Schacht Tapestry Loom Assembly instructions

Tapestry Loom
Instructions for Assembly, Warping and Weaving
25” Tapestry Loom with Optional A-Frame Stand

18” and 25” Tapestry Loom
Instructions for Assembly, Warping and Weaving
Parts List
1 — tension bar
2 — 1” dowels (top and bottom bar)
1 — ¾” dowel (center bar)
4 — long dowels (heddle bars)
1 — short dowel (warp bar)
2 — loom sides with heddle bar supports
Hardware List
2 — 1 ½” flathead screws
4 — 1 ¾” flathead wood screws
2 — ¼” washers
2 — ¼” square nuts
2 — 2 ½” thumb screws
Required Tools
Phillips screwdriver
Diagram 1
2
tension bar
top bar
heddle bar
support
center bar
rubber wedge
warp bar
bottom bar
thumbscrew
optional
A-frame
stand
heddle bar
neutral position
(slot)
raised position

Loom Assembly
Assemble the tension bars:
Place a washer on each thumb screw. Insert a
thumb screw in each end of the tension bar and
fasten loosely with a square nut (diagram 2).
Assemble the loom frame:
Lay the two side pieces on a flat surface with
the routed slots facing inwards and the half-
round grooves with holes facing up.
Place the tension bar in the routed slots
of the sides. Make sure the washers and
thumb screws are on the outside top of the
loom sides and the square nuts and tension
bar are inside the slot as shown in diagram
2. Position the tension bar midway in the
slots.
Install the top and bottom bars (two 1” diam-
eter dowels) and fasten with 1 ¾” screws.
Install the center bar (¾” dowel) using 1 ½”
screws.
Install the warp bar (short dowel) between
the rubber wedge and the side of the loom.
Position the warp bar midway between the
center and bottom bars.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Warping the Tapestry Loom
Place the loom face down on some books to
hold it level. Make sure that the loom is oriented
with the bottom bar of the loom towards you.
Using a compact ball or tube of warp yarn,
tie the warp yarn to the warp bar at the point
labelled “start”.
1.
Bring the yarn toward you, then pass it under
the bottom bar and away from you toward
the top of the loom. Go underneath the warp
bar, center bar, top bar and tension bar.
2.
thumbscrew
washer
half-round
groove
routed
slot tension
bar
square nut
Diagram 2
3
Step 1
start
Step 2
warp bar
rubber wedge
tension bar
top bar
center bar
bottom bar
warp bar
rubber wedge
tension bar
top bar
center bar
bottom bar

Bring the yarn up and over the tension bar
and back towards you. Go over the top bar,
center bar and warp bar.
3.
Wrap the yarn under the warp bar, then head
back toward the top of the loom, going over
the center top and tension bars.
4.
Go down to the bottom bar, making sure the
yarn is under the top bar, center bar, warp
bar and bottom bar.
5.
Bring the yarn toward you under the bottom
bar, up and over the warp bar. This com-
pletes one full repeat of the warping se-
quence (equivalent to two warp ends). Bring
the yarn back over the bottom bar.
6.
Step 5
Step 6
4
Step 4
Step 3
warp bar
rubber wedge
tension bar
top bar
center bar
bottom bar
warp bar
rubber wedge
tension bar
top bar
center bar
bottom bar
warp bar
rubber wedge
tension bar
top bar
center bar
bottom bar
warp bar
rubber wedge
tension bar
top bar
center bar
bottom bar

Warping Hint
If you are having difficulty warping your tapes-
try loom, try this:
Remove the warp bar.
Wrap the loom in paper, from the tension
bar to the bottom bar and back up to the
tension bar. Secure the paper with tape.
You will need approximately 65” of length
to wrap the loom. The paper can be the
width of your warp, or you can use a nar-
rower strip as an aid until you get the hang
of warping.
With the back of the loom toward you, re-
place the warp bar as shown in diagram 3.
Warp the loom, following the directions in
the previous section.
Remove the paper before tightening the
tension on the warp.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Begin the next sequence by taking the yarn
underneath all bars up to the tension bar.
Bring the yarn up and over the tension bar,
then back down to the warp bar, going over
all bars, following steps 3 - 7 until the de-
sired number of ends have been warped.
7.
Continuous Heddle Method
Measure two lengths of string. You will need 5”
of string for each warp end on the pick-up stick.
Place a heddle bar in the neutral position on
the heddle bar supports. Tie one end of the
heddle string to the heddle bar.
1.
Loop the string down and around the first
warp thread on top of the pick-up stick, then
bring the heddle string back to and around
the heddle bar as shown in diagram 4.
2.
5
See the “Warping Hint” sidebar if you are having
difficulty with warping your loom.
Making String Heddles
You can make heddles out of string to lift the
warp threads and allow you to weave more effi-
ciently. To weave plain weave, you will use two of
the four heddle bars provided and some strong
cotton string.
Weave a pick-up stick or ruler over and under
the warp threads across the width of the loom.
The warp ends that are on top of the stick will
be attached to your first heddle bar. Choose one
of the two methods described below for making
string heddles: the continuous heddle method or
the reusable heddle method.
Step 7
warp bar
rubber wedge
tension bar
top bar
center bar
bottom bar
Diagram 3
warp bar
paper

