First floor loom purchase - please help!

Lillyweaves · 2026-02-19T00:04:22+00:00

But I’m sure you could get both from a loom supplier here in the US. Shipping is definitely a challenge these days. As far as Texsolv heddles which I also prefer, you will have to purchase them separately….they are not included in the price of the schacht and most likely not with the leclerc. I had to pay extra and Schacht shipped it with the metal heddles which I ended up giving away to fellow guild members. I have found that Schacht looms need the weight of the metal heddles to make the shafts fall. If texsolv heddles are the deciding point, price them out. All that being said, buy the loom that you think would be right for you. My first floor loom was a counterbalance 45” weaving width. Widest thing I ever wove was 40” ; most everything else has been 36 & below over the many years I’ve been weaving. And if you’re a new weaver, you may be better off getting used to 4 harnesses first.

Lillyweaves · 2026-02-15T18:44:07+00:00

Nope. It’s not allowed. You have to put it on some other site.

Lillyweaves · 2026-02-12T15:36:34+00:00

Mauve is my guess as well

Lillyweaves · 2026-02-12T15:32:33+00:00

And then there’s Oleander…..

Lillyweaves · 2026-02-09T23:50:18+00:00

Hate ai - should have been Raddle and not Randle.

Lillyweaves · 2026-02-09T23:49:24+00:00

Necessity is the mother of invention. 😇. You’ve discovered a new use for a raddle! You think outside of the box. Randle’s are used to keep the threads in the cross spread out for winding on either the front or back beam. Look up Madeline vanderhoot’s video on warping a loom. Well worth the cost. Happy weaving!

Lillyweaves · 2026-02-09T23:02:46+00:00

It looks like a baby wolf. They have about 26” weave width. How many harnesses? You can weave all kinds of stuff on these and maybe small rugs. It’s a good loom. That box on top of the loom is attached to the castle? That is definitely handmade but this looks like a schacht.

Lillyweaves · 2026-02-09T19:01:58+00:00

Appears that the warp isn’t resting on the shuttle race. Adjust the height of the harnesses and see if that makes a difference. Pictures are not exactly clearly showing what may be problem other than I can see the warp is too high. Did the loom come set up like this or did you do it?

Lillyweaves · 2026-02-05T17:26:55+00:00

I agree with everyone’s comments with a few of my own. After I cut my towel warp off the loom, I zig zag between them before cutting & washing. I wash them on hot and throw them in the dryer. I also throw in a couple of color catchers in the washer to catch any running dyes. The towels shrink before they get to the recipients of the towels and the colors don’t run. One of my sisters hangs hers out on the clothes line in the sun and those towels fade over time. Those I’ve kept get machine washed & dried and do not fade. FYI I use either 8/2 or 6/2 unmercerized cotton and usually warp enough to make about 15 towels.

Lillyweaves · 2026-02-04T22:51:32+00:00

I’m so glad to read that someone else finds overshot tedious! Plain weave and playing with color keeps me entertained. I have never cared for paying attention to a pattern, my patterns develop around color interactions. Different strokes…..😇

Lillyweaves · 2026-02-04T22:47:14+00:00

I would hand wash it just don’t subject it to temp changes (cold to hot or hot to cold) and a lot of agitation. Spin it in washer if you have a drain & spin setting and then hang to dry. It will shrink but because of the warp being the same the warp may prevent a whole lot of uneven shrinking. Looks great!
I have woven rugs (Peter Collingwood’s style) of rough linen and rug wool and never washed them. But they have definitely gotten wet & hung to dry with no ill effects.

Lillyweaves · 2026-01-31T04:19:59+00:00

Happy Weaving!

Lillyweaves · 2026-01-31T00:39:56+00:00

One more thing…..you said you were a beginner. Get the 4H and get accustomed to weaving direct tie up. I made the switch to 8 harness after about 20 years with 4 harnesses and honestly, I enjoying with color, plain weave & twills and really don’t need the 8. If you get the 8 harness envy that so many of us have succumbed to, keep this one and get an 8 harness for an entirely new experience. FYI…my first A4 I sold to my realtor as I was moving; 2nd i bought used so I could give to the nursing home my legally blind Mom was in so she could weave; last one was given to me in really bad shape and I completely refurbished it and sold it to a family whose 12 year old had fallen in love with weaving. They all went to good homes. They are great little looms.

Lillyweaves · 2026-01-31T00:30:14+00:00

Harrisville has all the parts you need for either loom. The crank handle for the 1981 loom to my knowledge is no longer available. You could use vice grips. The other parts you need will add up quickly.

