Helping Hands: Spring Version ✋👍🤞

So right up front I will tell you this is likely to be 2 or possibly a 3 part post as we look at "Helping Hands" by Lofty Fibers.

Some time ago I saw a brief video clip on how to set up and use these 3D printed parts and brackets and it looked like the bee's knees!     I dithered about buying them as there's the whole US $ to Canadian dollar conversion, plus shipping, and then likely customs etc etc.   Finally I just ordered and waited for delivery.      

I bought a set for both my Spring loom and my Megado loom.  They have sets for just about every major loom manufacturer available at their web site.  This is the way it comes in its own little bag plus written instructions and also a link to the video to watch at You Tube.   (The one below is for the Megado, so the parts are somewhat larger.)

So the Spring loom was empty first and so I used it this time round for beaming.   I'm sure that I will feel more confident with repeating the process, but it seemed to work nicely after I figured out the lease stick and pegs. 

Here you can see I have attached the upper brackets to the castle (they have slightly different models for Spring 1 or Spring 2)   This is a Spring 1 loom.  The lease sticks slide into brackets and the brackets snap into place in the holder.  

The picture below shows the bracket in position  BUT I have the clips in the wrong place. The lease sticks should be further to the right and the pegs in the holes should be in the centre  of the bracket.    First time using them!

I was able to slide my raddle covers over and then set my threads into the raddle : 5, 5, 5, 5, 4   to give me 24 epi.

This is the lower bracket in place further down. This where the lease sticks and their holder end up being placed after beaming. It holds the lease sticks at a comfortable height for threading, determined by lengthening or shortening that bit of texsolv cord to a cup hook.

All done and the tape measure shows my centered 10.2 inches in the raddle. I have also placed a fine seine cotton cord around the threads in the raddle to keep them in place during beaming.

Then you take a smooth wooden apron stick or 1/4 inch round bar stock rod and  slip it through the threads on the lower lease stick and draw it down towards the apron beam. They provide two texsolv 'loops and pegs' to hold the two rods equally apart and stable. You can adjust this to be smaller if you like. I'm going to play with it a few warps and then mark my preferred texsolv slot.

Then you lace the two as shown above. Now you are ready to beam on.   Go to the front and find the first choke tie and gently tug the warp straight.  It should all be nicely even.

Here the warp is being beamed on and it went very smoothly!  Seven yards and no issues at all.

You stop when the ends are just below the upper castle.  Un-tie the last cords and trim across the ends. Below is the view at the back.... all neat and orderly!

Next step is to take off the cord around the warp in the raddle and lift them out of the slots and drop straight down.   Then go to the bracket holding the lease sticks in place and unsnap them on both sides and lift them up and then down to the lower bracket for threading.   Adjusting the texsolv cord until you get the right height for your comfort.    A quick swipe with a felt marker marks the right slot on the cord for next time.

Below, you can see that I've corrected the lease sticks and have them situated better and the pegs are essential to keep them secure!!

Here's a good view of the cord placement between upper and lower brackets.

This is the view from the front and we are ready for threading!

Next post will be about getting started.... stopped and making changes on the fly!

New Tricks

This is Bruce, my husband, doing his old job.... as a locomotive engineer.   Thirty eight years passed by, although it felt slow at the time! Those days and weeks do end up reaching a goal eventually.   He did work at another job in a different field for approximately ten years and is now fully retired.  He has a birthday with a zero in it later this month and it gives you a pause to think on it. I know, I have my own 'zero' coming up too in March.  He keeps busy on line doing consignment sales for people downsizing their model railway hobby (or expanding it)  and he also keeps a blog where he write his (98% true) railway stories.  Its been a while since he last wrote but several people, including me, are nudging him back to the keyboard.

He's a wonderful supporter of my weaving endeavours, and also an invaluable help in the studio and lends a hand when it comes to beaming a warp. I get everything all set up and ready. Then he winds the back beam and I tension and detangle. We usually have a good chat about what ever is going on, or listen to some music and sing along.

We use brown wrapping paper as our separator (which we buy at the post office as it seems to be the right size, price and is sturdy). It gets to be a 'personal challenge' to see if he can get the paper on and keep it winding straight.  Many of you might know how frustrating it is to have it going off wildly  off track.  I would cut it off, fold the edge over to straighten and carry on.    Bruce got creative!

He noticed I had a length of  half inch PVC pipe which I normally use to hang up and dry shawls over standing in a container.

He placed the PVC rod through the centre of the roll of paper and then nudged it back against the edges of the down treadles.  He has the leading edge folded perfectly straight and uses the apron rods to line up and we start to beam.

Bruce uses his feet and toes to gently tension the rod and the paper slides off under control and no wandering!  He's such a clever clogs!   We decided to take photographs and show the technique to you. This was 100% his idea and I must say it really works. No fighting with the paper and the six and a half yard warp went on very quick.

So what was that warp you say?     Have a peek..... 

There's going to be some colourful show and tell soon.... stand by!