Schacht CRANBROOK LOOM User manual

CRANBROOK LOOM
Assembly mAnuAl
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Schacht Spindle Company 6101 Ben Place Boulder, CO 80301
p. 303.442.3212 f. 303.447.9273
© 2019 Schacht Spindle Company, Inc. 01.19

4- AND 8-HARNESS CRANBROOK LOOM PARTS
HARDWARE
Some hardware is already attached to the parts. Other hardware has been packaged in labeled bags for the parts they go with.
You’ll also nd 2 Allen wrenches (sizes 5/16" and 5/32") in a hardware bag.
SMALL PARTS
4-shaft 8-shaft 12-Treadle Option
24 80 96 anchor pegs
24 80 96 tie-up cords (tied bundles of 12 each)
10 10 10 bundles of Texsolv heddles (1,000 total)
4 8 8 wooden center support dowels
8 16 16 long metal shaft pins
8 16 16 short metal shaft pins
8 16 16 metal harness sleeves
— 2 —

LOOM PARTS
4-shaft 8-shaft
Box 1
1 1 right frame side
1 1 left frame side
Box 2
1 1 cloth beam
1 1 warp beam
3 3 steel beams with hardware attached
1 1 warp beam wheel
Box 3 and/or 4
1 1 stainless steel reed
16 16 wooden packing sticks
2 2 lease sticks (same as packing sticks, but with holes)
3 3 cross beams (1 with treadle support bar)
1 1 treadle separator beam assembly with hardware attached
1 1 jack box assembly with cords attached
2 2 warp beam hangers with sliding locking blocks attached
6 10 (or 12) treadles
1 1 lower lamm assembly with extension blocks attached
4 8 upper lamms
4 8 shaft top
4 8 shaft bottom
1 1 warp beam brake release assembly
2 2 beater uprights
1 1 beater race
1 1 beater top
1 1 beater swing bar
Box 4 or 5
1 1 worm gear
TOOLS YOU WILL NEED:
7/16" wrench 7/16" ratchet
9/16" wrench 3/4" ratchet
3/4" wrench #2 Phillips screwdriver
rubber mallet slotted (at) screwdriver
metal tape measure
DEFINITIONS
The beater is at the front of the loom. The brake and worm gear are on the right side of the loom.
Mortise: A hole or cavity cut in a piece of wood prepared to receive a similarly shaped piece.
Tenon: A projection on the end of a piece of wood designed to t into a hole or cavity of the same shape.
— 3 —

— 4 —
FIGURE 1: OVERVIEW OF THE CRANBROOK LOOM
steel breast beam
beater swing bar
cloth beam
treadles
treadle separator beam
with treadle locks
beater upright
beater top steel back beam
warp beam wheel
beater race
warp beam
steel knee beam
worm gear
jack box
brake hold &
brake hold peg
brake release pedal
rear cross beam
with treadle
support bar

Before you begin assembling your loom, check to see that
you have everything. Parts and hardware lists are provided.
Because some of the pieces are quite large, the assembly will
be easier when done with another person (the 72" loom may
require three people for assembly). Assemble the loom in
place, as it is difcult to move once assembled.
It is important to keep the loom frame square when you
assemble it. This means that the loom sides and cross beams
are at right angles to each other. After the preliminary
assembly, and before you tap the wooden wedges tightly into
place, you will make a series of measurements to verify that
the loom is square (see “Squaring the Loom” on page 7).
— 5 —
FIGURE 2: FRAME ASSEMBLY
ASSEMBLE THE FRAME
Parts: 2 frame sides, 3 cross beams, 3 wooden wedges.
In the right frame side, insert the rear cross beam (note: the
metal treadle support bar should face down) and the front
cross beam in their mortises (Figure 2). Now insert the
middle cross beam in the right side frame, and at the same
time bring the left side frame into place and support all three
beams (not fully inserted) on the left side.
Attach the three beams to the right side by tapping a wooden
wedge into place in the slot in each beam on the outside of the
right frame. Do not secure the beams on the left frame side at
this time, since you still need to allow for space to insert the
cloth beam later.
CRANBROOK LOOM
Assembly InstructIons
LEFT FRAME SIDE (SEEN FROM INSIDE)
hole for jack box
hole for steel
back beam
hole for steel
knee beam
slot for steel
breast beam
mortise for
middle cross beam
mortise for
rear cross beam
mortise for
front cross beam
hole for
cloth beam
holes for treadle
separator beam
holes for lower
lamm assembly
RIGHT FRAME SIDE
hole for pawl
FRONT OF LOOM
treadle separator beam
front cross beam
rear cross beam
with treadle support bar
middle cross beam
5 holes for
worm gear
slot for wedge
treadle locks
adjuster block
pivot block

