Louet Octado User manual

Octado
Instructions
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Assembly tips and information ........................................................................................................ 2
Assembly of the Octado .................................................................................................................. 3
Assembly of the mechanical dobby ............................................................................................... 24
Installing the electronic interface ................................................................................................... 35
Tips and tricks for using the loom .................................................................................................. 35
Trouble shooting ........................................................................................................................... 3
Warrantee and contact .................................................................................................................. 40
Version: I_Octado_V4_EN

1
Introduction
Octado’s countermarch action produces a perfect shed automatically
The Octado is not literally a countermarch loom although it has all the advantages of one. In
countermarch looms, the shafts move both up and down so that tension on both raised and lowered
warp threads is equal. With the Octado, as the treadle is depressed, the rising shafts move, and as
they rise, the back part of the loom also rises. This action automatically creates a shed of raised and
lowered threads that is progressively greater toward the back and therefore completely even at the
front in addition to equalizing tension on all warp threads.
Loom at rest Progressive shed achieved during treadling
Octado treadling is very light
When a shed is formed on most looms, the activated warp threads move through a greater distance
than they do at rest. This means that the activated warp threads are under greater tension, and they
become stretched. If the warp is of an inelastic material and held at high tension, the force required
to treadle can be considerable. With the Louët Spring and Delta countermarch looms, this problem
is overcome to some degree: The breast beam moves during treadling to decrease the distance
between front and back beams, therefore decreasing the distance the through which the activated
threads move. With the Octado, the problem is completely overcome: Not only does the back part of
the loom move up, but the back beam also moves a little towards the breast beam during treadling.
This causes activated warp tension to decrease from even its resting tension—actually helping you
make the shed!
Accessories
Besides the choice of a mechanical or an electronic dobby head, you can obtain a full range of
accessories:
- Adjustable bench (59-72 cm)
- Tilting set for bench
- Second warp beam with back beam
-
Sectional warping
- Flying Dutchman shuttle
- Fly shuttle device
- Treadle height adjusting blocks
-
Program bars in sets of 10

2
Assembly tips and information
Barrel nuts
For the assembly of the looms, we use many barrel nuts and bolts to connect parts. The cylinder
shaped nuts have a slot on one of the flat sides. Always insert the barrel nut into the wooden part,
so that the slot in the barrel nut is visible. The slot shows the direction of the threaded hole in the
nut. With a flat screwdriver you can turn the barrel nut so that it is positioned properly to catch the
bolt. If you have a problem inserting the bolt into the barrel nut, try turning the barrel nut 1 0
degrees. This usually helps.
Carriage bolts
In other locations, we use carriage bolt to assemble wooden parts. These bolts have a square
enlargement (neck) under the bolt head. When you tighten the nut on the bolt, this square neck
locks into the wood to prevent the bolt from turning. In some instances, you will notice, that the bolt
is just a little too short for assembly with the washer and nut. We advise you to put the nut on the
bolt without the washer, and then tighten the nut sufficiently, so that the square neck pulls into the
wood. At this stage, unscrew the nut, install the washer and then replace and secure the nut again,
tightly. Alternatively, you can carefully tap against the bolt head with a hammer, until the bolt head is
secured into the wood.
Washers and spacers
For the proper operation of the loom, it is very important that you follow the proper assembly
sequence of the bolts, washers and spacers. Please carefully follow the instructions. To help you,
we have assembled all the washers and spacers in the hardware bags in the right sequence.
Wood screws
Where wood screws are used, we have pre-drilled holes in the wood. The screws will cut their own
thread into these holes. Please note however, that the screws are very sharp, and will cut into the
full wood outside the pre-drilled holes, if you miss the pre-drilled hole during assembly. However if
this happens, you will notice that after a couple of turns, it becomes very hard to turn the screw.
There is even a chance that the screw will twist off. Moreover, the part will be assembled in the
wrong location.
If you have to assemble and disassemble the loom several times, make sure that the wood screw
turns in the same thread again which was cut the first time. If not, the hole in the wood will become
too large for the screw. To find this screw thread, turn the screw anti clock wise while you push it,
until you "feel" the screw "drop" into the threaded part in the wood.
Markings
Many parts of the loom have been marked with letters of the alphabet at places where they have to
be connected to another part, marked with the same letter.
The first time a part is named in this instruction; these letters are mentioned, to indicate which part is
meant.
ools
All parts used for the loom are metric. To facilitate the assembly, we have included two metric
wrenches (10 mm for m6 and 13 mm for m ) and a pz2 cross head screwdriver (not a Phillips
head!). Together with hardware bags 1, 2 and 5, these tools are located in box B.

