Louet David Assembly instructions

David
Instructions for assembly
Assembly tips and information............................................................................................................... 1
Instructions for assembly....................................................................................................................... 3
Assembling the brake on the warp beam............................................................................................ 14
Warrantee and contact......................................................................................................................... 17
Version: I_David_V5_EN

1
Assembly tips and information
Please read all the text of these instructions completely. The pictures may seem clear enough to
assemble the loom; however, the text also contains useful information about operating David.
Barrel nuts
To connect parts, barrel nuts are used. These cylinder shaped nuts have a slot on one of the flat
sides. Always insert the barrel nut into the wooden part, so that the side with the slot is visible. The
slot shows the direction of the threaded hole in the nut. With a flat screwdriver or a coin you can
turn the barrel nut so that it is positioned properly to catch the bolt. If it is hard to catch the bolt, it
usually helps to turn the barrel nut 180 degrees. If you inserted a barrel nut incorrectly into the
wood, a magnet can be used to remove it.
Wood screws
Where wood screws are used, we have predrilled holes in the wood. The screw will cut its own
thread into these holes. The screws are very sharp and will cut their own hole if you miss the
predrilled hole during assembly. If this happens, you will find, that after a couple of turns, the screw
will be very difficult to turn. You may even shear the head off of the screw. Also, the parts will be
assembled in the wrong location.
If you have to disassemble and assemble again, makes sure that the wood screw turns in the
same thread again which was cut the first time. Otherwise, after assembling several times, the
thread will be destroyed.
You can find the existing thread by turning the screw counter clock wise, while pushing it into the
wood. When you feel the screw snaps into the thread, turn clock wise. When the screw turns
easily, you know that you have found the thread.
The Texsolv system
Texsolv cord and heddles are Swedish products, crocheted out of polyester yarn. Cotton heddles
have the advantage of being silent in use. Metal heddles, flat or wire, have open eyes. Texsolv
heddles combine these features.
Each shaft of the David is provided with one hundred Texsolv heddles (28cm long). The ties that
are used for the bundles are in hardware bag 3 and can be used to tie bundles again.
A bundle of Texsolv heddles is a continuous line of 100 heddles folded into a zig zag. Each bundle
is fastened in four places. This makes it easy to pass the shaft bars through the loops of the
heddles. If you want to cut the heddles apart, use a sharp pair of scissors to cut the loops at the
top and bottom of the shafts.
Before removing heddles from a shaft, tie them into a bundle. Do not remove the ties from the
bundles, until the heddles have been slipped onto the shaft bars or the loops of the bundles are
inserted by sticks, to protect the heddles from becoming entangled.
Practically, Texsolv cord consists of two cords, which are connected every 12 mm, forming loops
between them. If needed, the cord should be cut between the two loops. To prevent unravelling,
the ends should be singed with a match or lighter.
When we talk about the first or last loop in these instructions, the loop we mean is the one beside
the loop where the cord is cut. The loop that remains after cutting has no strength and should not
be used.

2
The Texsolv cord is adjustable in length by
12 mm steps (ca.1/2”), according to the loops.
For fine adjustment, plastic pegs are used,
inserted into the loops of the cord. Each peg
through the cord will shorten it about 1.5 mm
(1/16”). You will not need more than 7 pegs in
a cord, because with 8 pegs the cord becomes
one cord loop shorter and you can just as well
shorten the cord one loop. In hardware bag 3
are 50 spare pegs.
It is a bit hard to insert a peg when the cord is tight. You can release the tension of the cord by
taking it off from a roller or by disconnecting the cord end.
In some of the pictures in these instructions you see wooden pins; we used these in the past to
shorten the cord.
Marks
The uprights of the middle part of the loom are marked (A and B) at the location where they should
be connected to the corresponding marked sides of the top side rails. This is to prevent you from
making the mistake of assembling the parts backwards or upside down.
Tools
All hardware parts of Louët products are metric. To facilitate assembly, we have included a set of
metric wrenches and a Pozidrive 2 cross head screwdriver (not a Phillips head).