INSTALL THE WORM GEAR AND CLOTH BEAM
Parts: worm gear assembly, cloth beam, 3 wooden wedges.
The right frame side should have the wedges loosely set
through all cross beams. The left frame side must have only
the cross braces partially inserted without wedges. You will
need an assistant to be sure that the left frame side without
wedges does not fall.
On the outside of the frame, insert ve 1/4" x 2-1/2" truss
head machine screws into holes 1 through 4 and the slot
(Figure 3). Place the worm gear assembly over the screws and
attach in this order: at 1/4" washer, 1/4" lock washer, 1/4"
nylock nut. Pull the worm gear crank handle towards you up
to the shaft collar stop.
Carefully place the cloth beam between the frame sides on
the oor, or support it on a stool or low chair so that the
axles remain below their pivot holes. Place a 1" washer over
both axles. Insert the cloth beam end into the 1" hole in the
right frame side. At the same time, push the left frame side
toward the right side. Guide the left cloth beam axle into its
corresponding 1" hole.
— 6 —
FIGURE 3: WORM GEAR
right front upright
shaft collar
cloth beam
hole 3
hole 1
right cloth beam support
brake hold peg
brake hold
hole 4
hole 2
slot
Secure the left frame side by placing the remaining three
wood wedges in the cross members. Tap all the wedges gently
but rmly to bring the cross braces against the frame sides.
Before continuing, check that the cloth beam spins freely:
Disengage the worm gear. If the cloth beam does not turn
freely, you will have to remove the cloth beam and remove the
washer from the axle on the left side to provide more space.
To engage the worm gear with the worm, push the worm gear
handle toward the back of the loom and turn it clockwise at
the same time. Turning the handle clockwise advances the
warp and provides tension. When weaving is complete or
tension must be released, turn the handle counterclockwise.
When the tension is released, the worm gear can be
disengaged by pulling the worm gear handle towards you the
as far as it can go. The cloth beam will now turn freely. Tension
must be released before the brake release pedal can be operated.
worm
worm gear worm gear handle

— 7 —
SQUARING THE LOOM
Measure the diagonal distance from an inner edge of the left
front upright (A on Figure 4), to an inner edge of the right rear
upright (A1). Record this distance.
Measure the distance from the inner edge of the right front
upright (B) to the inner edge of the left rear upright (B1).
Record this distance.
If the distances are the same, the loom is square. If one
distance is greater than the other, remove the wedges on the
left side and move the left side frame forward or backward
until the distances are the same. Then reinsert the wedges
and tap them into place.
INSTALL THE TREADLE SEPARATOR BEAM
Parts: treadle separator beam.
Place the treadle separator beam on the oor between the
sides with the reinforcing bar facing the back of the loom.
Line up the two holes on the side of the loom with the adjuster
block slots (see Figure 2, page 5). Working from the outside,
secure each side with two 1/4" x 3-1/4" hex bolts in this order:
bolt, 1/4" washer, side frame, 1/4" washer, nylock nut. The
adjuster bar slots make it possible to set the treadle separator
beam at different heights, ensuring uniform and maximum
sheds.
INSTALL THE TIE-UP CORDS ON THE TREADLES
Parts: treadles, tie-up cords.
Treadles have at tops and tapered bottoms. Take the end
of the tie-up cord farthest from the red and black marks, and
thread it through a hole from the top of the treadle (Figure
5A). Loop the cord around the edge of the treadle, then insert
the long end through the second eye of the threaded end
(Figure 5B). Center the cord over the treadle hole and tighten.
The cords should all be looped around the same side of the
treadle. Install tie-up cords for all the holes in each treadle.
FIGURE 4: SQUARING THE LOOM
B1 A1
A B
cloth beam
right front
upright
left front
upright
right rear
upright
left rear
upright
FIGURE 5A: INSERTING TIE-UP CORDS
second eye
FIGURE 5B: SECURING TIE-UP CORDS