3
Assembly of the Octado
Octado parts per box
The assembled castle of the loom is packed
in box A.
The handle for the beater is packed on top
of the shafts.
The parts shown here are packed in box
B
,
together with the hardware bags, two
wrenches and a screwdriver.
1. side rails L+R
2. front uprights L+R
3. beater uprights L=R
4. treadle sides L=R
5. hinged arms L=R
6. brake pedal
7. floating arms L+R
. back uprights L+R
9. middle uprights L+R
10. lower side rails L+R
11. cloth beam lever
12. brake disk
13. warp beam crank
The following parts are packed in Box
C
,
together with 600, 00 or 1200 Texsolv
heddles 33 cm:
14. sixteen warp sticks
15. two lease sticks
16. two apron rods
17. reed
1 . two treadle rails
19. three frame rails: foot rail, back rail and
back beam.
20. breast beam
21. warp beam
22. cloth beam
23. upper reed holder
24. lower reed holder
600, 00 or 1200 Texsolv heddles 33 cm
There is also a mechanical dobby (2 boxes) or electronic interface (1 box) for your loom.

4
1. Assembly of the side rails to the center frame
Use sawhorses or a table to support the
castle frame at least 25” (64 cm) above the
floor.
Open hardware bag # 1 containing the
following:
- 1 large ratchet
- 1 screw 4.5 x 20 mm
- 10 threaded rods m6 x132mm with cap
nut, washer and barrel nut
- 4-carriage bolts m x 55 mm with large
washer, 2 small washers and cap nut
- 2 screws 5 x 40 mm
- 4 buffers with m6 threaded end
- 1 screw 4 x 17 mm
-
1 piece of Texsolv cord 13-3/4” (35 cm)
Take the second side rail, marked JD, and
screw the large ratchet to it with screw
4.5 x 20 mm. Once tightened, loosen the
screw slightly to allow the ratchet to rotate
freely.
Remove the barrel nuts from two threaded
rods and put the barrel nuts in the
respective holes where the side rail needs to
be mounted to the castle frame.
Make sure that the grooves in the barrel
nuts are vertical.

5
Insert the 2 threaded rods, with washers and
cap nuts, from the top, through the holes in
the small side of the right side rail.
Assemble the side rail to the castle frame by
screwing the threaded rods with cap nuts
into the barrel nuts. Do not tighten the nuts.
The side rail still needs to be loose.
A hinged arm needs to be attached before the left side rail is assembled. Besides two holes for the
assembly with carriage bolts, there is a row of small holes for the installation of small hooks which
are required if the Octado has a second warp beam or a sectional warp beam.
The two hinged arms are identical, however, as soon as you insert a carriage bolt into one, it
becomes either a right hand or left hand hinged arm.
Take a hinged arm out of Box B and install a
carriage bolt into it.
Refer to the diagram to see where the row
with small holes is in relationship to the
carriage bolt.
Slide the large washer and then the two
small washers over the end of the carriage
bolt. Slide the carriage bolt from the outside
through the ball bearing in the left side rail.
The inside can be recognized as the side
with the circular groove for the cloth beam.
Put the cap nut on the end of the carriage
bolt and tighten with the 13 mm wrench.
During the assembly of this side rail you
need to lift up the first two shafts in order to
be able to access the screw hole in the
front.
The shafts are blocked with the screw heads
on the dobby bars at the side of the castle.
Push in the bars for shaft 1 and 2, which will
allow you to lift up shafts 1 and 2.
To keep the shaft in this position, you can
put a book or something similar between the
top shaft bars.