3
Instructions for assembly
We have assembled the castle section of the
David loom in the factory.
Slide the castle section out of the box. The
beater, packed together with the reed and the
shelf of the loom, will come out with the castle
section.
Now open the other end of the box to remove the box containing all the parts listed below, a cross
head screwdriver Pozidrive 2 and ties for the heddles.
−10 treadles
−2 warp beam supports L+R
−2 front posts L=R
−warp beam and cloth beam
−breast beam
−2 lower side rails L=R
−2 upper side rails L+R
−back beam
−foot rail
−beater suspension bars L+R
−hardware bags 1, 2 en 3
−16 warp sticks
−2 lease sticks
−2 apron bars

4
The picture on the previous page shows the
parts of the David 70. Into each of the lower
side rails, eight nylon bearings for the lams are
inserted.
The picture on the right shows the lower side
rails of the David 90 and the additional lam
squares in which the nylon bearings are
inserted.
Open hardware bag 1
The hardware bag contains:
−8 threaded ends m6 X 135 with barrel nut,
washer and cap nut
−2 bolts m6 X 70 with barrel nut and washer
−4 screws 5 X 50 mm (these screws you will
need only for a David 90. Sometimes, for
efficiency reasons, they are also included
in the hardware bag of the David 70)
−set of metric wrenches (you will only need
wrenche 10 for the David assembly)
If your loom is a David 90, use the four 5x50
screws and attach the lam squares to the lower
side rails at the same side where the holes for
the barrel nuts are located.
Position the middle part of the loom with its
back to the wall or a table.
The uprights of the middle part are marked A
and Bat the location where they should be
connected to the corresponding marked sides
of the top side rails.
Unscrew the barrel nuts from the eight
threaded ends, but leave the cap nuts and
washers.
Insert a barrel nut into the top side rail at the
marked end. Remember what you read on the
first page about barrel nuts.

5
Put a threaded end through the hole in the
upright.
Slide the top side rail onto the threaded end
and push its wooden dowels into the holes of
the upright.
Turn the threaded end into the barrel nut, while
positioning the barrel nut, if necessary, using a
coin or a screwdriver.
The lower side rails should be mounted the
same way, their nylon bearings facing the
middle of the loom.
After you mounted all four side rails to the
castle section, position the front posts onto the
dowels of the side rails.

6
Make the connections to the front posts in the
same way you did the connection to the castle
section.
Fasten all eight cap nuts, using the wrench
number 10.
Cut the ties that hold the lams to the back rail.
Position the lams, one by one, with their ends
into the nylon bearings, starting with the rear
lam.
Insert one end of the lam into the bearing,
while holding the other end of the lam just
underneath the side rail. Now bring that other
end to its bearing by bending the lam slightly.
Push the end into the bearing while you move
the lam up and down.
Use the remaining bolts with barrel nut and
washer to attach the beater suspension bars at
the top of the loom.

7
Open hardware bag 2
The hardware bag contains:
−6 axle support blocks
−6 screws 6 X 70
−5 axles 6 X 122 mm
−5 nylon bushings 6-8 X 30
−4 screws5 X 50
−80 screws 4 X 17
Screw the small screws into the eight holes of
each treadle, so far that the screw heads
protrude approximately 5 mm (3/16”) from the
wood. The thread of the screws should just
disappear into the wood.
Assemble the treadles onto the foot rail. The
screw heads on the treadles should point
towards the middle so that the five treadles on
the left side are opposite to the five treadles at
the right side.
Slide two treadles with a nylon bushing in
between on each axle. Use the axle
suspension blocks and the big screws to
assemble these pairs of treadles to the foot
rail.