INSTALL THE TREADLES ON THE TREADLE
SUPPORT BAR
Parts: treadle support bar.
Make sure the at sides of the treadles face up. Remove both
cotter pins and wooden washers from the treadle support bar.
Slide the steel rod out to one side of the three support blocks
(see Figure 2, page 5). It is easiest to install the treadle in its
corresponding slot on the treadle separator beam as you place
the treadles on the treadle support bar.
The support bar accommodates six treadles (including one
treadle installed outside of the support block) on each side of
the center support block. For fewer than 12 treadles, place an
equal number of treadles on either side of the center support
block and use the additional spacers provided to ll any
leftover space.
Working out from the center support block to one side, install
half the treadles included with your loom. Slide a treadle onto
the support bar, and then a 1-1/2" wooden spacer, treadle,
spacer, etc. Then install the remaining treadles on the other
side of the support bar, again working out from the center.
When all treadles and/or spacers have been installed, secure
both ends of the treadle bar with a wood washer and a cotter
pin.
ATTACH THE LOWER LAMM ASSEMBLY
Parts: lower lamm assembly.
Leave the wrapping materials in place until you have attached
the lamms. Make sure the hooks on the lower lamms face
up. From the inside of the left frame side, insert 3/8" x 3-1/2"
hex bolts and 3/8" washers into the two holes for the lower
lamm assembly (see Figure 2, page 5). Insert a barrel nut into
each extension block. Slide the extension blocks over the hex
bolts, turning the barrel nuts if needed. Tighten the hex bolts
securely.
INSTALL THE STEEL BEAMS
Parts: 3 steel beams. The breast and knee beams attach with
truss head bolts; the back beam attaches with hex bolts.
Breast Beam: The breast beam ts into the slots at the top of
the front uprights (see Figure 1, page 4). Thread a 1/2" at
washer and then a 1/2" fender washer onto each of two 3"
truss head bolts. Insert the bolts into both ends of the beam
and turn the bolts about 1/2" deep into the ttings. Position
the beam with the bolts over the slots in the front uprights,
with the fender washers on the inside and the at washers on
the outside of the frame. Slide the beam down to the bottom
of the slots. Tighten the bolts by hand, then use the Allen
wrench to secure as tightly as possible.
Back Beam: The back beam ts in the fourth hole from the
top in the rear uprights of the side frames. (Holes closer to the
top accept an optional double back beam and optional tension
box rail.) Attach one end of the back beam at a time. Thread
a 1/2" at washer onto a 3" hex bolt, then from the outside of
the loom, insert the hex bolt partway into its hole. From inside
the loom, slide a 1/2" fender washer onto the bolt. Raise the
back beam into position and hand tighten the hex bolt into the
beam. Repeat on the other side of the loom.
Knee Beam: The steel knee beam allows for additional leg
room within the loom. Woven material passes over the top of
the knee beam to the cloth beam below. Install the knee beam
in the same way as the back beam, using two 3" truss head
bolts, two 1/2" washers outside of the rear uprights, and two
1/2" fender washers inside of the uprights.
Once the back and knee beams are installed, tighten all beam
bolts with the Allen wrench. Tap all six wedges for the three
wooden cross beams rmly into place again.
INSTALL THE JACK BOX
Parts: jack box.
Set the jack box on the top of the loom, lining up the pegs in
the bottom of the jack box with the holes on the top of the
frame sides (see Figure 2, page 5). The wooden knobs of the
jack pivots and locking pins should face the front of the loom,
and the cords should hang down (Figure 6). Take care that
the locking pins do not fall out as you maneuver the jack box
into place.
— 8 —
FIGURE 6: JACK AND LAMM ASSEMBLY
— 8 —
lower lamms
upper (suspended) lamms
shaft suspension cord
jack box
jacks (inside jack box)yoke cordjack lock jack pivot