6
The left side rail can now be attached to the castle frame with two screws 5 x 40 mm. Insert these
screws from inside through the side of the castle. Do not tighten the screws completely and allow
the front screw about ¼” (5 mm) of clearance. This clearance is required to install the cloth beam
later during the assembly process.
2. Assembly of the sides and the installation of the cloth beam
Take the lower side rails (AE and BF) and
the front uprights (IE and JF) out of box B.
Install the four buffers (feet) by screwing
them in the pre-drilled holes as shown in the
diagram.
Make the J-J connection: Slide the upright
onto the wooden pins (dowels) of the right
side rail.
Insert a barrel nut into the side rail.
Insert the threaded rod with washer and cap
nut into the upright and tighten with the 10
mm wrench.
Assemble the left side upright in the same
way. (Connection I-I)

7
Take rear uprights AC and DB from box B
and assemble to the lower side rails
(connection A-A and B-B).
Insure that the holes for the connections C,
E, D and F are facing the same direction, so
that the holes for the barrel nuts are at the
same side of the connected parts.
Assemble the rear uprights and lower side
rails on both sides of the loom (Connections
D-D, F-F, C-C and E-E).
First slide the wooden parts over the dowels
and then make the connections with the
threaded rods, barrel nuts washers and cap
nuts.
Slide the cloth advance lever (from box B)
onto the cloth beam (from box C) and make
sure that the ratchet is on the right side of
the ratchet wheel.
Install the cloth beam with the wooden end
into the hole of the right side rail and the
metal end into the circular groove of the left
side rail. Be sure that the big ratchet is
turned in the backward position.
Because the side rails are not tightened yet,
you can push the side rails apart and install
the beam in between them.
Now tighten the left side rail with the two
screws.
The right side rail has to be tightened later,
after the sides of the loom are connected
with the foot and rear rails.

Take the last screw out of the hardware bag,
install it in the hole in the right side rail, and
leave the head of the screw protruding
approximately ¼” (5 mm).
Hook the end of the Texsolv cord to the
screw head. Guide the cord under the
handle of the cloth advance lever and hook
the other end also to the screw head.
The Texsolv cord is cut on the joint between
two holes. The first hole is not strong, thus
unreliable and is not to be used. We always
use the second hole as first reliable hole.
There are now three carriage bolts, washers and cap nuts left over in hardware bag #1. This
hardware is required to attach of the rear part of the loom to the hinged arms, as will be described
later in these instructions.
Open hardware bag # 2 with the following
contents:
- 20 screws 5 x 50 mm
- 4 screws 5 x 40 mm
- 1 carriage bolt m6 x 40 mm with washer,
piece of nylon tube, 12 mm spacer
bushing, washer and cap nut m6.
- 1 screw eyelet
- 2 screws 4 x 21mm
- 2 buffers
- 4-carriage bolts m x 70 mm with large
washer, spacer 17 mm and cap nut m
In Box C are five long straight rails with screw holes in the ends. The two shorter rails of the same
length are used with the treadle. The three longer rails are the foot rail, the back rail and back
beam.
Put the 4 screws 5 x 50 mm in the holes of
both rear uprights.
Hold one side of the back rail against the
back upright. Use the screws to locate the
holes in the back rail and turn the screws by
hand one turn.
This side of the back rail will now hang on
the tips of the screws and you will have your
hands free to do the same on the other side.
Now use the screwdriver to tighten all four
screws.

9
In the same way install the foot rail on the
front of the loom, between the front uprights.
For this there are 4 holes for the screws in
each upright (this is different than on the
picture).
The foot rail can be installed at two different
heights, depending on the length of the legs
of the weaver. For most weavers the lower
position of the foot rail will be preferred.
The frame of the Octado is complete and
now you have to tighten the cap nuts of the
connection between the right side rail and
the castle. The sawhorses or table is not
required anymore and can be removed.
3. Assembly of the back part with warp beam and the treadle
Slide the brake disk onto the longest one
of the protruding shaft of the warp beam;
the sides marked Q must face each other.
Attach the brake disk with four 5 x 40 mm
screws and make sure the screws are
tight.
Take the two vertical posts of the back part
out of box B. You can recognize these
posts by the two holes with ball bearings.
The right hand vertical post has a hole for
the longer shaft of the warp beam to go
through. Attach to this vertical post the
attachment bolt for the brake cable: Insert
the carriage bolt m6 x 40 mm into the hole
near the ball bearings, so that it protrudes
at the side where the black nylon bearing
is situated besides the hole for the warp
beam axle.
Slip on a washer, the piece of nylon tube
that will center the spacer bushing, slip on
that bushing, the second washer and
tighten the cap nut.