8
Put the foot rail with the treadles in between
the front posts of the loom and connect these
parts with the four remaining screws.
Check the position the cords that connect the
lams to the lower shaft bars. The location on
the lams should be exactly in the middle.
Replace the connection to the lams if
necessary. Start with the ones in the front and
the back, so the ones in between can be
placed in line.
Open hardware bag 3
The hardware bag contains:
−2 threaded ends 6 X 135 each with 2
washers and 2 wing nuts
−4 screws 5 X 50
−8 screws 4 X 15
−2 ratchets
−2 screws 4,5 X 17 (round head)
−2 screw eyes 6
−2 screws 3 X 20
−2 beam handles with O-ring (If you are
going to have a brake on the warp beam,
you only need one)
−3 O-rings (one is for spare)
−60 tie-up cords for the treadles
−6 beam cords
−50 spare pegs to shorten cords

9
The tie-up cords for the treadles have already
been cut to the correct lengths.
Lead a cord around the lam and insert one end
into the loop at the other end, the one next to
the loop where the cord has been cut.
Pull the cord, so that the loop you made
around the lam is tight.
Hook the other end of the cord to the
corresponding screw head of the treadle.
Tie-up the treadles for the weaving project you
planned, or tie at least each lam to a treadle.
A spring for each shaft is located at the top of
the David. These springs pull up the shafts by
cords that run over a wooden disc.
A locking pin at the top right of the loom
blocks the moving action of springs, discs,
shafts, lams and treadles.
This locking pin is inserted into holes in the
front and back rail and into holes in the
wooden discs.
Remove the locking pin. It helps when you
push the shafts a bit downwards.
Look at the situation now: The shafts are pulled upwards by the springs. Because the lams are
connected to the shafts and the treadles are connected to the lams, treadles and lams are pulled
up as well. The upward movement of the shafts is blocked by the treadles that hit the bottom rail.
So the level of the shafts is determined by the distance between treadles and shafts and not
by the lengths of the disc cords from which the shafts hang. If necessary, the level of the
shafts has to be adjusted by adjusting the lengths of the slanting cords that connect the
shafts to the lams.
When you shorten these cords by one loop at the hooks of the lower shaft bar, the shaft will come
down about 2 cm (3/4”). In most cases, that will be too much. For finer adjustment, use the plastic
pegs to adjust the lengths of these cords. Every loop you thread the peg through, will shorten the
cord by about 1.5 mm (1/16”).

10
To assemble the back part of the David, use
the warp beam supports, the back beam and
the warp beam (one of the two round beams
with a ratchet wheel).
Connect these parts together, using the four
screws 5x50, as shown in the picture.
If you also purchased a brake for the warp
beam, find the bracket in the contents of its
hardware bag.
Attach the bracket onto the warp beam support
with the same screws that join the support and
the back beam at the side where the end of the
warp beam protrudes.
Place the back part in its location by inserting
the polyurethane dowels into the holes at the
rear of the loom.
Remove one wing nut and one washer from
both threaded ends.
Insert them into the holes through the uprights
and warp beam supports, slide on the washers
and fasten the wing nuts.

11
In both uprights at the back of the loom there is
a hole in the location where the polyurethane
dowels of the back part are inserted. With the
two screws 3 X 20 (not the round head
4.5 X 17 ones) you will secure the
polyurethane dowels.
These dowels make it possible to fold the back
part of the David to save space when the loom
is not in use. To do so, you first have to
unscrew the wing nuts from the threaded ends.
You will need a warp to keep the back part
folded, or you have to tie the back part to the
uprights.
Install the cloth beam in the loom. First insert
the side with the ratchet wheel into the hole in
the side rail, while you keep the other end of
the beam just below the opposite side rail.
Because of the beam is slanted in this position,
the hole is tight and you have to turn the beam
while pushing it through.
To slip the other end of the beam in place, you
have to push the side of the loom slightly
outwards.
Install a ratchet next to the ratchet wheels of
both beams. Use the round head screws
4.5 X 17. Tighten them and then unscrew them
just far enough that they can turn freely.
Insert the beam handles through the holes in
the beams and secure them by rolling the
rubber O-ring into the groove around the
handles. The third O-ring in the hardware bag
is a spare.
If you have to assemble a brake for the warp
beam, don’t install the handle in the warp
beam.