— 9 —
ASSEMBLE THE SHAFTS AND INSTALL THE
HEDDLES
Parts for each shaft: shaft top with 2 hooks, shaft bottom
with 3 eyes, wooden center support dowel, 2 long metal shaft
pins, 2 short metal shaft pins, 2 metal sleeves, 2 shaft spacers,
heddles.
Do not remove the twist ties from the heddles until you read
the following instructions.
Each heddle bundle contains 100 heddles. The heddles are
linked together in a continuous string of heddles. It is safest
to cut the heddles apart only after heddles are installed on the
shafts.
You may need to cut apart some heddles before this if you
want to separate part of the bundle. First, determine how
many heddles you need on each shaft. Then divide this
number in half, to determine the number needed on each side
of the shaft. Place the whole bundle of heddles on two extra
sticks such as lease sticks (inserted at the space between the
twist ties). Now undo the twist ties and count out the heddles
you need. Then re-tie both bundles of heddles separately with
4 extra twist ties per bundle.
Installing the heddles and assembling the shafts is done
simultaneously. Follow this procedure exactly to avoid
breaking the wooden support dowel.
Insert a wooden support dowel in the center holes of the shaft
top and bottom and tap rmly into place (Figure 7). Take care
when installing the heddles that the wooden support dowel
does not come out because it cannot be replaced after the
heddles are installed.
First install the heddles on one side of the center support
dowel, sliding them over the hooks and eyes on the shaft top
INSTALL THE PAWL
Parts: pawl
Install the pawl on the right rear upright, on the inside of the
loom, in the 1/2" hole below the metal beam (see Figure 2,
page 5). The hook on the pawl faces the rear of the loom (see
Figure 9, page 10). Thread the 1/2" x 3-1/4" bolt through a
1/2" at washer, then through the pawl hole from the outer
side of the frame. On the inner side of the frame, add the
following hardware as shown in Figure 8: 1/2" at washer,
slim nylock nut, pawl, 1/2" at washer, slim nylock nut.
and bottom. Cut the heddles apart by cutting the loops at the
very top and bottom of the heddles, and slide them all the way
to the center. This positioning will help in moving the heddles
across the shaft and with installing the heddles on the other
side of the shaft. Then install the heddles on the other side of
the center support dowel, cut them apart, and slide them to
the center of the shaft.
Place the shaft spacers and metal sleeves in position at each
end of the shaft. Insert the long metal shaft pins in the holes
in the shaft top. Insert the short metal shaft pins in the shaft
bottom holes. Slide a metal sleeve onto the long metal shaft
pin, and slip it down over the short metal shaft pin to secure
the shaft side. Repeat on the other side of the shaft. If the
heddles are tightly stretched between the top and bottom shaft
bars, tap the top of the shaft rmly with a rubber mallet, at the
center and two sides, to compact the frame (Figure 7).
When each shaft is assembled, hang an upper lamm on it
by interlocking the three eyes on the shaft bottom with the
corresponding hooks on the lamm (see Figure 6, page 8).
Beginning at the rear of the loom, hang each shaft in the 10th
hole (marked in green) of each of the shaft suspension cords.
For 4-shaft looms, the shafts should be installed in the four
forward spaces.
Attach the corresponding lower lamm at the 12th hole (blue
mark) of the yoke cord. The yoke cord should be in back
of its corresponding shaft. The top of the shaft top will be
approximately 42-1/2" to 43" from the oor.
FIGURE 7: SHAFTS AND HEDDLES
shaft top
shaft bottom
center support dowel
long metal shaft pin
short metal shaft pin
metal sleeve
FIGURE 8: PAWL HARDWARE
1/2" x 3-1/4" hex bolt
1/2" washers
INTERIOR FRAME SIDE
slim nylock nut
pawl
1/2" washer
slim nylock nut

INSTALL THE WARP BEAM HANGER BLOCKS
AND WARP BEAM
Parts: 2 warp beam hanger blocks, warp beam, warp beam
wheel.
Locate the 3/8" holes in the back side of the rear uprights
(four holes on each upright). You will install the warp beam
hanger blocks on the lower two holes of each upright. (The
upper two holes are for installation of an optional second warp
beam.)
Install a warp beam hanger block by rst inserting two 3/8"
barrel nuts into the holes in the hanger block. Place a 3/8"
washer on each of two 3/8" x 6" hex bolts and insert the bolts
through the frame from the front side of the upright into the
barrel nuts in the warp beam hanger block. Be sure that the
slots in the tops of the barrel nuts face to the inside of the
loom frame. This allows the beam lock blocks to slide to the
outside when the hanger blocks are installed.
To install the warp beam, remove the locking pegs from each
hanger block and slide out the lock blocks. Remove the tape
holding nylon washers in place on each beam end, leaving the
washers in place. Insert the beam into the hanger blocks and
replace the lock blocks and pegs. Place the warp beam wheel
over the square shaft of the warp beam (Figure 9).
— 10 —
INSTALL THE WARP BEAM BRAKE RELEASE
ASSEMBLY
Parts: brake release pedal and connector strut
Locate the pivot block on the inside of the right frame side
(Figure 9). The block is on the lowest horizontal side brace,
just to the rear of the treadle separator beam.
Place the brake release pedal above the front cross beam and
the treadle separator beam, and under the back cross beam
with the connector strut to the rear of the loom. Orient the
assembly so that the connector strut lies next to the loom
side (Figure 9). Bolt the assembly in place at the pivot block,
working from the outside of the loom frame in this order:
1/2" x 5-1/2" hex bolt, 1/2" washer, frame side, block, two
1/2" washers, lever, two 1/2" washers, and 1/2" nylock nut.
Tighten so that the pedal moves freely.
Attach the connector strut to the pawl with a 1/4" x 1-3/4"
hex bolt, bolting from the inside as follows: bolt, 1/4" washer,
connector strut, two 1/4" washers, pawl, 1/4" washer, 1/4"
nylock nut. Tighten so that the connector strut moves freely.
brake release pedal rear cross beam
right frame sideconnector strutpawl
warp beam
wheel
treadle separator beam
warp beam
pivot block
FIGURE 9: WARP BEAM AND BRAKE RELEASE ASSEMBLY