Reusable Heddle Method
Make reusable heddles:
Loop string around three of the four uprights
of the heddle support as shown in diagram
5. Tie with a square knot and trim the ends
to 1/2” long. Remove the heddle from the
heddle support.
Make one reusable heddle for each of your
warp ends.
1.
2.
Continue until all of the warp ends on the
pick-up stick have been attached to the
heddle bar.
Adjust the length of the loops so they do not
lift the warp ends when the heddle bar is in
the neutral position but are short enough
to lift the ends as soon as the heddle bar is
in the raised position. Be sure the loops are
all approximately the same length and fairly
taut.
Tie the end of the heddle string to the hed-
dle bar. Secure the heddle string with mask-
ing tape to keep the heddle string even.
Repeat this process for the warp ends that are
under the pick-up stick.
3.
4.
5.
Install reusable heddles:
To install the heddles on the first heddle bar:
slide the pick-up stick that holds half of your
warp ends to the top of the loom and place
one of your heddle bars nearby.
Fold a heddle in half around the first warp
thread and then slide the two loops onto the
heddle bar (diagram 6).
Repeat across until the warp ends on top of
the pick-up stick have been attached to the
heddle bar.
Put rubber bands around each end of the
heddle bar to keep the heddles from sliding
off. Slide the heddle bar down the loom into
the bottom neutral position on the heddle
bar support.
Repeat the installation process with a second
heddle bar, using the ends not placed on the
first heddle bar.
Spreading the Warp
To spread the warp evenly and provide a firm
base for weaving, make a twined edge across
the bottom of the warp.
Use a yarn slightly heavier than your warp
yarn. Cut a length approximately 2½ times
the width of your warp.
Starting at one side of your warp, wrap the
twining yarn around the first warp thread
and adjust the twining yarn ends to be the
same length. Twist the twining yarn ends
over each other and pull firmly to tighten the
twist (diagram 7).
1.
2.
3.
4.
1.
2.
pick-up stick
heddle bar reusable
heddle
Diagram 6
heddle bar
heddle string
heddle bar support
warp ends
Diagram 4
6
Diagram 5
heddle
knot

Advancing the Warp
When the woven cloth is a few inches long,
advance the warp as follows:
Loosen the warp tension by turning the
thumbscrews counter-clockwise.
Move the tension bar a small amount down-
ward. On the back of the loom, pull up on
the warp bar until the front of the weaving
has moved to the desired position.
Re-adjust the tension bar so that the warp is
taut and tighten the thumb screws.
Further Reading
Learning to Weave, Deborah Chandler
Tapestry Weaving, Kirsten Glasbrook
Tapestry Weaving: A Comprehensive Study
Guide, Nancy Harvey
Weaving: A Handbook for Fiber Craftsmen, Shir-
ley Held
1.
2.
3.
Diagram 7
warp ends
twining yarn
Wrap the next warp thread in the same way.
Continue to wrap each warp end, twisting
the twining yarn once between each pair of
warp ends until all the ends are wrapped. Tie
off the twining yarn with an overhand knot.
Adjusting the Warp Tension
To tighten the tension on the warp, turn both
thumbscrews in the clockwise direction. To
loosen the tension on the warp, turn the thumb-
screws in the counter-clockwise direction.
Weaving on the Tapestry Loom
Wind a shuttle with weft yarn. Stick shuttles
work very well.
To make a shed, lift one heddle bar and
place it in the upper slot of the heddle bar
support.
Insert the shuttle with the weft yarn through
the open shed.
Lower the heddle bar.
Beat the weft pick down with a comb or tap-
estry beater.
Raise the other heddle bar and place it in
the upper slot of the heddle bar support and
repeat steps 3―5.
Continue to alternate lifting and lowering the
heddle bars, inserting a weft pick in each
shed to create the basic plain weave struc-
ture.
3.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7
Basic Weaving Terminology
heddle - device used to hold a warp thread to assist
in lifting a portion of the warp threads for weaving
plain weave - the simplest weave structure in which
the threads pass over, under, over, under
pick-up stick - smooth pointed stick, also called a
“shed stick”
shed - the space between yarns for the weft yarn to
pass through
stick shuttle - a flat stick with grooved ends for hold-
ing weft yarn
twining - a twisting technique used to spread the
warp evenly for weaving
warp - threads stretched on loom
warp end - a single warp thread
weft - threads that are woven through the warp
threads
weft pick - one weft row

Schacht Spindle Company, Inc.
6101 Ben Place, Boulder, CO 80301
303-442-3212
www.schachtspindle.com
Visit our website for more information
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