10
Now turn the screw eyelet into the small
side of the upright, until the entire threaded
part is into the wood.
Attach the right hand upright to the back
beam with two screws 5 x 50 mm.
Insert the long shaft of the warp beam
through the right upright and slide the left
upright onto the short shaft on the other
side of the warp beam.
Also attach this upright to the back beam
with two screws 5 x 50 mm.
Now we are going to assemble the back
part (assembly of two uprights, warp beam
and back beam) to the hinged arms and
the loom. You will need the last three
carriage bolts, washers and cap nuts from
hardware bag #1.

11
Put a carriage bolt through the hole in the
hinged arm that is connected to the left
side rail. First slide the large washer and
then the two small washers onto the
carriage bolt.
Place the back part onto the protruding
lower side rails and guide the carriage bolt
of the hinged arms through the ball
bearings of the left upright.
Hold the hinged arm and the upright and,
using a hammer, tap the head of the
carriage bolt until there is sufficient thread
showing through the ball bearing to put the
cap nut onto the bolt. Tighten the cap nut
with the 13 mm wrench.
Install the remaining two carriage bolts
from hardware bag # 1 onto the other
hinged arm. Pay particular attention to the
position of the small holes; the hinged
arms need to be mounted opposite to one
another (in mirror image to each other).
Slide the large washers and then the two
smaller washers onto both carriage bolts.
Slide the bolts, through the ball bearings of
the side rail and at the same time through
the ball bearings of the right upright of the
back part.
Tighten the assembly with the cap nuts.

12
Take the two treadle sides from box B.
Attach the buffers with the 4 x 21 mm
screws onto the angled corners.
Tap two of the m x 70 mm carriage bolts
into the holes of a treadle side and slide on
the large washers and 17 mm spacer
bushings.
The treadle sides are identical, but the
direction of the carriage bolts determines
whether the side becomes the right or left
side.
Attach the treadle sides by placing the
ends of the carriage bolts through the ball
bearings from the inside of the uprights.
Put the cap nuts on the bolts and tighten
with the 13 mm wrench.
Both treadle sides are installed this way.
We now connect the treadle sides by
installing the two remaining rails between
them with the 5 x 50 mm screws.
Put two screws through the holes of one
treadle side. Hold the rail in position and
locate the tip of the screws, guiding them
into the holes in the rail.
Turn the screws by hand one turn. The rail
will now hang by itself. Do the same on the
other side.
Tighten all four screws half way in with the
screwdriver.
The other rail is meant to push the treadle
to the floor. There are three sets of holes
in the treadle sides. These holes can be
used to adjust the treadle in three
positions, depending on the length of your
legs.

13
Install this rail with four screws in the same
way and tighten the screws of both rails
firmly with the screwdriver.
4. Attach the treadle and adjust the height of the dobby knife
Open hardware bag # 3 with the following
contents:
- 1 heavy, big screw eyelet
- 1 screw 4 x 17 mm
- 2 Texsolv cords, 24 ½” (62 cm) and 12”
(30 cm) long
- 1 hook with washer and nylon knurled
nut
Turn the screw eyelet into the right hand
treadle side until just the entire thread is in
the wood.
This eyelet needs to be connected with the
longer Texsolv cord to the knife pulley in
the castle. The hole is under an angle, so
you can turn the eyelet aligned in the
direction of the knife pulley.
Screw the 4 x 17 mm screw in the upright
of the frame until the screw head protrudes
approximately ¼” (5 mm).

14
Turn the knife pulley slightly by pulling on
the cords and hook the end of the longest
of the two Texsolv cords around the screw
head on the knife pulley.
Guide the cord one and a half turn around
the knife pulley, clockwise, when looking
from the front of the loom.
Put the plastic hook with washer and
knurled nut through the eye of the treadle
and attach the second hole of the cord to
the hook (Do not count the hole where the
cord is cut).
Use a black felt tipped marker to mark the
hole in the cord that is 19 1/4” (49 cm)
above the floor and remove the cord from
the plastic hook again.