— 11 —
TYING UP YOUR COUNTERMARCHE LOOM
It is easiest to tie up the treadles before the loom is warped.
The tie-up cords should already be attached to the treadles
(see page 7).
Before starting the tie-up, make sure that the lock pins are
inserted in the overhead jacks—your loom comes with them
inserted. Then check to see that the heddle eyes are in a
direct horizontal line from the breast beam to the back beam.
To do this, simply tie a length of yarn from the warp beam,
up over the back beam, over the breast beam, and around the
cloth beam.
Looking from the side, check to see that the yarn forms a
horizontal line from front to back and passes through the
center of the heddle eye. If it does not, adjust the height of the
shafts on the shaft hanger cords.
The countermarche loom has a balanced system of rising
and sinking shafts. There are two sets of lamms, an upper
suspended lamm and a lower lamm. A shaft tied to the lower
lamm will rise when the treadle is depressed. Remember:
“bottoms up.” A shaft tied to an upper lamm will sink when
the treadle is depressed. In tying up the countermarche loom,
each shaft is tied to either an upper or lower lamm on every
treadle. When you are done, if you are using all 8 shafts,
there will be no untied holes left on your treadles. If you have
a 4-shaft loom, the back 4 holes on each treadle will remain
untied.
Mark your tie-up draft so that you know which shafts should
rise and which should sink. Most tie-up drafts are marked for
the shafts to rise, so the blank spaces in the draft represent the
shafts that sink. You will tie the rising shafts for each treadle
to the lower lamm, and the sinking shafts to the upper lamm.
Each shaft works independently, meaning that the action of
one shaft does not affect that of another.
The specially designed Texsolv tie-up cords supplied with
your loom are all the same length, and each one can be tied
to either an upper or lower lamm. Each cord is marked with a
red and a black mark. To tie a treadle to the upper lamm, pass
the cord in back (or front, when facing toward the front of the
loom) of the lower lamm and up through the upper lamm hole.
Secure it with a plastic anchor clip in the loop with the black
mark.
ASSEMBLE THE BEATER
Parts: beater swing bar, beater top, beater race, 2 beater
uprights.
Working on the oor, assemble the beater uprights to the
beater race: insert a 1/4" barrel nut into each hole at the
tenoned end of the beater upright. Insert the tenon into the
mortise. Attach each upright with two 1/4" x 3" button head
bolts and two fender washers. Tighten the truss head bolts
with the allen wrench provided. Repeat for other side. Now
slide the beater top onto the uprights. Place the reed in the
slot of the beater race and slide the beater top down on the
reed to secure it.
Attach the beater swing bar to the uprights by sliding it over
the top of the beater uprights (see Figure 1, page 4). Make
sure the metal pivots are hanging down, facing toward the
back. Insert the steel locking pin (3/8" x 4") in one of the four
holes of the beater uprights, above the beater hanger bar.
Holding the beater on each side on the underside of the beater
hanger bar, set the pivots into the bronze pivot blocks on top
of the frame to suspend the entire beater assembly.
Forward and backward adjustment. The notches of the bronze
pivot blocks allow control of the depth of the weaving space. A
maximum shed is attained with the beater closest to the front
shaft.
Height adjustment. With the beater hanging freely, the warp
line should bisect the center of the reed. To adjust, hold a
beater upright in one hand and slide the metal pin out of the
hole with the other hand. Move the upright up or down as
required and reinsert the pin. Repeat this procedure on the
other beater upright.
Aligning the beater. The beater must be perfectly parallel with
the front breast beam. This alignment should be checked
periodically, especially if the loom has been moved or is
subjected to severe climatic changes. With your hand in the
center of the beater top, slowly pull the beater forward. Both
ends of the beater should touch the front posts simultaneously.
If they do not, realign the beater using the slotted screw holes
in the base of the beater pivot blocks. Loosen the screws
and tap the blocks lightly with a hammer, either forward or
backward, until the beater is aligned. Tighten the screws
securely.
FIGURE 10: TYING UP LAMMS
A B
1 X
2 X
3 X
4 X
TIE-UP
treadle
treadle separator beam
(treadle locks not shown)
tie-up cords
upper lamms
lower lamms
BACK OF LOOM

