What is a counter balance loom?

Counterbalance looms allow one to open the size shed you want, a small shed by using a light touch on the treadle, or a large shed by putting more pressure on the treadle. The pressure on the treadle regulates the size of the shed. Small sheds give much nicer selvages and result in less stress to the warp threads.

What is the difference between a Countermarch and counterbalance looms?

Counterbalance looms are limited as to shaft number (usually four) and possible sheds, hence pattern possibilities. On a countermarch loom, every treadle is connected to a lamm below the shafts.

How do I choose a loom?

A floor loom should be your choice if you have enough space. It is heavier and stronger, works much faster than a table loom, offers more possibilities and gives a better shed because of its greater depth. Among floor looms some are light and can be folded (Jack types), others are heavier and take more space.

Is a jack loom a rising shed loom?

Jack looms are sometimes mis-named “rising-shed” looms (a shed doesn’t rise; a shed opens). Jack looms open sheds by making some of the shafts go up. Counterbalance and countermarch looms open sheds by making some shafts go up while the others go down. The difference is in the shed mechanism.

Is Macomber a Jack loom?

Macomber built “jack looms” where pushing down on a pedal raises a harness, as opposed to counterbalanced looms where the warp threads separate with some going up while others go down. Other innovative features were the pedal hooks and the use of materials that don’t stretch with prolonged use.

What is a direct tie up loom?

Floor looms A direct tie-up is where you tie one shaft to one treadle, so depressing the treadle for shaft 1 will operate shaft 1 on its own. To lift more than one shaft, you need to depress all the relevant treadles.

How does a Countermarche loom work?

The cords from the countermarch jacks at the top of the loom go straight down through the warp to the lower lamms. The lower lamms connected to treadles cause shafts to lift when a treadle is depressed. Even warp tension. Because shafts are both raised and lowered, tension is equal on raised and lowered warp ends.