— 18 —
Madelyn van der Hoogt
PO Box 1228
Coupeville, WA 98239
PH/FAX 360-678-6225
Countermarch (general) and Cranbrook (specific)
Loom length
The longer the loom, the less the relative difference in tension between raised/lowered warp threads and warp threads at rest.
Therefore, if the warp is held at maximum tension (as is desirable, especially for rugs), the longer the distance from front to back
beam, the less resistance the warp makes to forming the shed (and therefore the easier the treadling).
Rolling threading/tie-up bench
This is useful for threading (if threading from front to back) or for tying up the treadles before the loom is threaded (it is a little
hard to sit on it to tie up the treadles if the warp is in place since it is so high that you must bend your head under the warp). The
tie-up can be made before the loom is warped, however, since the texsolv notches to use for the tie-up can be standardized. Only a
few tie-up adjustments should be required after the loom is warped.
Extended pivoting position for lamms
This extension causes the lower lamms to pivot through a slightly shallower angle than if attached at the loom side, helping to
prevent interference between sinking lower lamms and rising treadles or between rising lower lamms and sinking upper lamms.
They are not even close to interfering (1" is the closest any of them come to each other on this loom).
Increased height of loom
This is an important improvement that allows sufficient space for pivoting lower lamms without their interference with rising
treadles or sinking upper lamms. (Also important in this loom design is the non-pivoting upper lamm which requires less space
for movement than would a pivoting upper lamm.)
Adding treadles
More than 10 treadles can be used (2 more without any difficulty, and perhaps even 4). If treadles are tied too close to the pivot
point of the lower lamm, it is more difficult to move the lamm. If treadles are tied too far away from the pivot point, rising treadles
are more likely to interfere with sinking lower lamms. There also may be a limitation as to how close to the ends of the upper
lamm a treadle can be tied without causing the shaft to tilt during treadling. (Tilting may also occur if the warp is much narrower
than the width of the treadles. Dummy warp ends can be added to the outer edges of the shafts to prevent tilting.)
Cords marked for standardized tie-up
Since they are further from the fell, shafts at the back must move more than shafts at the front to produce the same shed angle
at the fell. The treadle shape provides that the cords looped around the treadles are 2" shorter for the last shaft than for the
first (and graduated from back to front) so that as the treadle moves, it acts on the back shafts first and moves them more. The
notches to use for ties to upper and lower lamms can therefore be the same for each tie-up cord and can be marked to standardize
the tie-up (maximum shed size is 2-1/2").
Cord positions
Each cord that goes from a treadle to an upper lamm should pass in front of the corresponding lower lamm for its shaft. (Each Y
cord should pass from the lower lamm to the upper jacks behind the upper lamm and its corresponding shaft.) Cords to upper
lamms should not pass through the holes in the lower lamms.
Tying up your Cranbrook
These directions assume that the notches are pre-marked for hanging the shafts to the upper jacks, for attaching the Y cords to
the upper jacks and lower lamms, and for tying the treadles to the upper lamms (black) or lower lamms (red). All heddles must be
the same standard size. All ties are completed with the locking pins in place.
1.
Hang the shafts from the upper jacks. (Hang all shafts and lamms whether or not they will be used. Immobilize unused shafts
by keeping the locking pins in their corresponding upper jacks during weaving.)
2.
Attach the upper lamms to the lower shaft bars.