To tie a treadle to the lower lamm, pass the treadle cord
through the corresponding hole in the lower lamm. Fasten to
the lower lamm through the loop with the red mark, leaving
the long tail end of the cord hanging.
Sitting behind the shafts facing the front, begin the treadle
tie-up with the treadle on the left (or the point farthest away
from the lower lamm pivot point). In the example tie-up
draft in Figure 10, each X represents a rising shaft and each
blank space represents a sinking shafts. It is easiest to tie all
the rising shafts rst. You will tie these to the lower lamms
(remember: “bottoms up”). Tie each treadle cord to the
corresponding hole in the lower lamm. Secure the cord with
a plastic anchor peg* through the hole marked with the red
reference mark.
* To place the plastic anchor clip through the loop, slip the
loop lengthwise along the curved half-moon of the clip and
then slip the other side of the loop under the at edge. It will
be easier to do this procedure when there is no tension on the
cord; working with the treadle resting on the treadle separator
is helpful (see Figure 11).
To complete the tie-up for this treadle, tie all the remaining
cords (marked with an X in the tie-up draft), to the upper
lamms, passing the cords in back of each lower lamm. (Note:
the Y-cords are in front of the lamms; the lamm cords are
in back of the lamms). Secure the anchor clip in the black
reference mark. You will notice that back cords are tighter
than the front cords. This is as it should be.
Hint: When tying up treadles, rest them on the adjacent
treadle separator upright. It is easier to tie up the treadles
when there is no weight or tension on them.
Tie up the next treadle: Using the same process as for the rst
treadle, tie up all of the rising shafts, marked with an O in the
tie-up Figure. Then tie up all the sinking shafts (empty holes,
marked with an X in the tie-up Figure.)
Note: For 8-shaft looms, your loom will function best if you
tie up at least eight treadles. If you don’t need that many for
a particular tie-up, tie the treadles you are not using in tabby
or twill tie-ups until you have eight treadles tied; if they were
tied up for a previous weaving, leave them as they were. Now
remove the jack lock pins. The shafts will drop slightly from
the weight of the shafts and treadles.
ADJUSTING THE TREADLE SEPARATOR BEAM
The treadle separator beam is used to regulate the size of the
sheds and to ease treadling. Adjust the treadle separator beam
on a gradual incline, higher on the left. To determine where
to adjust the beam, depress the leftmost treadle and look at
the shed from the side. It should be open as much as possible
but not hit the top or bottom of any shaft. Check each shed by
depressing each treadle in turn. Set the treadle support beam
— 12 —
FIGURE 11: ANCHOR PEG
for the optimal height side to side.
THE BRAKE LOCK
The brake lock is a rectangular piece of wood that hangs from
the peg on the right frame side over the warp beam release
lever. It is used to hold the warp beam release lever down
while cranking on the warp. The brake lock will come stretch-
wrapped into place. To engage the brake lock, slide it out to
the end of the peg so it is over the warp beam release lever.
This will allow the warp beam to turn freely.
DUST TRAY
The meshing of the worm gear on your loom will cause slight
wearing over time. As this happens, there is a slight sloughing
off of the metal. This is considered to be normal wear.
We have designed the dust tray to catch these metal particles
to prevent them from falling on your oor or other loom parts.
We advise that you periodically wipe off the tray.
After assembling your loom, attach the dust tray to the upright
of the loom using the screws and barrel nuts already attached
to it.
1. Insert a screw through the clamp.
2. Hold a barrel nut in the hole in the tray (see Figures 12
and 13).
3. Let the clamp piece hang on the screw, insert the screw
into the barrel nut and fasten loosely.
4. With a barrel nut in the other hole in the tray, hold the tray
next to the loom upright as shown. Using the remaining screw,
fasten the clamp around the loom upright.
5. Position the tray about 3" below the worm gear and tighten
both screws.
FIGURE 12: DUST TRAY FROM INSIDE
tray
clamp
barrel nut
screw
FIGURE 13: DUST TRAY FROM OUTSIDE
tray
clamp
barrel nut
screws

AppendIx A-1
POSITIONS OF SHAFTS, UPPER LAMMS, LOWER LAMMS,
AND TREADLES
One shaft, viewed from the front
42"
oor
shaft suspension cord
green mark
upper “stationary” lamm
pulls shaft directly down
lower lamm
makes shaft rise—“bottoms up”
7" 9"
This gure was originally provided by Madelyn van der Hoogt. It has
been edited to reect the current design of the Cranbrook Loom.
hole for lock pin hole for lock pin

AppendIx A-2
POSITIONS OF SHAFTS, UPPER LAMMS, LOWER LAMMS,
AND TREADLES
reed
2" 3"
If a treadle hits the lamms, lower the treadle that is hitting
by loosening all the cords that are tied to that treadle. Begin
with the tie-ups on the back shafts, since these are most
often the culprits.
The Y-cord (from the upper jacks to the lower lamm)
passes in back of the shaft and the upper lamm. The
cord from the treadle to the upper lamm passes in
front of the lower lamm.
VIEW FROM THE SIDE
To open the same shed height at the fell, the
shafts must form a bigger shed the farther away
they are from the fell.
Y-cord
FRONT OF THE LOOM
upper lamm
lower lamm
treadle
upper jacks
shaft

