts; we'll see how it does.
In early June 2016 my husband and I got a call from a friend notifying us that she had gotten a post on the Bisbee Fiber Art Guiild that two Newcomb Looms Weaver's Delight looms were for sale in Cochise County, Arizona, where we live. She asked us if we wanted to follow up on this, as my husband has been taking weaving lessons and wants his own loom to weave blankets on.
Knowing next to nothing about Newcomb Looms, and specifically Weaver's Delight looms, we did some research and got pictures and a source for supplies. (linkies to follow). We said, "Yes, we'd like to see it," and off to Benson AZ we went to meet a very nice couple who were antique dealers and were moving to Michigan. The looms were still in the back of the trailer from when they had bought them. Our friends came with us (she's a master weaver) and took one look and said, "Buy these looms, we'll help you restore them, they're historically interesting and this is a great price."
So we did.
The looms were delivered that day and put in our friends' workshop. There are two looms which are the restoration project. One is assembled and still had the warp and weaving on it, the other is disassembled. Dates are 1938 and 1942, and fortunately for us all paperwork, including the name of the original owner and the loom registration numbers, is still in good shape.
The loom came with a lot of stuff. It has obviously been a production loom, used by a person who wove a lot of rag rugs. There were 6 crates of parts and pieces, and many accessories, such as tubes for the flying shuttle, rag rug fabric strips, a device to fill the tubes with the rag rugs, racks, and so forth.
15 June 2016:
We photographed the loom, cut off the old warp (in the process I cut two of the tie on straps by accident, and assessed the condition of the loom. We saw immediately that it needed a good cleaning, a new canvas apron, and some of the dowels on the back beam assembly had fallen out, but otherwise it appeared to be in good shape. We inventoried the 6 crates of parts/pieces and got the following:
Crate #1:
Bundles of heddles
6 metal Bobbin cases (solid)
2 metal bobbin cases (pierced)
2 wooden bobbins (1 split in need of repair)
1 metal tube
2 metal A brackets (green, and probably part of the disassembled loom)
1 green metal activator
1 wooden load wheel for cone loader (we got 2 of the cone loaders which are apparently hard to find)
2 leather shuttle pads for the flying shuttle (bad shape, need replacing)
Crate #2
Green metal cams for the disassembled loom
2 large ratchet pawls, 1 #55, 1 unnumbered
1 small ratchet pawl
Miscellaneous parts and pieces for assembling disassembled loom (not sure what some of them are right now)
Leather strap needs replacement
1 Pirn
1 metal strap
Crate #3
7 usable Pirns
46 useful metal tubes for the flying shuttle (these are usually loaded with rag strips)
1 broken pirn
1 handle for the tube loader
1 cone for the cone loader (broken)
Other crates contained more parts for the disassembled loom.
After a break due to company and an anniversary trip, we are back at it on 12 July. Our friend's husband made a new canvas apron for the loom and replaced the old one.
We took the harnesses off, washed the loom with Murphy's Oil Soap and dried it as we went, using scrub brush and rags, Huge difference! The wood is beginning to glow with a slight patina due to care and we are able to see it as it must have been in its former state when it was cared for and used.
13 July 2016: we used a mix of 50/50 linseed oil and mineral spirits on all the wood pieces and have come up with a list of parts we can get at the local hard ware store:
3/8" dowels
naval jelly (remove rust from the reed)
Parts we'll probably have to go the restoration business for are:
3 tie on straps with garter attachments (reminds me of my first garter belt and stockings when I was a kid)
Leather straps to replace the ones that tie the flying shuttle device to the beater and the springs
Leather shuttle rebound pads.
In early June 2016 my husband and I got a call from a friend notifying us that she had gotten a post on the Bisbee Fiber Art Guiild that two Newcomb Looms Weaver's Delight looms were for sale in Cochise County, Arizona, where we live. She asked us if we wanted to follow up on this, as my husband has been taking weaving lessons and wants his own loom to weave blankets on.
Knowing next to nothing about Newcomb Looms, and specifically Weaver's Delight looms, we did some research and got pictures and a source for supplies. (linkies to follow). We said, "Yes, we'd like to see it," and off to Benson AZ we went to meet a very nice couple who were antique dealers and were moving to Michigan. The looms were still in the back of the trailer from when they had bought them. Our friends came with us (she's a master weaver) and took one look and said, "Buy these looms, we'll help you restore them, they're historically interesting and this is a great price."