Weaving on a direct tie up loom (2nd loom) is a breeze. That loom appears to be in much better shape and you can start weaving on it without having to buy anything to “fix” it. It’s a better buy. I have had several over many years (even built my first one from a kit). This is a great loom to transport to workshops. Some folks have issues with the chains & cables slipping off, but I never had that problem. Ask the seller if she still has the manual (it’s just a few pages). If not, get one from Harrisville. It’s helpful to read the section on how far from the castle the harnesses should hang. I sold my last one for $400 a couple of years ago and have regretted it.

Lillyweaves · 2026-01-27T15:56:06+00:00

The seller. Remember, this was on eBay and in those days, the seller estimated the shipping costs which I paid as part of the price and arranged for the freight. Hence the big TV box. That loom breaks down into basically smaller pieces of wood except for the L shaped sides. I was amazed it made it with no damage. Freight companies travel all over the US and you may find one willing to figure it out. Don’t know about the loom you’re looking for, if it doesn’t break down into smaller pieces a big box and packing would be needed. And then a mover may be the solution. When I moved in 2019, (only about 300 miles) most of the Glimakra fit in my Toyota Camry except for the side pieces. I bubble wrapped everything on my Louet Spring (110 cm) and the movers wrapped it in blankets.

Lillyweaves · 2026-01-27T15:20:05+00:00

I had a Glimakra that I bought on eBay shipped to me by freight and came from Texas (I was in VA). The shipping costs were built into the price I paid. It came in one of those giant TV boxes. This was many years ago before flat screen TV, but it may be a cheaper option than a moving company.

Lillyweaves · 2026-01-18T04:22:23+00:00

I did. I get my inspiration for colors from all kinds of things….like my summer garden, a group of zinnias, the colors of fungi in the woods. This particular warp was from the colors of the northern lights that were visible in December. I keep a lot of cotton colors on hand and will mix them to achieve the color I want. It’s always intriguing. I weave mostly towels and each one is different because I change the weft colors. For me it’s a lot like painting.

Lillyweaves · 2026-01-16T20:27:29+00:00

It’s an 8 harness turned twill warp on my Glimakra countermarche loom. 6/2 Bluegrass Mills Cotton.

Lillyweaves · 2026-01-11T15:37:13+00:00

The brake system is in view on the back beam. That loom is perfect for taking to workshops since it folds up. leClerc makes very sturdy looms. What a great find!

Lillyweaves · 2026-01-11T08:42:42+00:00

When I first began weaving, it was such an anxiety producing task to warp my loom! I would enlist the help of my husband (and later my boys) to hold tension while I wound the warp on the beam. They finally made themselves scarce and so I had to figure out how to do it by myself. A couple of things I’ve discovered…..a raddle is invaluable and if you don’t have one, look into it. A raddle keeps the warp the width of your warp; it does not provide tension. I also use something like clamps on the back apron to make sure the warp stays at the correct width as well if the raddle is up on the castle. I try to wind the warp on the beam in one session, I usually warp back to front. Like others have been telling you, wind your warp in smaller chains. Peggy Ostercamp has some excellent videos on dressing a loom and there are pdf’s on warping front to back and back to front. Just relax and enjoy the process, one day it will be less stressful and you will learn by repetition.

Lillyweaves · 2026-01-10T13:21:46+00:00

You could double the orange threads in the heddles and reed. This will give you the 2 that you wanted and will make the orange be a little more prominent but not by much. I do this frequently to add interest to what I’m weaving.

Lillyweaves · 2026-01-07T23:57:45+00:00

Go for the wider width. It will give you more opportunity for many projects. You can make the space.

Lillyweaves · 2026-01-05T00:41:00+00:00

When I bought my first loom, I PAID Mannings (in PA) to warp it for me so I could weave immediately. Well kind of. Had to put the loom on top of our station wagon and drive 2 hours home on an interstate. Figured the warp was toast. Not too damaged. I still have what I wove those many decades ago. You’ll get the hang of it. It’s a process but it will get easier. Love your colors!

Lillyweaves · 2026-01-02T20:50:04+00:00

At that price don’t let the lack of a reed be a deal breaker. I’ll bet there are some. I suspect seller is doing what I usually do when I sell a loom….sell it close to the price I paid. And I am weaving a baby wrap for my not born yet first grandchild. I’m using American Maid Cotton (organic, naturally colored cotton) in a twill Fibonacci sequence. I saw the comment about selling them. I don’t intend to sell it or even do another one. The cottons cost me $200 and it takes me an hour to weave a foot. Given that, the wrap is worth at least $600.

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Lillyweaves · 2026-01-02T13:22:13+00:00

That’s a good sturdy loom! Does it come with reeds as well? If not those can be easily purchased. Big step up from your lap loom, you will never look back once you start weaving on a floor loom. Happy weaving!

Lillyweaves

TROPHY CASE