15
Insert the short cord into the marked hole,
and then put it through its own end.
Pull the short cord so that it is secured with
a tight loop to the larger cord at the
marked hole.
Attach the end of the first cord, again with
the hook, to the eye of the treadle.
The other cord needs to be attached to the
screw head on the upright. Choose the
hole in the cord that results in a nice
winding on and off on the knife pulley
when you move the treadle up and down.
The cord on the knife pulley should not
scrape the wood or the screw head.
Use the knurled nut of the attachment to
the treadle to adjust the height of the
dobby knife. The dobby knife is the black
metal bar that goes up and down when
you turn the knife pulley.
In its neutral position, the dobby knife
should be high enough that the screw
head of the last dobby hook can move
freely below it if the dobby hook is pushed
forward. Leave about ¼”- ½” (5 - 10 mm)
clearance.
5. Assembly of the warp beam brake
Open hardware bag # 4 with the following
contents:
- 1 threaded eye m6 x 60 mm with two
nuts m6, 2 washers and one nut m6
- 1 threaded hook m6 x 60 mm with
barrel nut m6
- 1 carriage bolt m x 70 mm with large
washer, spacer bushing 36 mm, small
washer and cap nut m
- 1 spring for brake
- 1 brake cable
-
1 hook with 15 ½” (39 cm) cord

16
Push the carriage bolt through the hole in
the upright of the back part from the
outside of the loom. Slide the large washer
and the 36 mm spacer bushing over the
carriage bolt.
Place the barrel nut into the hole of the
brake pedal and turn the threaded hook so
far into the nut, that the threaded end
sticks about 1-3/4” (2 cm) through.
Slide the brake pedal over the spacer
bushing onto the carriage bolt, than the
small washer and the cap nut. Tighten the
cap nut well.
Take the threaded eye and remove a nut
and one washer.
Put the threaded eye through the hole in
the brake pedal.
Replace the washer and nut and tighten
the nut. Make sure to put a screwdriver
through the eye and line-up the direction of
the eye with the eye in the upright of the
back part of the loom.

17
Hook the brake spring to both eyes.
Position the large eye of the brake cable
over the end of the carriage bolt and guide
the cable one turn around the brake disk.
Put the eye on the other end of the brake
cable over the hook of the brake pedal
while you push the brake pedal down.
When you let go of the brake pedal, its
position should be approximately
horizontal. If not, you have to adjust it with
the threaded hook at the end of the pedal.
Shorten by screwing the hook in more, you
will lower the pedal. Of course you have to
unhook the cable before turning the hook
inward or outward.
Take the hook and cord out of the
hardware bag. Guide the cord around the
stem of the screw eye of the pedal and
attach it to the hook.
You can put the hook around the spacer
bushing of the hinge point of the back
frame.
This will take the tension from the brake
cable, and allow you to beam-up the warp
without having to keep the brake pedal
pushed in all the time.

1
You can adjust the friction of the cable and make the warp beam run just light enough by
adjusting the length of the cord longer or shorter. It also makes a difference if the cord runs over
the nuts or just besides the eye.
You should hang the hook on the screw
eye when not in use; otherwise it can
damage the wood when the back beam
section goes up and down.
6. Assembly of the breast beam
Open hardware bag # 5 with the following
contents:
- 1 carriage bolts m x 55 mm with large
washer, 22 mm spacer bushing, small
washer and cap nut
- 6 screws 4 x 17 mm
- 4 screw eyes
- 2 springs, 12” (30 cm) long with a 15
½” (39 cm) long cord
-
2 cords, ½” (21 cm) long
Take the wooden posts marked K and L
out of box B. These wooden posts will
support the moving breast beam.
Support the wooden posts, and tap the
carriage bolts into the holes. The markings
(K and L), need to be on the side where
the bolts stick through the holes.
Slide the large washer and spacer
bushing, over the carriage bolt and attach
the wooden posts to the front uprights of
the loom. Make sure to connect K-K and L-
L. This determines left and right.
Use the small washers and cap nuts to
finish the assembly.