So we did.
The looms were delivered that day and put in our friends' workshop. There are two looms which are the restoration project. One is assembled and still had the warp and weaving on it, the other is disassembled. Dates are 1938 and 1942, and fortunately for us all paperwork, including the name of the original owner and the loom registration numbers, is still in good shape.
This is the loom when we unloaded it. It has a partial project of a rag rug, and a warp. Rodents and time had damaged the warp and the rug, so we cut the warp. In the process, I cut off 3 of the tie on straps.
The rag rug (WIP). It's been saved for historic and possible sentimental value.
More of the rug, the harnesses, and the beater. The padding on the beater has since been replaced with some lovely dark leather instead of tape.
Manufacturer's information.
A wider picture of the loom. One of the cone loaders is in the back left. We got 2 of them, one is in good shape but the other needs work.
15 June 2016:
We photographed the loom, cut off the old warp (in the process I cut two of the tie on straps by accident, and assessed the condition of the loom. We saw immediately that it needed a good cleaning, a new canvas apron, and some of the dowels on the back beam assembly had fallen out, but otherwise it appeared to be in good shape. We inventoried the 6 crates of parts/pieces and got the following:
Crate #1:
Bundles of heddles
6 metal Bobbin cases (solid)
2 metal bobbin cases (pierced)
2 wooden bobbins (1 split in need of repair)
1 metal tube
2 metal A brackets (green, and probably part of the disassembled loom)
1 green metal activator
1 wooden load wheel for cone loader (we got 2 of the cone loaders which are apparently hard to find)
2 leather shuttle pads for the flying shuttle (bad shape, need replacing)
Crate #2
Green metal cams for the disassembled loom
2 large ratchet pawls, 1 #55, 1 unnumbered
1 small ratchet pawl
Miscellaneous parts and pieces for assembling disassembled loom (not sure what some of them are right now)
Leather strap needs replacement
1 Pirn
1 metal strap
Crate #3
7 usable Pirns
46 useful metal tubes for the flying shuttle (these are usually loaded with rag strips)
1 broken pirn
1 handle for the tube loader
1 cone for the cone loader (broken)
Other crates contained more parts for the disassembled loom.
The crates. Most of the center bottom crate contents were not usable due to time and exposure to elements.
Top crate is parts to the disassembled loom
We did keep the tube in this crate.
Tubes, some with fabric strips. Most of the fabric strips had to go in the trash.
The inner workings of the loom
Harnesses. Heddles are in surprisingly good shape.
Contents of Crate #1
More contents of crate #1
Leather bumper pads for flying shuttle and a bundle of heddles
Parts of the disassembled loom.
Parts of the disassembled loom
Cams
Parts of the disassembled loom
Parts of the disassembled loom - the leather straps are not usable and need to be replaced. We have not tackled cleaning any of these parts/pieces.
More parts - cams, cogs, etc.
We took the harnesses off, washed the loom with Murphy's Oil Soap and dried it as we went, using scrub brush and rags, Huge difference! The wood is beginning to glow with a slight patina due to care and we are able to see it as it must have been in its former state when it was cared for and used.
13 July 2016: we used a mix of 50/50 linseed oil and mineral spirits on all the wood pieces and have come up with a list of parts we can get at the local hard ware store:
3/8" dowels
naval jelly (remove rust from the reed)
Parts we'll probably have to go the restoration business for are:
3 tie on straps with garter attachments (reminds me of my first garter belt and stockings when I was a kid)
Leather straps to replace the ones that tie the flying shuttle device to the beater and the springs
Leather shuttle rebound pads.
New canvas apron!!!
A clean loom is a happy loom. We removed the harnesses and cleaned the interior workings.
Picture of the cams, the back beam, and the front canvas apron
Leather strap which is used by the flying shuttle/beater assembly. Needs to be replaced. I suspect not original and looks like it was part of a harness, as it is not the same length on both sides.
clothes line and leather strap attached to spring for the flying shuttle assembly
More of the clean loom
Damaged back assembly - missing pegs, damaged wood under the screw, but this does not seem to be a show stopper re: use of the loom. Several screws have been replaced over the years; ditto carriage bolts and nuts.
Another one of the canvas apron.
Clean cams and inner workings. The metal plate is obviously a replacement.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)