12
Screw the little screw eyes into the warp beam
supports. Use a nail or something similar to
twist it easily.
The lease sticks can be attached to these
screw eyes. If you want to keep the lease
sticks in your warp during weaving, they should
never pass the back beam. They would
shorten the effective depth of your loom for
shed building.
Some weavers remove the lease sticks entirely
while they are weaving; this is a matter of
personal preference.
Attach three cords each to the warp beam and
the cloth beam with the little screws 4x15.
Start at one side of the beam with the end of a
cord. The other end of that cord has to be fixed
together with the end of the next cord in the
second hole of the beam etc.
Insert the end of the beater at one side into the
nylon bearing of the suspension bar. Be sure
that the curve in the beater supports is in the
right direction (see picture below).
Place the end of the other beater support into
the nylon bearing at the other side.
You have to bend the beater support a bit and
when you get the end in line with the bearing, it
will snap inside.

13
Install the breast beam. The metal dowels onto
of the front posts will fit in its holes.
The plastic foil has to be removed from the
reed. You can take the reed out of the beater,
after you pull the top beater bar upwards.
Next when you push down the top beater bar
at one end completely, you can also take out
the top beater bar.
The lower beater bar can be a nice support for
your arms while threading the warp through the
heddles, but that is a matter of personal
preference. You can also turn the beater
completely away to the backside of the loom,
after you removed the breast beam.
Install the shelf, which was packed with the
beater.
The hole in the shelf has to be located at the
right back side.
This hole in the shelf is meant to store the
locking pin.
Tips:
If you have to add heddles or to remove
heddles from a shaft, you have to block the
wooden discs by inserting the locking pen. In
this situation the springs give no tension on the
system.
It is neat to insert a knitting needle at the left
side through all the cords that the upper shafts
bars are connected to. Now when you unhook
an upper shaft bar at that side, its cord will stay
in place.

14
Assembling the brake on the warp beam
The hardware bag contains:
−1 brake cable
−1 carriage bolt m8x70 with large washer,
bushing 8-10x36, small washer and cap
nut
−1 lag screw 6x30
−2 screws 4x30
−1 bracket (mounted in an earlier stage)
−1 wooden dowel
−1 screw eye m6 with knurled nut
−1 spring
Slip the brake disc on the protruding end of the
warp beam.
Insert the wooden dowel into the hole of the
warp beam. Push and turn the dowel in a
position that the screw holes of the dowel and
the disc match each other. The countersunk
side of the holes should face the outside.
Join both parts with the 4x30 screws.
Insert the brake cable through the brake
handle. The picture shows from which side this
should be done.

15
Insert the bolt through the hole in the warp
beam support and slip on the large washer.
Slip the brake handle on the bushing. Put the
small washer in place and complete this
assembly by fastening the cap nut with wrench
number 13 so tight that the square neck under
the bolt head is pulled completely into the
wood.
Screw the lag bolt into the warp beam support
with wrench number 10 only so far that the
thread just disappears in the wood.

16
Unscrew the knurled nut from the eye bolt and
insert this bolt through the bracket and screw
on the knurled nut again.
Lead the brake cable around the brake disc
and hook it on the eye bolt.
Hook the spring onto the lag bolt and the screw
head on the brake handle.
Pull the brake handle up and tighten the cable
with the knurled nut. When you release the
handle it should stay in a horizontal position.
When you use the brake on the warp beam, of
course the ratchet should be removed from the
ratchet wheel. This can be achieved by turning
the ratchet over its top or fasten the screw
keeping the ratchet in an upright position.

17
Warrantee and contact
Louët products are known worldwide for their excellence in quality, design and workmanship. Many
of our customers are happy to own more than one Louët product. We stand behind our products to
the fullest extent possible and guarantee each product is free from manufacturing defects. We and
our distributors will work with you, to the best of our abilities, to ensure that you are content with
your purchase.
If you still have a question after reading this manual, please contact your dealer or Louët directly.
Louët BV
Kwinkweerd 139
7241 CW Lochem
The Netherlands
Phone: + 31 (0)573-252229
Fax: + 31 (0)573-253858
Email: in[email protected]
Website: www.louet.nl