AppendIx b
TROUBLESHOOTING
PROBLEM POSSIBLE CAUSES SOLUTIONS
Shed won’t open. Jack lock pins haven’t been removed.
Tie-up cords are crossed.
Yoke cords are crossed.
Remove jack lock pins.
Check to make sure treadle-lamm cords are tied in
appropriate holes.
Check to make sure the yoke cords are connected to
the corresponding lamm.
Loom treadles hard. Treadles are hitting lower lamms. Adjust shafts or treadles.
Shafts tilt. Warp not in center.
Narrow warp
Center warp.
Tie warps at edges of apron rods.
Lower shed is uneven. Upper lamms not all tied in the black
mark.
Check tie-up cords to upper lamms.
Lift up on shafts to determine which shaft is in error
and adjust the tie-up cord accordingly.
Upper shed is uneven. Lower lamms are not all tied in red mark. Check tie-up cords to lower lamms.
Lift up on shafts to determine which shaft is in error
and adjust the tie-up cord accordingly.
Shed is too small. Treadles are hitting lower lamm.
The heddle eyes are not in the center of
the shed.
Warp does not go over back beam.
Adjust the shafts.
Raise or lower the shafts so that the warp passes
through the center of the heddle eye.
Take out beam and place under warp and reinsert
beam.

AppendIx c
ADJUSTING THE SHED
PROCEED CAREFULLY, ADJUSTING YOUR CORDS ONE NOTCH AT A TIME AND TESTING.
ADJUSTING THE SHED BY ADJUSTING THE TIE-UP CORDS
■If the upper shed (raised warps) is uneven:
Raise the threads by shortening the lower lamm cord of the errant shaft, by inserting the anchor peg one notch below
the red mark.
■If the lower shed (sinking warps) needs to be adjusted:
Determine which shafts are errant and whether they need to be raised or lowered (that is, if shaft 2 is the only shaft that
is hanging above or below the other sinking warps, x this one only). To adjust, either shorten or lengthen the tie-up
cord to the suspended (upper) lamm. To shorten the cord attach the anchor peg one notch below the black mark; to
lengthen, attach one notch above the black mark.
■Lower lamm = rising shed = red mark on the cord (usually O in the tie-up)
Remember: bottoms up!
■Upper lamm = sinking shed = black mark on the cord (the X in the tie-up)
ADJUSTING AN ENTIRE SHAFT
This adjustment will affect all the tie-ups for that shaft.
You can raise or lower an entire shaft by shortening or lengthening the upper lamm cords. Move one notch above or
below the green marks. Be sure to keep the shaft level.
FOR A LARGER SHED ON ALL SHAFTS
You can shorten the lower lamm cord. To shorten the lower lamm cord, insert the anchor peg one notch above the blue
mark.

Madelyn van der Hoogt
PO Box 1228
Coupeville, WA 98239
PH/FAX [phone]
Countermarch (general) and Cranbrook (specic)
Loom length
The longer the loom, the less the relative difference in tension between raised/lowered warp threads and warp threads at rest.
Therefore, if the warp is held at maximum tension (as is desirable, especially for rugs), the longer the distance from front to back
beam, the less resistance the warp makes to forming the shed (and therefore the easier the treadling).
Rolling threading/tie-up bench
This is useful for threading (if threading from front to back) or for tying up the treadles before the loom is threaded (it is a little
hard to sit on it to tie up the treadles if the warp is in place since it is so high that you must bend your head under the warp). The
tie-up can be made before the loom is warped, however, since the texsolv notches to use for the tie-up can be standardized. Only a
few tie-up adjustments should be required after the loom is warped.
Extended pivoting position for lamms
This extension causes the lower lamms to pivot through a slightly shallower angle than if attached at the loom side, helping to
prevent interference between sinking lower lamms and rising treadles or between rising lower lamms and sinking upper lamms.
They are not even close to interfering (1" is the closest any of them come to each other on this loom).
Increased height of loom
This is an important improvement that allows sufcient space for pivoting lower lamms without their interference with rising
treadles or sinking upper lamms. (Also important in this loom design is the non-pivoting upper lamm which requires less space
for movement than would a pivoting upper lamm.)
Adding treadles
More than 10 treadles can be used (2 more without any difculty, and perhaps even 4). If treadles are tied too close to the pivot
point of the lower lamm, it is more difcult to move the lamm. If treadles are tied too far away from the pivot point, rising treadles
are more likely to interfere with sinking lower lamms. There also may be a limitation as to how close to the ends of the upper
lamm a treadle can be tied without causing the shaft to tilt during treadling. (Tilting may also occur if the warp is much narrower
than the width of the treadles. Dummy warp ends can be added to the outer edges of the shafts to prevent tilting.)
Cords marked for standardized tie-up
Since they are further from the fell, shafts at the back must move more than shafts at the front to produce the same shed angle
at the fell. The treadle shape provides that the cords looped around the treadles are 2" shorter for the last shaft than for the
rst (and graduated from back to front) so that as the treadle moves, it acts on the back shafts rst and moves them more. The
notches to use for ties to upper and lower lamms can therefore be the same for each tie-up cord and can be marked to standardize
the tie-up (maximum shed size is 2-1/2").
Cord positions
Each cord that goes from a treadle to an upper lamm should pass in front of the corresponding lower lamm for its shaft. (Each Y
cord should pass from the lower lamm to the upper jacks behind the upper lamm and its corresponding shaft.) Cords to upper
lamms should not pass through the holes in the lower lamms.
Tying up your Cranbrook
These directions assume that the notches are pre-marked for hanging the shafts to the upper jacks, for attaching the Y cords to
the upper jacks and lower lamms, and for tying the treadles to the upper lamms (black) or lower lamms (red). All heddles must be
the same standard size. All ties are completed with the locking pins in place.
1. Hang the shafts from the upper jacks. (Hang all shafts and lamms whether or not they will be used. Immobilize unused shafts
by keeping the locking pins in their corresponding upper jacks during weaving.)
2. Attach the upper lamms to the lower shaft bars.

3. Attach the Y cords to the upper jacks. Suspend the Y cords from the upper jacks so that each cord passes behind its
corresponding shaft.
4. Place lower lamms on lamm pivot rod.
5. Attach Y cord to each lower lamm (pass cord through hole in lamm and attach with clip below lamm).
6. Suspend the treadles from treadle pivot rod. (It is a good idea to position all the treadles whether you are using them all or
not.)
7. Loop tie-up cords around all treadles for all shafts (marked black notches should be at end of cord farthest from the loop.)
8. Tie treadles to lamms according to tie-up. Every cord on every treadle is attached to either a lower lamm (to make the shaft
go up—BOTTOMS UP!) or an upper lamm (to make the shaft go down). A cord tied to an upper lamm must pass in front of the
corresponding lower lamm for its shaft (not through a hole in the lower lamm). To tie, pass the cord up through the appropriate
lamm hole, push the tab on the texsolv clip through the marked notch (black for upper lamms, red for lower), and stick the two
legs of the clip down into the hole in the lamm.
9. Remove the locking pins. It is important that the down shed be even so that the shuttle can travel smoothly from selvedge
to selvedge. It doesn’t really matter if the upper shed is uneven; it must only be big and clean enough for the shuttle to travel
through. Adjustments can be made if the shed is not even enough.
10. Step on each treadle to check each shed. If any shaft does not go down (or up) enough, tighten the tie for that shaft on that
treadle (i.e., make the cord shorter by moving the clip one notch closer to the treadle). If any shaft moves up or down too much
more than the others, loosen the tie for that shaft (move the clip one notch away from the treadle). Remember that any clip you
move will only affect that shaft on that treadle; you can’t wreck anything by moving a clip.
11. The loom will function best if you tie up at least eight treadles. If you don’t need that many for a particular tie-up, tie the
treadles you are not using (up to eight) as though they are weaving an even/odd tabby (alternately evens/odds up/down) (or, if
they were tied-up for some previous weaving, leave them as they were).
12. Sometimes the front shafts sag when the loom is at rest—their heddles will appear loose. This can be counteracted by tying
one treadle (usually the one farthest from the pivot point) to the lower lamms for that shaft(s) and weighting it if necessary. This
sagging is not a problem except with very ne warps—the sagging heddles can catch on adjacent threads, pulling them counter to
the movement of their own shafts during treadling, causing them to break.
Miscellaneous
1. Note that the upper lamm tilts slightly upward as it moves away from the pivot point. The treadles will therefore rise slightly
higher as they are further away from the pivot point.
2. It is important that the warp be centered in the loom. There should be as many warp ends to the right of the Y cord as to the
left.
3. If heddles don’t slide easily on the shaft bars, tie a cord around the shafts at each side so that the shaft bars move slightly
closer together, loosening the heddles on the shafts (this may not be necessary on the Cranbrook; I couldn’t tell how easy it is to
slide the heddles).
4. For very ne warps, the texsolv Y cords can be too rough. They can be replaced with a smooth dacron sh line or other
material (or covered with a plastic tube) or some other method devised to insure that they do not rub or catch on the warp.
5. Beater height: the warp should be in the middle of the reed at rest.
6. Beater position (forward or back): I don’t personally nd it necessary to have many positions for the beater. The best spot
allows maximum shed formation without too much pushing back of the beater. It is best to advance the warp often and beat in
approximately the same place throughout weaving.